Vivid cuts back private events, ditches drone show as new-look light show expands

Vivid Sydney has unveiled a radically remodelled program for this year’s festival, with fewer ticketed events from private sponsors and a 46 per cent increase in projections and installations at a wider range of sites across the city.

On the advice of NSW Police and Transport for NSW, there will be no repeat of last year’s drone show, which caused a potentially dangerous crowd crush around Circular Quay.

Other elements that won’t return for the 15th festival include Lightscape at the Botanic Garden, Dark Spectrum in the Wynyard tunnels, which was sponsored by Sony, and the Tekno Train, all of which attracted controversy for charging entry fees.

A digital render of how David McDiarmid’s work will look on the Sydney Opera House sails.Credit:

Arts Minister John Graham stressed the wider range of free offerings this year.

“This year’s festival is helping people face a cost-of-living crisis by increasing the number of free events, which is great news if you want a good night out without blowing the budget,” he said.

Festival director Gill Minervini said she had reacted to pricing concerns.

“We are all feeling the pinch in terms of the economy and cost-of-living crisis,” she said. “I really wanted Vivid to respond to that.”

A render of Vincent Namatjira’s King Dingo on the Museum of Contemporary Art facade.Credit:

Minervini added that this year’s revamp was part of a deliberate strategy.

“My job as director is to renovate and refresh the festival every year,” she said. “We want audiences to come back time after time, and not think, ‘Oh, it’s the same old Vivid’. We want to keep everyone guessing.”

Among the high-profile artists who will light up various building facades is Archibald Prize winner Vincent Namatjira, whose work King Dingo will be projected onto the Museum of Contemporary Art. Namatjira found himself at the centre of a controversy last year amid reports that Gina Rinehart had demanded the National Gallery of Australia remove his portrait of her.

All change: 2024’s Tekno Train has been put back in the depot.Credit:

Kiss of Light, made up of designs by the late David McDiarmid, artist and HIV/AIDS activist, will illuminate the Sydney Opera House sails.

The free Vivid Light Walk will feature illuminations on eight new structures including the Museum of Sydney, Barangaroo Metro and the Luna Park big wheel. Lights will return to Martin Place for the first time since 2018.

Luna Park will also play a role, hosting a “fully immersive, interactive” homage to the cult Netflix series Stranger Things: The Experience, with tickets from $60.

As well as light installations, the 23-night festival includes Vivid Music, Vivid Food and Vivid Ideas, with the theme “What’s in a Dream”.

Vivid Music will range across venues, including Darling Harbour, the Opera House and Carriageworks, with acts including Sigur Ros, Winston Surfshirt and Japanese Breakfast.

Meanwhile, TV cook Nigella Lawson will “curate” three dinners in the new pedestrian tunnel at Martin Place for Vivid Food, while Vivid Ideas will feature a keynote address by Time magazine design boss D.W. Pine entitled Where Do Ideas Come From?

In total, the 2024 festival drew 2.42 million visitors.

Vivid Sydney runs from May 23 to June 14.