Vivid Sydney is an annual celebration of creativity, innovation and technology, which transforms Sydney for 23 days and nights. In 2025, for its 15th year, Vivid Sydney will fuse art, innovation and technology in collaboration with some of the most boundary-pushing artists, musicians, thinkers and culinary experts of our time.
Mark the dates 23 May – 14 June 2025 in your calendar and explore the program of Light, Music, Ideas and Food, united by this year’s artistic direction, Vivid Sydney, Dream.
Vivid Sydney is owned, managed and produced by Destination NSW, the NSW Government's tourism and major events agency.
What's on at Vivid Sydney 2025
The full Vivid Sydney program will be unveiled in mid-March 2025. Brace yourself for a city illuminated with awe-inspiring art installations and 3D light projections, casting a magical glow upon Sydney’s iconic buildings and urban spaces. Expect live music and performances that transcend boundaries, with both emerging and established artists sharing their stories through dance and song.
Immerse yourself in thought-provoking experiences and heartfelt discussions led by inspiring minds and free-thinkers addressing the big questions. We’ll also indulge your palate with food markets and dining experiences that pay homage to the rich diversity of our community through delectable culinary delights.
Stay tuned for an unforgettable journey into the heart of "Vivid Sydney, Dream."
2025 Creative Direction
Vivid Sydney, Dream
What do you dream about?
Everything starts with a dream, a wish, an idea.
Dreaming is something we all do. It’s as old as time and as universal as life itself. Dreams don’t discriminate – they are borderless, ageless and endless. They can be personal or public. Prophetic, life changing and inspirational, they can also be trivial, hilarious and terrifying.
Dreams are free.
When shared, our dreams can become a movement. They can inspire, motivate, spark excitement and connection.
The whole world dreams, it is something we have in common, something that unites us. Our human story is embedded in dreams, they help explain our existence and our past.
Ancient cultures share the belief that dreams are significant, that they occupy a space outside the everyday and offer an insight into a deeper understanding of ourselves and our connection to the universe and everything in it.
To dream is to create new worlds, desires and hope. A place where we can imagine the future, a world different to the one we are in. A better world.
Dreams have no rules, they are playgrounds for our imagination, opening doors to creativity and innovation. They help us with problem solving, memory, learning and inspiration. Dreams evoke creativity, the motivation for many artists, the impetus for great stories, music and art.
For centuries, scholars and artists have analysed and utilised dreams. Yet to dream still invokes mystery, the blurring of the line between reality and imagination, a window into the subconscious. The place where anything is possible and there are no limits, where everything is open to interpretation.
In 2025, Vivid Sydney invites you to dream big. To go to the outer reaches of your mind, to think differently, without boundaries or preconceptions and to immerse yourself in new experiences and ideas. We want you to dream with the lights on, to daydream, to dream without boundaries, to soar.
We want to share our dreams with you in 2025. Dreams that take you out of your everyday, that inspire awe, joy and discovery. Dreams that delight, provoke and engage - the motivational, the emotional, the beautiful and the quirky. Vivid dreams expressed through light, music, ideas and food in the most beautiful and inspirational city in the world.
Make your dreams come true in 2025.
Gill Minervini
Festival Director
An award-winning festival
Vivid Sydney has been recognised by the International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA), winning 17 awards (16 gold, including a Grand Pinnacle and 1 silver) at the IFEA Pinnacle Awards 2023.
Vivid Sydney was also voted Australia’s Best Tourism Event in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2023.
