Anohni and the Johnsons

Mourning The Great Barrier Reef
For the first time in a decade, the singular voice of Anohni (formerly known as Antony and the Johnsons) returns for two exclusive nights with her band, the Johnsons. Performing songs from her acclaimed new album alongside favourites from across her catalogue, these special concerts will unfold against a cinematic portrait of the Great Barrier Reef and the scientists who have studied it over decades. These will be the final Australian performances with the Johnsons.

Don’t miss your chance to hear one of the century’s most emotionally intense and beautiful voices live for the first time in years.

Anohni (formerly known as Antony and the Johnsons) brings her world tour to Australia, performing works from her acclaimed sixth studio album ‘My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross’ (2023) — named Album of the Year by The New Yorker — alongside beloved works from her catalogue including ‘I Am a Bird Now’ (2005) and ‘The Crying Light’ (2009).

Reflecting Anohni’s long-standing engagement with environmental and social justice, these performances of songs from throughout her career are paired with cinematic portraits of the Great Barrier Reef today. Created in collaboration with Australian artist and filmmaker Lynette Wallworth, the visual element is described by Anohni as a “ceremony fit for the purpose of grieving a loss of such monumental scale.” Footage from the Great Barrier Reef has been gathered over a month of field research, interwoven with reflections from Australian scientists who have studied and witnessed its transformation over decades.

Anohni has previously worked with the Martu of the Western Australian desert in their fight to prevent uranium mining on their land and was nominated for an Oscar in 2016 for ‘Manta Ray’, her song for the documentary Racing Extinction.

These two exclusive performances of captivating soul are the final Johnsons band concerts in Australia.

Presented by Sydney Opera House