When's the last train? Your guide to getting to Vivid from the Illawarra

Vivid Sydney begins on Friday, May 24, and will continue until June 15.

Transport for NSW suggests festival-goers to leave the car at home and to take public transport, with road closures and parking restrictions in place for the event.

Illawarra residents will be able to take the South Coast Line to Central where they can begin the Vivid Light Walk towards Darling Harbour with additional services on the Eastern Suburbs and Illawarra Line for Saturdays and Sundays.

Transport for NSW does have trackwork scheduled for the South Coast Line during Vivid and urges travellers to plan ahead.

Transport for NSW says travellers should use Trip Planner before heading out.

The last train home on the South Coast line departs after midnight, so be prepared and don't get caught out.

A Transport for NSW spokesperson asked for festival-goers to plan for extra walking time and to "remain calm and patient while travelling".

"The best way to get around is by public transport with all Vivid Sydney precincts within short walking distance of major transport hubs and plenty of extra services running to help you get there and home again," they said.

Buses and Light Rail services will not run to Circular Quay on the weekends after 5pm and on Fridays from 6pm due to expected large crowds.

Trains will also not drop passengers at Circular Quay on the Saturday and Sunday of the June long weekend, so anyone planning to head to the festival on the weekends should plan to walk a little bit further.

This year Vivid is focusing on four pillars, music, light, ideas and food, and is staged across Sydney, from the Opera House to Central Station.

Minister for the Arts, Music and the Night Time Economy John Graham said Vivid was "not just a light show".

"It celebrates what's great and unique about our city, and our state and creates a uniquely Sydney experience," Mr Graham said.

"That's why it's been so popular over so many years."

Vivid Light will feature large-scape projections and interactive artworks, with 40 kilometres of lasers from Sydney Tower being used as part of just one display by US artist Yvette Mattern.

The city will come alive with sound as well as light as concerts, DJ sets and live music performances make up Vivid Music.

Tumbalong Nights will bring a free program and feature artists like Mallrat as well as emerging musicians as well.

Sydney's diverse food scene will be celebrated by Vivid Food with more than 20 top chefs and restaurateurs dotted along the VividPlace Food Trail.

The final pillar of the festival is Vivid Ideas which incorporates theatre, installations and discussions which in a media release was described as trying to "spark curiosity with new ways to experience ideas".

As part of Vivid Ideas, nightly discussions on current affairs will take place at After The Fact and film screenings at the Golden Age Cinema will tackle the topic of the Golden Age of Humanity.