Less than a month to wait, Vivid 2018 is well in our sights.

Now in its 10th year, VIVID is one of the most popular festivals Sydney has on offer. From the stunning light shows to Music and ideas there is something for the whole family.

For 23 nights, from Friday 25 May to Saturday 16 June, Vivid Sydney will paint the Harbour City in the colour and spectacle of Vivid Light, take over Sydney stages with Vivid Music’s electric performances and collaborations, and provide a global forum for thought-provoking debate and creative discussion at Vivid Ideas.

2018 Vivid Precincts

  • Sydney Opera House will play host to a number of key events during Vivid Sydney. Lighting of the Sails transforms the Opera House into a moving, multi-coloured canvas on each night of the festival.
  • Darling Harbour fantastic Oceans will combine light projections, lasers, and water fountains to transport spectators to a world of shimmering corals and bioluminescent jellyfish. Cruise ships and vessels on Sydney Harbour will also light up to become part of the colourful landscape.
  • Taronga Zoolights for the Wild showcase, with a new flotilla of animal light sculptures sharing an important message about conservation.
  • The Royal Botanic Garden will host amazing light installations that meander along the interactive pathway of Aqueous. Explore the pulsating Nautilus Forest, and submerge yourself in the rolling waves of He’e Nalu.
  • The Concourse at Chatswood will feature a 360-degree light projection of stars, planets, and the wider universe called FUTURESCAPE. In Chatswood the pop-up street market called Light Market comprised of recycled materials, lasers, and scaffolding.
  • The Rocksswim, jump and move through thousands of virtual toy balls at BALLpit, and stand beneath a canopy of 1000 Cranes which light up as visitors gather beneath them.
  • Barangaroo an illuminated promenade inspired by water, earth and fire and for those who arrive before 9 pm might also discover a huge, luminescent puppet ambling along the waterfront.
  • Sydney CBD, Macquarie Place Park will light up with a number of beautiful displays.

 

Vivid Music Highlights

  • Carriageworks  – One-night-only performance by Grammy award-winning St. Vincent, and the return of Curve Ball headlined by Alison Wonderland – a large-scale live music and art event
  • The City Recital Hall In Jazz series featuring the undisputed king, triple Grammy award-winner saxophonist Branford Marsalis. The world’s finest jazz vocalists including Kurt Elling and chanteuse Madeleine Peyroux, will line up alongside Orange is the New Black star Lea Delaria in her musical comedy, jazz interpretation show.
  • Vivid LIVE at the Sydney Opera House hosts a stellar line-up of Australian exclusives as part of Vivid Sydney. Highlights include American dream-pop icons Mazzy Star, the godfather of West Coast rap Ice Cube, acclaimed 90s indie rock singer/songwriter Cat Power, Grammy award-winning artist Solange, and the long-awaited collaboration between iconic Australian artists Daniel Johns and Luke Steele.
  • Sydney Town Hall for the inaugural Qween’s Ball. Other not-to-be-missed events include Young Hearts Run Free
  • Enmore Theatre  Not to be missed one of Australia’s most exciting breakthrough artists performing Vera Blue.

 

Vivid Ideas Highlights

Vivid Ideas provides a forum to workshop, collaborate and cultivate fresh thinking to drive the creative agenda across tech, design, science, entertainment, and culture.

  • Film-maker, marine explorer and conservationist James Cameron will explore his passion for science and technology, and how it has influenced his work as a film director and environmentalist. James will be joined in conversation by Adam Spencer, while in Sydney to open the James Cameron – Challenging the Deep exhibition at the Australian National Maritime Museum.
  • Visual strategist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and co-founder of the Museum of Awe, Dan Goods joins the Vivid Ideas Creative Catalysts line-up to explore how creativity and science interplay and why NASA has a virtual strategist.
  • Founder of Mambo Clothing Phantom Records and Deus ex Machina, the global success story of Aussie Dare Jennings joins his good friend James Valentine to discuss creating cult brands that cut across age and lifestyles as well the joys of throwing out the rulebook.
  • The New Horizons series explores the mega-trends and micro-developments in technology and innovation and shines a light on experts tackling the biggest issues with creativity in a bid to make our future brighter. Topics include Future Fashion, Algae is the New Black, Blockchain Decoded, and Evolving Democracy.
  • 2018 Semi-permanent conference takes place at the Carriageworks across 2 days 25th and the 26th. Featuring guest speakers Tinker Hatfield the legendary Nike sneaker designer, Alex Schleifer vice president of design at Airbnb to name a few.

There is so much more to explore here, take a look at the Vivid Sydney site to work out what interests you most https://www.vividsydney.com/

For a fabulous peek into the what to expect, have a look at this video

VIVID SYDNEY FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS 2018 from Destination NSW on Vimeo.