Vivid Sydney - here's all you need to know for festival of light, music, food and ideas for 2023

WHERE TO STAY

HOW TO GET THERE

VIVID HIGHLIGHTS

LIGHT DISPLAYS

• The Opera House Lighting of the Sails will see the vibrant works of one of Australia's most famed artists, John Olsen, brought to life as a spectacular tribute to his illustrious artistic career of more than 60 years. Life Enlivened (2023) will include Olsen's evocative Salute to Five bells (1971-73) mural commissioned especially for the Northern Foyer of Sydney Opera House's Concert Hall, as well as other artworks spotlighting Olsen's fascination with Australian landscapes and nature.
• Light Walk will host the works of 100+ light collaborators and 26 international light artists from 13 countries, with street installations re-shaping old sights, surprising projection sites and large-scale immersive experiences that will paint the urban landscape.
• Vivid House returns - but this year bigger and better at the Cutaway in Barangaroo, activating every night of the festival with 360-degree immersive natural experiences bringing together art, light, sound and video from local and international artists.
• Vivid Sydney's largest installation, The Last Ocean by US artist Jen Lewin, will dazzle at Barangaroo Reserve's Stargazer Lawn, while at Barangaroo Headland visitors will be amazed by the Instagram-worthy installations Dune by Juan Fuentes and Sydney art collective Night Whisper by Amigo & Amigo.

MUSIC

• On Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights of the festival, Tumbalong Park in Darling Harbour will become the Vivid Sydney go-to for free and eclectic contemporary music right in the heart of the Light Walk.
• The musical line-up at the Opera house will feature more than 40 Australian and international artists. José Gonzlez, Yaeji, Ella Mai, Cat Power, Devonté Hynes and many more will take to the stages of the world-famous building.
• The music program will also spotlight First Nations and Australian voices this year, including the late Archie Roach who will be celebrated with an incredible night of performances with the late artist's long-time friends and collaborators and special appearances by members of Archie's family.
  
• There will also be 12 nights of free music at Tumbalong Park, Darling Harbour featuring Yothu Yindi, Dan Sultan, cult Japanese artist Cornelius and many more.
• Tumbalong Park will also host triple j celebrates 15 Years of Unearthed High, bringing together previous winners and finalists, including LASTLINGS, Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, JACOTÉNE, Arno Faraji, plus some special guests for a giant celebration of the nationwide high-school music competition.
• Vivid Sydney's late-night lounge will also return in 2023, with drag extraordinaire and beloved star of stage and screen Trevor Ashley set to transform Mary's Underground into an intimate cabaret lounge for the Vivid Sydney Supper Club. A vivacious line-up will see live performances from headliners Christine Anu, Rhys Nicholson, David Campbell and more each Friday and Saturday from 9pm to 1am during the festival.
• Musical performances will also be sprinkled across Sydney's CBD featuring roaming acts: nightly DJ programming at The Goods Line; Vivid LIVE at the Sydney Opera House; and diverse and multi-sensory experiences at Carriageworks, with an electrifying line-up including South African artist Desire Marea, Flying Lotus, Floodlights, SOFT CENTRE and many more.

IDEAS

• British author and "master of her material" Jeanette Winterson features at Vivid Ideas and will reflect on questions of identity, sexuality, religion and more to unpack the idea of nature in LIFE AND MARS: The Future of Human.
• The Up Late program also returns in 2023 with free, interactive and immersive sessions at the Powerhouse Museum and Australian Museum at night during the festival.
• NOCTURNE, from Melbourne-based artists one step at a time like this, takes audiences on a one-of-a-kind-experience with an immersive, sonic journey through the hidden streets and laneways of The Rocks.
• Coming to our Senses is a multi-sensory mindfulness workshop in the heart of the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney.
• The Up Late program also returns in 2023 with free, interactive and immersive sessions at the Powerhouse Museum and Australian Museum at night during the festival.
• The Vivid Ideas Exchange will feature more than 20 cutting-edge discussions and thought-provoking workshops at the world-leading technology precinct, Telstra Customer Insights Centre. A leading panel of experts come together for Skin Deep to discuss designer bodies, perfect skin, surgery-as-hacking and the shifting foundations of what is normal or natural. Could the Ocean be the Solution? features academic leaders detailing the cutting-edge technology and innovative programs helping to clean up our oceans.

FOOD

• Following the success of the inaugural Vivid Sydney Dinner in 2022, the popular event will return to The Ivy Ballroom on Saturday June 3, in partnership with hospitality group Merivale, for a fully immersive and unforgettable night fusing light, music, ideas and cuisine into a special feast for the senses featuring esteemed Sydney chefs Ben Greeno and Danielle Alvarez.
• The Vivid Fire Kitchen at The Cutaway at Barangaroo brings together Sydney's hottest dining concepts, curated drinks and entertainment for three weeks of flame-fuelled festivities. Expect mouth-watering menus by legendary pitmasters, BBQ heroes and acclaimed local restaurants with something on offer for every taste.
  
• Vivid Residence will be an unmissable new dining experience, bringing one of the world's most revered chefs to the culinary capital of Australia.
• House of Naturalia will take over all floors of Barangaroo House and feature a custom menu by head chef Tara Chua, while day-to-night party HERE NOW will take over basement bar Mary's Underground and Macquarie Place, mixing masterclasses in food and wine with music and art.
• Vivid Sydney 2023 will see the return of the beloved Carriageworks Night Market on Friday June 16, a one-night event showcasing more than 50 of Sydney's leading restaurants, bars and producers.
• Enjoy a red wine paired with a cheese box from renowned chef Luke Mangan as you take in the majestic view of Vivid Sydney from the Sydney Harbour Bridge Pylon for Light Up Your Senses at the Pylon; while the Vivid Chef Series is an exciting new culinary experience pairing cutting-edge global chefs with iconic Sydney restaurants and renowned local chefs for a series of unique collaborative meals exploring their shared passions and creativity.
• Eggpicnic's striking, idiosyncratic illustrations of endangered native Australian birds high up on the Sydney Harbour Bridge Pylons in Between You and Me; in collaboration with the Australian Museum of Design, Inside Out will feature beautiful hand-drawn wallpaper and fabrics projected on the faade of Customs House, celebrating the artistry of nature-inspired Australian interior design and showcasing works by Florence Broadhurst, Carla Zampatti, Collette Dinnigan and more; and at the end of the Light Walk, Eco will feature a stunning projection detailing the history of Central Station from the Dreaming to now and beyond.
  
• The drone show Written in the Stars will feature more than 1,000 drones over six shows for what will be the biggest drone show in the Southern Hemisphere to date. Conceptualised by Gill Minervini in collaboration with the Australian Traffic Network, Written in the Stars will be an awe-inspiring journey through the natural world as it explores our solar system, from the Sun to Neptune.
  
• The Vivid Kids projection will see a group of young artists aged 7-14 working closely with content studio Spinifex to animate, bring to life and project their works onto one of Sydney's oldest buildings.