This week, Australian Eurovision entrant Dami Im, performs on the world stage at the Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm, Sweden. The songstress has prepared a Eurovision inspired Guide to Sydney for her international fans considering a trip to Australia.

Destination NSW CEO Sandra Chipchase said: “This is just Australia’s second time officially competing in the Eurovision Song Contest and it is wonderful to see the international support for Australia’s involvement. I encourage all Eurovision fans who have embraced the Australian Eurovision spirit to plan a trip to Sydney and NSW to discover our diverse arts, culture and music scene, and the beautiful beaches and wildlife that have inspired Dami in her Eurovision journey.”

“Post-Eurovision at the end of May is the perfect time for international visitors to plan a trip to Sydney when the city hosts the world’s largest festival of light, music and ideas, Vivid Sydney. Running from May 27 to June 18, Vivid Sydney is a unique event that matches Eurovision’s flair with inspiring light installations across the city and cutting edge musical performances,” said Ms Chipchase.

Here are Dami Im’s recommendations to her favourite Sydney experiences:

No Eurovision fan can ‘Rise Like a Phoenix’ without good coffee – Sydney’s coffee culture is one of the best in the world

“Sydney has some of the greatest coffee in the world! I love coffee and when I’m in Sydney I usually head to one of the many cute little cafes around Surry Hills and Darlinghurst.” said Dami.

Surry Hills and Darlinghurst are two buzzing inner city Sydney neighbourhoods full of coffee shops, wine bars, restaurants, and some of the city’s most creative dining spots.

Dami Im’s three favourite Sydney cafés are:

Bills (Surry Hills) – Every Bill Granger restaurant reflects a spirit he describe as ‘Australian’ -sunny, easy-going and generous. The open kitchen at Bills Surry Hills is lively and fun all day. Bills is a great place to grab a coffee or enjoy a legendary breakfast of ricotta hot cakes or sweet corn fritters.

Quattro Passi (Darlinghurst) – With stained glass windows, a stylish décor including a paperback library, and outside seats this Italian restaurant is a perfect place to grab or morning coffee or hearty breakfast.

Kingswood Coffee (World Square) – This specialty coffee shop in the Sydney CBD gets coffee lovers hearts racing before they’ve even had their caffeine hit.

Dami’s Eurovision song ‘The Sound of Silence’ is about getting caught up in a crazy fast paced life. For Dami taking time out to relax and unwind is really important and she believes there is no better place to do this than Sydney’s beautiful beaches.

According to Dami, “Visitors to Sydney can’t miss the beautiful beaches! I especially love the Eastern Suburbs beaches – Bronte, Tamarama and of course, Bondi. They’re easy to get to and have all the great cafes and restaurant dotted around them.”

Combining beaches, rock pools, parks and spectacular coastal views, the Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk winds its way along six kilometers of picturesque coastal paths at the edge of Sydney’s eastern suburbs. Starting by the iconic Bondi Icebergs, just above the Bondi Baths, the walk takes between 1-2 hours at a leisurely pace, offering plenty to see and do along the way.

Take to the stage like Dami at the iconic Sydney Opera House

Sydney Opera House is one of the world’s most creative and busiest performing arts centres and greatest triumphs of modern architecture.

“Performing ‘Waterloo’ at the Sydney Opera House at Conchita Wurst’s concert in March this year is one of my favourite memories. Conchita, who is a Eurovision Queen, invited me to be a part of this special night to announce that I was Australia’s Eurovision contestant for 2016! Guy Sebastian was also there, and it was really a night that I’ll never forget. To perform in front of the crowd at the Opera House made me feel like all of Australia was behind me already.” said Dami.

The World Heritage site is home to 1600 performances each year including ballet, opera, theatre, dance, music, comedy, kids shows, talks and more. New Order, Anohni, and Bon Iver are just some of the international artists performing at Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House from May 27.

Meet some of Dami’s friends and see the local wildlife and animals

Sydney is a great place to see Australian wildlife up close, from kangaroos and cuddly koalas, to snakes and crocodiles and exotic fish and marine life. The award-winning Taronga Zoo, overlooking the magnificent Sydney Harbour, is home to over 4,000 animals, including Australian native wildlife and rare and endangered exotic animals. It’s also one of Dami Im’s favourite Sydney spots. “I’d say Taronga Zoo is absolutely incredible – I don’t think any tourists could skip that. The best tip would be to make sure you catch the ferry because you get a cruise across Sydney harbour too.”

In Dami’s 2016 introductory postcard video that will play to an international television audience of over 180 million people next week, she is joined by some of the animals from Sydney’s WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo.

WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo features interactive displays, inspiring and entertaining daily keeper talks and enhanced walk-through habitats including Koala Encounters, Kangaroo Walk-about and Butterfly Tropics.

Visit sydney.com for more information. For images please see online photo gallery: http://www.destinationnsw.com.au/dami-im

Media contacts:

Jessica Parry,
Destination NSW
M: +61 (0)428 767 836
E: jessica.parry@dnsw.com.au

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