Circular Quay and the Rocks

Short description

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. 

 

 

This is an image of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Circular Quay lit up during Vivid Sydney.

Light Events

Embrace

Embrace is a verb. To hold. To accept. To include or contain. Step inside the circle of this interactive installation and actively embrace the joy of human...

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Embrace render
Location: First Fleet Park Price: Free

Vivid Light on Sydney Harbour

Vivid Sydney goes to sea, with our ferries and boats lighting up in unison with the city’s skyscrapers and the Sydney Harbour Bridge as they sail across...

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Vivid Light on Sydney Harbour
Location: Circular Quay and the Rocks Price: Free

Faces of Change

The grey of the Harbour Bridge Pylons explodes into a kaleidoscope of surrealistic, colourful life. Watch as Indigenous artist Tori-Jay’s exaggerated...

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Faces of Change
Location: Circular Quay and the Rocks Price: Free

"SYNTHETIC HUM(AI)NITY"

We are standing at a literal, and figurative, crossroads. Looming in front of us is the ASN Clocktower, with its three facades illuminated. Humanity is...

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Synthetic Humanity render mobile
Location: ASN Clock Tower Price: Free

Connection

Step into a canopy thick with countless LED ropes and connect to our shared humanity.As individuals, we are connected by countless invisible threads —...

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Connection light display
Location: Hickson Road Reserve Price: Free

First Light

Kick off Vivid Sydney 2024 with First Light, as we welcome a celebration of First Nations culture and continue Calling Country. Set against the iconic...

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First Light
Location: Campbells Cove Price: Free

Our Connected City

Our City Connected brings our city together through light. On every other day of the year, Sydney’s buildings stand on their own. During Vivid Sydney...

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Our Connected City
Location: Circular Quay and the Rocks Price: Free

Mutual States

We are our faces. They are a canvas for human emotion and expression. An invitation to connect.Mutual States explores this idea, putting the complexities...

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Mutual States
Location: Cadmans Cottage Price: Free

Music Events

Dog Trumpet

Join us for an evening where art meets music in iconic fashion with this free and live Dog Trumpet performance at Customs House forecourt.Watch as this...

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Dog Trumpet band image
Location: Customs House Price: Free

Food Events

Aster Vivid 2024

Ascend to Aster, InterContinental Sydney’s premium rooftop bar, for a 270-degree vista of our harbour and a bespoke Vivid Sydney cocktail and two-course...

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Aster Vivid 2024
Location: Aster Bar Price: From: $169.00
Deals