Central Station and The Goods Line
Trains have been pulling into Sydney’s Central Station for more than 165 years. The vast sandstone building that stands today was opened in 1906 and remains one of the city’s grandest buildings. The imposing 85m clocktower was added in 1921. More than 85 million people pass through the station each year, their footsteps echoing through the imposing Grand Concourse as they make their way into central Sydney or depart for Regional NSW.
Eddy Ave
Haymarket NSW 2000
Australia
Branching out from Central Station, The Goods Line was part of a 19th century freight rail line that ran from Dulwich Hill into the city. The line closed in 1984 and the area sat mostly silent until a $15 million renovation that was completed in 2015. Flanked by some of Sydney’s most notable educational institutions, cultural attractions like the Powerhouse Museum and high-tech media hubs, The Goods Line has been transformed into an urban hub of walkways, bike paths, parks, ping pong tables, outdoor workspaces and playgrounds. The line runs between Central and Darling Harbour and takes less than 10 minutes to walk – keep an eye out for the Frank Gehry-designed Dr Chau Chak Wing Building that resembles a crumpled paper bagThe suburbs surrounding Central are as eclectic as Sydneysiders themselves. Hunt down the best spicy noodles or sweet custard puffs in the bustling streets of Chinatown, have a beer in a grungy student pub in Chippendale, and explore the stylish boutiques of Surry Hills.
Central Station and The Goods Line will be part of Vivid Sydney for the first time in 2022, with light projections, installations and music events across the terminal building and along the walkway.
How to get there: You can get a train or bus from just about anywhere in Sydney (or Regional NSW) to Central Station.
Light Events
Vivid Reflections
Come on a magical, experiential journey through the culture and icons of our beloved city. Set in the western forecourt of Central Station, this interactive...
Manta Rain
The grace of manta rays is arguably unparalleled in our oceans. This kinetic light and sound sculpture draws inspiration from the instantly recognisable...
We Dream the City
Enter a collective dreamscape of city-making. Filmic encounters with the city’s past are woven into one of Sydney’s most iconic corridors, The...
Convergence
Tunnels are portals to other worlds. We venture into the darkness never entirely sure what we'll encounter and often never knowing what awaits on the other...
Frankly, My Dear...
See Frank Gehry’s design for the UTS School of Business in a whole new light. Brave architecture enriches great cities and, here, designer Sinclair Park...
A Mirrored City
Discover a city within the city, where shimmering surfaces beckon. Weave your way through a series of building-like forms covered in dichroic film. As...
Smash
Daring… Beguiling… Unrelenting… Our gaze is captivated by a dancer’s feet. Tightly strapped in bejewelled stilettos, they stomp and splash in puddles...
SHARD
Language connects us. This vital form of communication allows us to share our ideas, thoughts, and feelings with others. It has the power to inspire, to...
Music Events
The Morrisons | Vivid Music at Central Station
Join Sydney's bluegrass darlings as they tell Australian stories steeped in the sound of folk and old-time music. This seven-piece band of peerless pickers...
DJs at The Goods Line
Enjoy a stacked line up of DJs at The Goods Line as you weave between superscale installations and projections on Vivid Sydney’s world-famous Light Walk. The...
Cope St Parade | Vivid Music at Central Station
Sydney born and bred, The Cope Street Parade does love songs like no others can. Now in its 12th year, the Parade is considered one of Australia’s most...
The Vivid Sydney Brass Band | Vivid Music at Central Station
Drawing inspiration from Treme and the roving New Orleans brass band tradition, the Vivid Sydney Brass Band are our very own bespoke eight-piece brass...
Lolo Lovina | Vivid Music at Central Station
Join Lolo Lovina ('Red Beer) for an intoxicating brew of Balkan mayhem! Fronted by Hungarian Romani-Gypsy singer Sarah Bedak, this music fusion reflects...
Vivid Music at Central Station | FREE
This year, Vivid Sydney presents a FREE series of diverse, contemporary live music on the Grand Concourse of Central Station. These exciting acts amp up...
Ideas Events
Queer Sydney: Powerhouse Late x Vivid Ideas
Join our celebration of Sydney’s LGBTQIA+ history and explore the lineage from the original Mardi Gras 78ers to now, before ending the night with a little...
Beautiful Freak in the Machine: Powerhouse Late x Vivid Ideas
See the Powerhouse transformed into a 3D magazine, telling stories of fashion, freedom and self-expression. In a night for style fans and pop culture geeks...
Ballroom & the West Ball: Powerhouse Late x Vivid Ideas
From Harlem, New York to Sydney, via Western Sydney, artists Jamaica Moana and Father Xander Silky bring the essence of ballroom to the Powerhouse Museum...
