Michael Jackson fashion sweeps Sydney thanks to ‘MJ the Musical’

• MJ the Musical is playing at Sydney Lyric Theatre until June 2025
• Hardcore fans are dressing up for the occasion with fedoras, military jackets and gloves
• Liam Damons and Roman Banks share their thoughts on Jackson’s fashion
• BUY NOW: The Biggest Event of the Year is here! MJ the musical. Get your tickets here.

Fedoras, military jackets and that iconic glove: these are some tell-tale symbols of Michael Jackson’s instantly recognisable outfits. And you’ll likely be seeing more of them across Sydney for the next 15 weeks.

Audiences heading to the Sydney Lyric Theatre to watch MJ the Musical are dressing for the occasion, reaching for their fedoras, military jackets, sequin blazers and Michael Jackson-inspired gloves.

The multi-award-winning Broadway production has finally landed in Sydney following sell-out success on Broadway and London’s West End. And even if you only see the queue snaking out of the door, it’s obvious people are embracing the show with open arms. Lead Roman Banks told Sydney Travel Guide that theatregoers are already returning for a second or third time after seeing the show—and the production is still in its previews!

The first week of shows has seen audience members of all ages arriving in iconic MJ attire and creating their versions of Michael Jackson outfits, fully immersing themselves in the aesthetics and style of the King of Pop’s 1992 Dangerous World Tour.

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The timelessness of Michael Jackson’s outfits

I saw MJ The Musical the night before speaking with Roman and recalled a particular highlight in show’s second half: Roman is alone on stage and opens a case, gently lifting out a sequinned blazer, a matching fedora—which catches the light—and, the finishing touch, a glitzy rhinestone glove. The crowd went wild for each reveal, cheering and clapping as he put on each item.

Speaking about Jackson’s style, Roman recalls talking with Michael Bush, Jackson’s designer who helped with the costuming:

It’s kind of crazy that they were in the 70s and Michael still had this attitude of “I want everything I do to be timeless” and sort of touching on these really defined styles and bringing a new breath of life to them—whether that’s military jackets or Levi’s jean, or just white socks or penny loafers—these things that are so essential in their design and so every day, so pedestrian, and to elevate them into a different place… all of a sudden kids see a military jacket and they don’t think of the military, they think of Michael Jackson. It’s really magical.

Attendees looking to inject a bit of Michael Jackson’s inimitable style into their outfits should make sure to pop by the merchandise stand before the show. They’ve got you covered from head to toe, literally, with everything from caps and t-shirts down to socks and keyrings. You can even purchase classic Michael Jackson CDs and the production album.

Fedora: $50
Glove: $60
Tote bag: $30
Waterbottle: $40
T-shirts: $40
Caps: $30
Socks: $20
Keyrings: $10-$15
CDs: $25-$30

Recreating classics

The aim of MJ the Musical, Roman told us, is to capture the essence of Michael which is achieved largely by the actors, of course, but the costume design is another key component—given how iconic many of Jackson’s outfits were.

Paul Tazewell is the man in charge of costume design and he has many credits to his name, including Hamilton—for which he received a Tony Award in 2016—the West End production of MJ the Musical and Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, for which he received an Academy Award nomination for in 2022.

So it’s no surprise that the costumes in the Sydney production are as eye-catching as ever.

Liam Damons, who plays teenage “Middle” Michael in the Sydney production, said that his outfits for the Grammy’s scene and the Thriller number were his favourites. For the former, Liam is wears a glittering blue military jacket with gold shoulder details, and a pair of dark sunglasses.

It’s an impressive recreation of one of the superstar’s iconic outfits from a key moment in his career. As for Thriller, each time the distinctive beat starts playing, the crowd goes crazy. So when Liam acts out the filming of the famed music video, surrounded by an entourage of dancers and dressed in that renowned red and black outfit, the reaction is electrifying.

The cast are only one week into performances, yet it’s already taking Sydney by storm. Walking around the city you’ll see signs of MJ the Musical everywhere, whether it’s the red flags on lampposts or theatregoers in their Michael Jackson outfits.

MJ The Musical plays at the Sydney Lyric Theatre until August 2025. Tickets are available at mjthemusical.com.au.

READ MORE: Our thoughts on MJ The Musical? It’s a thriller!