Vivid Sydney is back for its eleventh year, and between the 24th of May to the 15th of June, you can see the city like never before. The iconic festival runs for 23 days, meaning you have plenty of time to check out the best things on offer. While Vivid’s Lights On! display projected onto the Sydney Opera House is cause enough to go, we’ve curated a handy guide on what to check out.
From epic performances by The Cure, Underworld and RÜFÜS DU SOL to forums by game changers Spike Lee and Esther Perel – here’s everything to watch out for at Vivid Sydney.
The Light Walk
The famous Light Walk is one of Vivid Sydney’s hallmarks and “the reason people travel thousands of miles” to enjoy the festival. This year’s Light Walk curates over 50 radiant works into the largest outdoor gallery of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. The route stretches for more than three kilometres, from The Rocks through the city’s oldest streets and laneways around Circular Quay to the Sydney Opera House and into the Royal Botanic Garden taking in major light projections on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA) and Customs House along the way.
The Light Walk is on between the 24th of May to the 15th of June, from 6 pm.
Esther Perel’s Modern Love In The Digital Age
Renowned psychotherapist Esther Perel is one of the world’s most listened to and respected authorities on modern love and resolving conflict. Her ground-breaking podcast Where Should We Begin?, allows audiences to tune in to recordings of couples in counselling, an act of intimacy and generosity that has earned her innumerable fans around the globe. Join Esther on June 2 for her first visit to Australia to investigate love, lust, our desire for connection and delicate matters of the heart through her unique lens.
To book tickets, see here.
Enjoy food and champagne
Globally renowned French Champagne House, Perrier-Jouët are collaborating with one of Barangaroo’s top restaurants; 12-Micron, to deliver an immersive and multi-sensory art and culinary experience. 12-Micron’s private dining room and bar will be transformed from 24th May – 15th June into a stunning light exhibition where the brands will host dining in the dark series to artfully combine gastronomy, music, art and light. The dining in the dark experience will be available to book at 7:30 pm every Thursday – Sunday night during Vivid.
To book tickets, see here.
Watch a performance by FKA Twigs
FKA twigs will perform a one-night-only show at Carriageworks for Vivid Sydney on June 9th. Drawing on various genre-bending works, including electronic music, punk and R&B, her avant-garde debut studio album LPI was released to critical acclaim.
To book tickets, see here.
Gelato Messina’s Blacklight Dessert Lab
Creating a totally blended experience, Gelato Messina’s dessert lab is a confectionary experience that can’t be missed. Situated in a luminous shipping container, the pop-up bar has been decked out with a multi-dimensional neon light installation. Even better? Each week will feature a different special guest, so you’ll want to check it out more than once.
Gelato Messina’s Blacklight Dessert Lab will run from May 24 until June 15 in Darling Square.
Sweat it out
Flow Athletic’s Silent Disco Yoga takes on Sydney’s Vivid light festival. The world-class training facility has teamed up with Pier One for the ultimate yoga experience, with the backdrop of the Harbour Bridge lit up by Vivid. Kate Kendall will lead an ALL LEVELS Vinyasa class direct to your ears through individual headphones, backed by the smooth beats of Sydney DJ James Mack.
To book tickets, see here.
Warm Up In Your Very Own Igloo
Cargo has transformed its venue into the ultimate winter getaway where guests can enjoy winter-themed dishes and warming cocktails in the comfort of their own neon-lit igloo. The perfectly primed location allows guests dining in the igloos to also take in the beautiful harbourside surroundings and the vibrant colours of the city for Vivid, creating the ultimate ‘instagrammable moment’.
Book a spot here.
