Source: Destination NSW. Vivid Sydney in action.

The tenth anniversary of Vivid Sydney, the world’s largest festival of light, music and ideas, has begun. As Australia’s largest event, Vivid Sydney transforms the city into a captivating display of illumination, sound, and creativity.

The festival commenced with the symbolic ‘Lights On’ moment, with all eyes on the Sydney Opera House for the ‘Lighting of the Sails’. This year’s display, created by Australian artist Jonathan Zawada, featured dynamic digital sculptures of commonplace objects and elements from nature, morphing and changing before the viewers’ eyes.

Nine precincts across Sydney, including Barangaroo, Chatswood, Circular Quay, The Rocks, Darling Harbour, Kings Cross, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, Taronga Zoo, and, for the first time, Luna Park will be illuminated each night of the festival.

At the launch, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian expressed her excitement, stating, “It’s always thrilling to witness the city come alive with a vibrant symphony of color and motion, and we eagerly anticipate the captivating moments that will enthrall visitors during Vivid Sydney’s 10th anniversary celebrations over the next 23 days and nights.”

NSW Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall emphasized that Vivid Sydney provides a platform to exhibit not only Sydney but also the entire state. “Vivid Sydney transcends being a captivating light, music, and ideas festival – it serves as an economic driver, attracting countless overnight visitors to our state,” Marshall stated.

“Last year, nearly 38,000 Vivid Sydney attendees opted to extend their stay in NSW, venturing beyond Sydney’s city limits. Their extended visits, totaling over 94,000 nights, injected more than A$16 million into the state’s regional economy.”

“The NSW government has diligently worked to secure NSW’s position as the tourism and events capital of Australia, and Vivid Sydney plays a crucial role in presenting our global city to the world. The festival reinforces Sydney’s standing as a hub of creativity, culture, and innovation.”

Ignatius Jones, Creative Director for Vivid Sydney, added, “Vivid Sydney centers around the fusion of art and technology, with a touch of magic woven in to create an unforgettable experience for visitors. This year, the creative visions of both local and international artists have been transformed into large-scale interactive installations and projections. These captivating displays transform renowned landmarks and landscapes, ranging from the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge to the natural canvases of the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney and Darling Harbour. We extend a warm invitation to all to partake in this vibrant celebration of creativity and community.”

Highlights for this year’s event include:

Light

Each night at 6 pm (5.30 pm at Chatswood and Taronga Zoo), the ‘Lights On’ moment illuminates Sydney’s architecture and public spaces, transforming them into canvases for stunning art projections and engaging interactive installations.

• Zawada’s Metamathemagical illuminates the Sydney Opera House sails with a series of moving digital sculptures inspired by the Australian landscape.
• For the first time, Luna Park joins Vivid Sydney as a featured precinct, showcasing a magnificent light display, Spirit of Fun on Coney Island. The Ferris wheel offers visitors unparalleled views of Sydney Harbour illuminated.
• May Gibbs’ cherished characters, Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, mark their 100th anniversary with a delightful projection on the facade of Customs House, taking viewers on a joyful journey through the Australian bush.
• Barangaroo features a six-meter-tall luminescent creature that traverses the waterfront, engaging with visitors in The Liminal Hour, a captivating performance of light and sound.
• Lights for the Wild returns to Taronga Zoo, bigger and better than ever before, inviting visitors on an adventure through recreated jungle, bush, and ocean habitats. New additions complement festival favorites, including PJ, the 20-meter Port Jackson shark, an impressive nine-meter goanna, a majestic sea dragon, and striking redback spiders.

Music

A diverse music program provides a sonic backdrop to the festival, with a lineup of top-tier local and international contemporary artists gracing stages across the city. Highlights include:

• Rising Australian music star Ruel will perform his debut solo headline show at Sydney’s iconic Metro Theatre on June 16 (sold out).
• The soundtrack of Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet comes alive in Young Hearts Run Free, a masquerade-ball-rock-show at the Enmore Theatre on June 7.
• Lea DeLaria, known for her role as Big Boo in Orange is the New Black, brings her musical comedy and jazz interpretations to the City Recital Hall on June 9 as part of the Vivid Jazz series.
• Vivid LIVE returns to the Sydney Opera House, celebrating ambitious and innovative contemporary music. The World Heritage-listed venue will host international icons such as Solange and Ice Cube, as well as DREAMS, the electropop collaboration between former Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns and Empire of the Sun’s Luke Steele on May 29 and 30. Californian dream pop duo Mazzy Star will close Vivid LIVE with their Australian debut from June 11-13, enchanting audiences with their signature psychedelic-tinged guitar and captivating vocals.

Ideas

Australia’s most stimulating discussions are on the agenda as pioneers in technology, science, art, design, and culture gather to examine new ideas and foster innovative thinking through various forums and workshops. James Cameron, headlining the program this year, will speak to a sold-out audience. Other must-see highlights include:

• On June 3, futurist and game developer Jane McGonigal joins AI expert Kriti Sharma to discuss the kind of society we are shaping with technology, delving into the latest advancements in AI, virtual reality, and gaming.
• Dan Goods, visual strategist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and co-founder of the Museum of Awe, will explore the synergy between art and science, which has seen his work displayed in both museums and outer space, on June 3.
• Trailblazing environmental activists Peggy Oki, surfing and skateboarding icon, and Laura Wells, marine biologist and model, will discuss ocean conservation in the fight against plastic pollution on June 6. They will share how individuals can make a difference by transforming passion into action.
• On June 16, a panel of experts will join a computer-generated digital human on stage for Mummy, can I Marry my Avatar? The discussion will examine the ethical and societal implications of sharing our lives with digital artificial humans.

Destination NSW, the New South Wales government’s tourism and major events agency, owns, manages, and produces the festival. In 2017, Vivid Sydney drew a record-breaking 2.33 million attendees and contributed over A$143 million to NSW’s visitor economy.

Details:

Vivid Sydney runs from May 25 to June 16, 2018. For more information about the festival, visit the Vivid Sydney website or download the mobile app (available on iOS or Android). The app features a new augmented reality experience, including access to a hidden art gallery in Fitzroy Gardens, Kings Cross.

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