Circular Quay and the Rocks
It’s all bustle and buzz down at Circular Quay, one of the great crossroads of the city. Ferries, trains, buses and light rail bring people from all over Sydney to work and play. This is Sydney’s dress circle, with the Sydney Opera House, Royal Botanic Garden and Sydney Harbour Bridge framing that iconic harbour view. Around the water’s edge are cafes, restaurants and cocktail bars as well as luxury hotels and the striking Museum of Contemporary Art.
Circular Quay
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia
Tucked behind the western edge of Circular Quay you’ll find the maze of cobblestone laneways, century-old terraces and cosy pubs that make up Sydney’s oldest precinct, The Rocks. Think of this as the place where the city of Sydney was born and the soul of that early colony still lives beneath the stones. This is where early settlers put up some of the new colony's first homes and businesses, and you can still find bricks hand-hewn by convicts more than 200 years ago. In among this living history is a thoroughly modern crop of stylish cafes, lively bars, quirky art galleries and chic boutiques.
Circular Quay and The Rocks are always the stars of Vivid Sydney. See the city's most iconic sites, like the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Customs House and the Museum of Contemporary Art illuminated by spectacular light displays. Inside these world-famous venues, Vivid Music and Vivid Ideas will inspire with creativity and innovation. Follow the Light Walk along the waterfront and connect with individual bespoke pieces that tell the story of Vivid Sydney. See the harbour itself become a canvas for the world’s greatest light show.
How to get there: Trains, buses and light rail services from all over the city will take you right into the heart of Circular Quay. You can also catch a ferry from Manly, Taronga Zoo and Luna Park in the north, or along the Parramatta River stopping at Balmain and Barangaroo. The Rocks is just a short and picturesque walk around the waterfront.
Light Events
Written In The Stars
Head to the heavens in 2023 with Vivid Sydney's drone shows, the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere to date. An awe-inspiring journey through the natural...
Losting
'Losting' is an invented word, describing that deliberate act of losing yourself in nature without any bearings or ties to our tech, in order to feel yourself...
First Light
First Light opens Vivid Sydney by celebrating and honouring the continuous protocol of our nation's First People with a unique Welcome to Country incorporating...
Inside Out
A celebration of Australian interior design featuring beautiful hand-drawn wallpaper and fabrics projected onto the façade of Customs House – bringing...
Vivid Kids
Welcome to the wild and wonderful world of Vivid Kids! Children are inherently creative. They are quick learners, extremely tech savvy, and, when passionate...
Supernova
Ever look up at the sky and see a new star shining bright, as if it appeared overnight? Chances are it's a nova, a long dormant star that's decided to...
WATERFALL
From a distance, the powerful roar of Waterfall invites closer inspection. Get closer, and the 20-metre cascade appears to be mysteriously hanging in mid-air...
City Gazing Sydney
With their ongoing global City Gazing series, VOUW recreates a view that very few humans would normally see with their own eyes: the Earth from space...
DANDELION
Make a wish, take a deep breath, and come watch Dandelion blow! This 4,000kg steel recreation of the flower's wispy calyx, also known as a 'pappus'...
Between You and Me
High up on the Sydney Harbour Bridge Pylons, native Australian birds take us on a journey across the skies and to their homes, from the Centennial Parklands...
Music Events
Rhys Nicholson | Vivid Sydney Supper Club
Round out your Light Walk experience with the ultimate nightcap at the Vivid Sydney Supper Club. From 9pm 'til late on Friday and Saturday nights during...
Beccy Cole | Vivid Sydney Supper Club
Round out your Light Walk experience with the ultimate nightcap at the Vivid Sydney Supper Club. From 9pm 'til late on Friday and Saturday nights during...
Reuben Kaye | Vivid Sydney Supper Club
Round out your Light Walk experience with the ultimate nightcap at the Vivid Sydney Supper Club. From 9pm 'til late on Friday and Saturday nights during...
Christine Anu | Vivid Sydney Supper Club
Round out your Light Walk experience with the ultimate nightcap at the Vivid Sydney Supper Club. From 9pm 'til late on Friday and Saturday nights...
Trevor Ashley | Vivid Sydney Supper Club
Round out your Light Walk experience with the ultimate nightcap at the Vivid Sydney Supper Club. From 9pm 'til late on Friday and Saturday nights...
David Campbell & Friends | Vivid Sydney Supper Club
Round out your Light Walk experience with the ultimate nightcap at the Vivid Sydney Supper Club. From 9pm 'til late on Friday and Saturday nights...
Paulini | Vivid Sydney Supper Club
Round out your Light Walk experience with the ultimate nightcap at the Vivid Sydney Supper Club. From 9pm 'til late on Friday and Saturday nights during...
Tim Draxl | Vivid Sydney Supper Club
Round out your Light Walk experience with the ultimate nightcap at the Vivid Sydney Supper Club. From 9pm 'til late on Friday and Saturday nights during...
Vivid Sydney Supper Club
Vivid Sydney’s late night lounge is back! Following last year’s inaugural Supper Club, drag extraordinaire and beloved star of stage and screen Trevor...
Ideas Events
Vivid Sydney Photography Masterclass
Be inspired by a breathtaking front-row view of Vivid Sydney from the southeast pylon of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, usually off-limits to the public, in...
NOCTURNE
Wander away from the Light Walk on an immersive audio journey through the hidden streets and laneways of The Rocks. Let your ears lead the way in this...
Food Events
Vivid Rooftop Experience in Aster Bar
Perched 32 floors above Sydney Harbour, rooftop bar Aster boasts breathtaking 270° views of Vivid Sydney with a spectacular three-course menu paired with...
6HEAD: The VIVID Experience
Following their foray into multi-sensory dining at Vivid Sydney 2022, premium modern Australian restaurant 6HEAD returns with a one-of-a-kind culinary...
Light Up Your Senses at the Pylon
Take in the majestic view of Vivid Sydney from the Sydney Harbour Bridge’s South-East Pylon in style. Enjoy a red wine paired with a cheese box from...
Luke’s Vivid Table at the Pylon Lookout
After several sell-out sessions, this special dining collaboration between BridgeClimb and Australian restaurateur and chef Luke Mangan arrives for an...
The Taste and Sound of Sydney
Under the illuminated sails, Opera Bar is serving dishes inspired by the city's natural beauties – the sparkling Harbour and the lush Royal Botanic Garden...
