Performers and artists from all over the world are descending upon Australia's most populous city for the annual Sydney Festival. Organisers are expecting tens of thousands of people to pass through the gates every day to see a variety of artistic shows and installations.

For culture vultures, January in New South Wales means one thing: the Sydney Festival. Locals and tourists alike have the chance to indulge in visual and performance art; contemporary dance; and classical music at 25 venues across the Harbour City.

"Sydney Buddha" is one such art installation and it's by renowned Chinese artist Zhang Huan. Zhang has erected two five-metre-high sculptures facing each other. One of them is made of aluminium, and acts as a mould for the second sculpture, which is created entirely from incense-ash gathered from Buddhist temples in China.

In "Limbo', fire eaters excite the crowds. A popular - and free - installation is the "Waterfall Swing" at Darling Harbour. Brooklyn-based company "Dash 7 Design" have created a set of swings over a water feature that turns on and off, to guarantee a dry ride.

Founded in 1977, the arts festival offers a combination of free and ticketed events. Last year, it attracted more than half a million people, and organisers are expecting similar crowds this year. 179 events -- 85 of them free -- feature more than 900 artists from 30 countries.

"Inside the Falls" by British artist, Mira Calix invites audiences to enter a labyrinth of paper walls. Artists, dancers and a narrator, hide in the hidden pathways and explore it with movement and voice, giving the audience a multi-sensual experience -- much like the Sydney Festival itself.

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