When, where and how to be part of Vivid Sydney 2018
Vivid Sydney is taking over Sydney and there’s a rich and wonderful array of light shows and art events to enjoy. How do you make the most of it, while dodging the crowds?
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VIVID Sydney is taking over Sydney and there’s a rich and wonderful array of light shows and art events to enjoy.
Make the most of it — and work out the best ways to dodge the crowds — with our comprehensive guide.
What is Vivid?
Vivid Sydney, now in its 10th year, is the world’s largest festival of light, music and ideas.
It features the spectacular and popular outdoor lighting and projection displays on Sydney landmarks and at popular locations, plus a rich program of music and ideas events.
It’s also a chance for Sydney eateries and pop-up foodies to showcase their world class food — as well as their quick-and-tasty street food and colourful cocktails — as hungry crowds pack the city.
The festival is based in Sydney’s CBD and is also increasingly expanding out into surrounding Sydney suburbs.
It is owned, managed and produced by Destination NSW, the NSW government’s tourism and major events agency.
Last year, Vivid Sydney 2017 attracted a record 2.33 million attendees and injected over $143 million into NSW’s visitor economy.
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This year the highlight will be award-winning artist Jonathan Zawada’s colourful kinetic digital sculptures, which will be projected onto the sails of the Sydney Opera House.
The series of 23 kinetic designs, titled Metamathemagical, are inspired by the Australian environment.
“The Opera House is a completely unique piece of geometry so rather than simply thinking of it as a two-dimensional surface to project onto, I created Metamathemagical as a 3D work from the very start,” Mr Zawada said.
When is it?
Vivid Sydney 2018 kicks off on Friday, May 25, and runs for 23 nights, between 6pm and 11pm, until Saturday, June 16.
Where it is?
Vivid 2018 is happening in the CBD, Barangaroo, Chatswood, Circular Quay, Darling Harbour, Kings Cross, Luna Park, Taronga Zoo, The Rocks and The Royal Botanic Garden.
What are the highlights?
Skylark: A vast play of light stretching from the Harbour Bridge and Circular Quay to the outer areas of Sydney Harbour.
It incorporates the interactive lighting of the Bridge, Circular Quay skyscrapers and — for the first year in Vivid — the custom-built, full-colour Bradfield’s Beacon, a laser double the strength of any other ever seen before on Sydney Harbour.
Its beam will travel around the Harbour from the headlands to the inner harbour, resting on famous sites.
Snugglepot and Cuddlepie: Join May Gibb’s loveable characters on a journey through the Australian bush at Customs House at 31 Alfred St, Sydney.
Photopic State: The colonial facade of Government House in Macquarie St will be a celebration of Australian art and cultural iconography, designed by TAFE NSW students as a homage to the country’s contemporary and modern designers and artists.
Closer: An installation constructed from 30 interconnected translucent cubes outside the Museum of Sydney, on Bridge and Phillip Sts in the CBD.
Visitors can enter and discover a maze where shadowy silhouettes are seen through walls, creating an isolating and disorientating effect.
Lighting of the Sails: Metamathemagical: Australian artist Jonathan Zawada has created 23 designs inspired by the environment to play on the Opera House’s sails.
Light Houses: TAFE NSW students have designed, constructed and illuminated various lighthouses with colour, images and movement on the lawns of the Royal Botanic Gardens.
Light for the Wild: Taronga Zoo is hosting a spectacular display of light sculptures, including favourites from last year and new designs, all inspired by the theme of conservation and wonders of wildlife. There are three sessions a night, with entry prices ranging from $17.95-$26-95, with children under four free.
The Garden of Sweeties: A playful garden of sweets, lollipops and striped candy canes to entice children and the young at heart to First Fleet Park in The Rocks.
Future scape: Chatswood’s The Concourse performing arts centre will be the canvas for large scale projections of NASA imagery. Visitors will feel as if they are travelling past the planets, floating through the rings of Saturn and perhaps even find themselves at the centre of a Big Bang.
National Maritime Museum: Projections onto the musuem’s roof, featuring BBC Earth and Sir David Attenborough’s Blue Planet II, will take visitors to a fascinating world beneath the waves.
How to get there
NSW Police are urging visitors to plan ahead and explore Vivid using public transport.
Road closures and special event clearways will be in place to facilitate crowd flow and police are urging everyone to leave their car at home and catch trains, buses, light rail or ferries instead.
“There will be more than 6000 extra public transport services running to get you to and from Vivid Sydney precincts in both the Sydney CBD and north shore throughout the festival,” Central Metropolitan Region Commander Assistant Commissioner Mark Walton said.
“On some nights, road closures will impact normal bus routes and stops, so check transport information in advance and remember to top up your Opal card as queues at top-up machines will be long.”
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Ferries have been a popular method of transport for people getting to and from the lights – and with Taronga Zoo included in the display for the third time, and Luna Park for the first time – big crowds are expected, particularly on weekends.
“If you’re planning to catch a ferry service, be sure to allow additional travel time and consider having a back-up plan or taking advantage of the extra train and bus services,” Assistant Commissioner Walton said.
Sydney Harbour is expected to be busy during Vivid Sydney 2018.
Police from the Marine Area Command and maritime authorities will be patrolling to ensure operators of recreational and commercial vessels are compliant with maritime laws.
“Skippers should be alert and aware of their surroundings at all times and before heading out on the water, be sure to check the vessel is in good working order, ensure all the required safety equipment is on board and check special event maritime information,” Assistant Commissioner Walton said.
Assistant Commissioner Walton said Vivid was one of Sydney’s biggest events and significant crowds were expected to visit it again this year.
“I’d encourage young families to attend on weekdays if possible and utilise public transport when exploring the different precincts,” Assistant Commissioner Walton said.
“During the busier nights, crowd barriers will be in place to provide safe viewing areas, and we urge people to follow directions from police and event marshals to allow for safe pedestrian movement.
“Sydneysiders and visitors are encouraged to utilise the Vivid Sydney and NSW Police Force social media pages to keep up-to-date on crowd movements, and important festival announcements,” Assistant Commissioner Walton said.
Pedestrians and drivers need to share the roadways and ensure they are aware of their responsibilities.
“We are reminding pedestrians to pay close attention, always use the footpath, and only cross roadways where there are traffic control points.
“Don’t just follow the crowd, remember to stop, look and listen before crossing.
“At the same time, I urge motorists to slow down and watch out in heavy pedestrian areas, particularly where there are light installations or projections.”
Vivid Ideas
Vivid Ideas brings together great minds, innovators and creatives for a program of public talks, industry seminars, conferences, workshops and debates exploring creativity as a catalyst for change and celebrating Sydney as a creative industries hub of Asia Pacific.
For example, The Art Gallery of NSW is holding free, curated evenings of talk, music and art to accompany the festival on May 30, June 6 and June 13, from 5.30pm-9.30pm.
The evenings will start with guided art tours, move on to Vivid Ideas Conversations and finish with Vivid Music performances. The only paid aspect of the events is a guided Archibald Prize tour on June 6.
The topics for the talks are: Let’s talk about death: It won’t kill you (May 30), Common Ground: Politics and Perspectives (June 6) and Come Closer: A Revealing Look at Sex and Pleasure (June 13).
Vivid Music
Vivid Music presents a cutting-edge contemporary music program with local and international artists as part of Vivid Sydney.
Vivid Music features performances at venues including Carriageworks, City Recital Hall, Vivid LIVE at the Sydney Opera House and X|Celerate, a collaboration between Vivid Sydney and the City of Sydney.
X|Celerate showcases grassroots and emerging local music talent at venues across the city.
Safety and security
Operation Ironwork is a high-visibility and mobile policing strategy which will see additional officers patrolling the city, including Sydney Opera House, Circular Quay, The Rocks, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Darling Harbour, as well as The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, Chatswood, Taronga Zoo, Barangaroo and Luna Park, to ensure the safety and security of the community throughout Vivid Sydney 2018.
General duties officers will be assisted by specialist officers from the Police Transport Command, Traffic and Highway Patrol Command, Mounted Unit, Public Order and Riot Squad, PolAir and Marine Area Command.
As well as minimising traffic disruptions and pedestrian congestion, officers will be targeting anti-social behaviour, boating safety, and protecting property and installations from damage or defacement.
Operation Ironwork was launched on Thursday, May 24, by NSW Police Force Central Metropolitan Region Commander Assistant Commissioner Mark Walton, Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall, Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance, and Transport for NSW Coordinator Marg Prendergast.
Assistant Commissioner Walton said public safety is the top priority with more than 2.3 million people expected to attend throughout the festival.
“A lot of planning has taken place behind the scenes with Destination NSW — who owns, manages, and produces Vivid Sydney — as well as other government agencies and event landholders to ensure each night of the festival is family-friendly and fun,” Assistant Commissioner Walton said.
MORE INFORMATION
For all the latest Vivid Sydney information, visit: vividsydney.com
For details on public transport services during the event and ticketing information, visit www.transportnsw.info
For information on road closures and special event clearways, visit www.livetraffic.com
Visit www.rms.nsw.gov.au and follow the links to Maritime for details on boating exclusion zones and movement restriction times
