Blog

It’s almost time for the skies above Circular Quay to be painted with 700+ drones for Love is in the Air, this year’s heart stopping drone show. Universal symbols of love will light up the night on the 8, 9 and 15 June at 9.10pm – it’s one of the festival’s most popular events so read on below to make the most of this stunning show directed by our Vivid Sydney Festival Director, Gill Minervini.

As Vivid Sydney 2024 lights up Sydney again for 23 nights of brilliance, the city welcomes some incredible installations to the harbour foreshore. This year, prepare to be wowed by light projections and installations that are truly larger than life, both in terms of size but also imagination and ambition. Evoking a sense of wonder and awe, these works are amongst some of the biggest we’ve ever showcased at Vivid Sydney. Read on below for our top picks of the large-scale light works that you can’t miss.

As Vivid Sydney returns in 2024, we continue our tradition of celebrating the world's oldest continuing culture with an electrifying line-up of First Nations talent. This year, we've gone further to spotlight these incredible artists across our Light, Music, Ideas and Food pillars, from the atmospheric stages of Vivid LIVE at the Sydney Opera House to brilliant nights under the stars at Tumbalong Park, we’re excited to celebrate Country and Culture this year.

From wonder-inducing light displays, thought-provoking discussions and experiences, music that moves, and the best of the world's cuisines, Vivid Sydney offers full sensory immersion.  

 At this year’s Vivid Sydney, don't just bask in the dazzling displays, taste the flavours, hear the stories, and be moved by the ideas  that make Vivid Sydney a festival for all senses.   From vegetarian menus crafted from rescued ingredients to dinner and cocktails with an unrivalled Light Walk view and fire-infused global cuisine, Vivid Sydney serves up an array of dining experiences that promise to satiate all appetites and are an unmissable part of your night out.  

  From 24 May to 15 June, Vivid Sydney returns to spark connection, wonder and reflection through Light, Music, Ideas and Food. Over 23 nights, activations, projections, gigs, performances, talks and food will converge across our Harbour City as we explore this year’s theme of humanity together. The best part? So much of Vivid Sydney is free for you to experience (save for tapping your Opal card, of course!).

2023 marks Vivid Sydney's biggest year yet, with innovation found across this year's program of Light, Music, Ideas and, for the first time, Food.

First Nations talent is front-and-centre this Vivid Sydney, as we celebrate the world's oldest continuing living culture and shine a spotlight on the artists and voices continuing to shape it.

With 60 light works at this year's Vivid Sydney, it can be hard to know where to start. We’ve already offered an itinerary for this year’s 8.5km Light Walk, but here are eight works that really exemplify this year’s Creative Direction, 'Vivid Sydney, Naturally'. Beautiful and on an awe-inspiring scale, these works ask us to reconsider our relationship to nature and our surroundings, rendering our city anew while opening our eyes and minds alike. See them yourself from 26 May to 17 June!

Gill Minervini, Vivid Sydney Festival Director and Light curator "In 2023, Vivid Sydney is all about celebrating what really matters – connection, authenticity, love, nature. Nature provides a sense of discovery, a celebration of authenticity, an invitation to connect and a chance to create, all experiences we can share at Vivid Sydney. This year, I’m excited that we have our biggest and boldest light works to date from both world-famous artists and local talents, as well as our rich program of ideas, music and, for the first time, food."

The excitement is building for the return of Vivid Sydney to our city — just 100 days to go. The countdown is on — find out about the festival's direction for this year, the new festival focus Vivid Food, and take a sneak peek at the Light Walk, returning for Vivid Sydney 2023. Today, February 15, Minister for Tourism Ben Franklin and Vivid Sydney Festival Director Gill Minervini launched the official 100 day countdown to Vivid Sydney 2023, revealing some of the exciting festival-first experiences we can expect this year.

Vivid Sydney is a visual and sonic extravaganza – and with the 2022 festival offering the longest Light Walk in the history of the event, stretching from Sydney Opera House to Central Station, there are more artworks to admire than ever before. Don’t miss 10 of the most Instagrammable and unforgettable works when exploring the soul of the city. 1. Yarrkalpa - Hunting Ground, 2021 by the Martu Artists and Curiious Soundtrack by Electric Fields and Martu Artists