Tim Finn opens the Jägermeister Hunting Lodge for Sydney Festival 2012

On Tuesday night, Sydney Festival opened the Jägermeister Hunting Lodge, located in the Honda Festival Garden in Hyde Park, just next to The Famous Spiegeltent, with a VIP party which featured a 45-minute set by legendary singer/songwriter Tim Finn (above). 

The rustic and enchanting pop-up venue is made entirely of logs, complete with a wooden deck, timber floor, stone fireplace and 12-metre-long bar and, between now and the 29th January 2012, the semi-permanent space will be home to a series of intimate secret shows and off-mainstage surprises from Sydney Festival music headliners, as well as one-off performances from Australian and New Zealand musicians including Josh Pyke, Emma Louise, Brous and many more.

Tuesday's VIP shindig saw Tim Finn (above) perform an eclectic 45-minute set which included his solo work as well as Crowded House and Split Enz stuff. Brown-suited, sweating under the lights, stomping around the stage and supported by a full band, his set was deliciously upbeat and - of course - ended with a singalong of the classic Weather With You. Well, you don't have the career that Finn has had without knowing how to please a crowd.

Pre and post show, the glitterati of the local music scene - including members of Cameras, Holy Soul and The Preachers - enjoyed Jägermeister cocktails in the cool evening air in the gardens outside the lodge. It was a lovely occasion, and typical of the kind of relaxed-yet-inventive offbeat charm that the Sydney Festival has always offered. If you want to head along to the Hunting Lodge for any of the amazing free events that they are putting on (like, ooh, I don't know, an exclusive DJ set from NICK ZINNER! This Saturday at 11pm), then ticket registration is required, full details of which can be found at: www.facebook.com/jagermeisterAustralia.

Words by Bobby Townsend. Photos by Eliza Sys (except for fireplace photo, courtesy of Jagermeister Australia)