One of Sydney’s most joyous events is about to re-launch after an enforced and lamentable absence. It is a definite must all those who are lovers of life and dare to dream. Young or old, rich, or poor, there is something there for everyone to be captivated by.
As it is with many great festivals, Vivid had many parents. Derived from the Latin word (Vivid: meaning to live, brilliant, bright, splendid, and colourful). The first Vivid Sydney started in 2009 as a smart energy efficiency light festival, curated by lighting designer Mary-Anne Kyriakou and headlined by Brian Eno, in collaboration with lighting designer Bruce Ramus, and Anthony Bastic. It projected ‘light painting’ onto both sides of the Opera House.
They (the creators) were inspired to light up the Sydney Opera House after seeing illuminated buildings in London in 2007. In 2019, the last festival saw 2.4 million people attended.
The festival includes outdoor immersive light installations and projections, performances by local and international musicians, and an ideas exchange forum featuring public talks and debates with leading creative thinkers.
This event takes place over the course of three weeks in May and June. The centrepiece of Vivid Sydney is the light sculptures, multimedia interactive work and building projections that transform various buildings and landmarks such as the Opera House and Harbour Bridge in and around then Central Business District into an outdoor night-time canvas of art.
During the 2015 festival, sites of interest included Central Park, Chatswood as well as sites around the CBD, Darling Harbour, and The Rocks.
The event was sadly cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But fear not it back bigger and better than ever before.
What To Expect In 2022
The festival that sparks the soul of our city with creative brilliance for 23 days and nights celebrates its 12th year in 2022. Vivid Sydney fuses art, innovation, and technology in collaboration with some of the most boundary-pushing artists, thinkers, and musicians of our time. Vivid Sydney tells a story of the harbour city beyond the icons, about urban legends, secret spaces, and visions for the future. The 2022 festival boasts the longest continuous Light Walk in the history of the event, from Sydney Opera House to Central Station. Once again, the Sydney Opera House will be aglow for the Lighting of the Sails, and at a new Light Walk addition, Central Station, the George Street façade will boast an interactive projection.
Vivid Sydney 2022 will warm the creative soul of the Sydney CBD, Circular Quay, The Rocks, Walsh Bay, Barangaroo, Darling Harbour, Darling Square, Darling Quarter, and iconic city structures such as the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Customs House, and new light canvases for 2022, The Goods Line, ASN Clocktower in The Rocks and Central Station.
The annual festival sparks a sense of wonder that resonates around the world, with incredible 3D light projections, cross-art form installations, exhilarating live music and deep-dive discussions. Vivid Sydney proudly supports the NSW visitor economy, from our creative industries to entertainment and hospitality venues, accommodation providers and retailers. The last festival in 2019, attracted a record 2.4 million attendees and injected $172 million into NSW’s visitor economy and was once again awarded Best Tourism Event at the prestigious Australian Event Awards.
An Award-Winning Festival
Vivid Sydney has been recognised by the International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA) and received 15 accolades at the 2019 IFEA Pinnacle Awards including gold in the Grand Pinnacle category. Vivid Sydney was also voted Australia’s Best Tourism Event in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019 and Best Cultural, Arts or Music Event in 2017 and 2019 in the Australian Event Awards.
This year’s Artistic Direction
‘The Soul of Our City’
Destination NSW tell us: ‘Vivid Sydney is Sydney. This compelling story of creativity, innovation and technology told through light, music and ideas is distinguishably Sydney, yet authentically universal. Ours is a distinctive narrative expressed on a unique canvas that resonates around the world. We are innately drawn to it, a collective experience that brings us together to celebrate, reflect and immerse ourselves in this charismatic, surprising, and intriguing city’.
‘In 2022, Vivid Sydney dives deep into our soul and explores what defines the character of great cities. What makes them tick, makes them unique, makes us love them and makes them powerful catalysts for change? Our soul is our creativity, our people, our place, our heart. The stories and experiences that reflect our individuality and universality – the untold, unknown, and unexpected’.
‘We hope to inspire hearts and minds through bold, inclusive, and innovative creative experiences that celebrate our soul and have universal resonance. Experiences that bring us together and embolden us through light, music, and ideas’.
‘Vivid Sydney is the soul of our city. Authentically Sydney, genuinely global’.
It’s a must see event.
