Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is the symbol of modern Australia. It is one of the world’s busiest performing arts centres, the nation’s premier tourism destination and an architectural masterpiece of the 20th century.
A global beacon for creativity, it is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List and its social value has been estimated by Deloitte at $11.4 billion. Its broad and diverse programming attracts audiences in person and online, with more than 16 million people attending performances and tours over the past decade. In its ambition to be Everyone’s House, the Sydney Opera House continues to evolve alongside the community it was built to serve.
Bennelong Point
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia
Getting there
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Walk | 6 mins from Circular Quay |
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Train | Circular Quay Station (weekdays) and Wynyard Station |
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Bus | Young St for Circular Quay |
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Ferry | Ferries run regularly to and from Circular Quay |
During Vivid Sydney, the Sydney Opera House’s iconic sails become one of the festival’s brightest canvasses, lighting up each night with a captivating signature work. The Lighting of the Sails is co-curated by the Sydney Opera House and Destination NSW and is one of their most significant free events.
Under the sails, Vivid LIVE is the annual centrepiece of the Sydney Opera House’s year-round contemporary music program and forms part of Vivid Sydney's Music program – a whole-of-House takeover and the only time of year the world-famous venue is completely reimagined by live contemporary music and art, celebrating cutting-edge and legendary artists that defy expectations and break new ground.
Curated for the eleventh time by Sydney Opera House’s Head of Contemporary Music, Ben Marshall, Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House will feature international cult favourites, local trailblazers and influential culture-shapers in Australian exclusives, premieres, an epic orchestral collaboration, one-off projects, anniversaries and Studio Parties.
Light Events
Lighting of the Sails: Opera Mundi
Renowned French multimedia artist Yann Nguema, known for his mesmerising projections onto significant buildings around the world, brings his unique fusion...
Music Events
kwn | Vivid LIVE
It all blew up with a kiss. On Valentine’s Day 2025, UK singer, songwriter and producer kwn – pronounced ‘kay-wuhn’ – locked lips with R&B...
Film Program | Millenium Mambo
A stylish and seductive submersion into the techno-scored neon nightlife of Taipei.Hou Hsiao-Hsien's Palme d'Or-nominated cult classic stars Shu Qi as...
Party Dozen | Vivid LIVE
From burning up the city’s underground scene to unleashing their wild, visceral energy on the global stage, Sydney noise rock duo Party Dozen have come...
Flying Lotus | Vivid LIVE
A visionary creative polymath who has turned his gifts to cosmically funky hip-hop, jazz and beats, mind-blowing experimental sounds and surrealist sci-fi...
Earl Sweatshirt & MIKE | Vivid LIVE
Alongside fellow stars Tyler, the Creator and Frank Ocean, a teenage Earl Sweatshirt first blew up in the late 2000s as part of LA's rabble-rousing hip-hop...
Absolute Beginners (40th Anniversary) | Vivid LIVE Film
Adapted from Colin MacInnes' cult novel, Absolute Beginners winds the clock back to the pivotal British summer of 1958, chronicling a time when teenagers...
The KLF: 23 Seconds to Eternity (Australian Theatrical Premiere) | Vivid LIVE Film
The KLF became the biggest selling singles act in the world with a series of subversive international acid house anthems. 23 Seconds to Eternity represents...
Human Traffic | Vivid LIVE Film
Hailed by The Guardian as ‘the last great film of the '90s, Human Traffic is an unapologetic celebration of club culture and hedonism that has lost none...
Derrick Gee's Radio Hour | Vivid LIVE
A cult tastemaker whose wit and wisdom are shaping the way audiences discover and listen to music, Sydney DJ and internet personality Derrick Gee took...
Studio Party by Fanático x Moral Laxa Feat. DJ Sprinkles | Vivid LIVE
For their debut Studio Party at Vivid LIVE, two of Sydney’s favourite musical curators – independent Marrickville store Fanático Records and local...
Food Events
Culture in Motion: Mindy Woods & Danielle Alvarez
Highlighting Byron Bay in a multi-sensory feast as part of the Regional Dinner Series, Bundjalung woman and culinary powerhouse Mindy Woods (Karkalla...
Saltbush & Starlight
Experience the Sydney Opera House in a completely new light, via an exclusive guided tour followed by a show-stopping three-course dinner from First Nations...
