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As the sun goes down each evening during Vivid Sydney, the city is transformed with light installations, 3D projections, and a huge array of events where visitors can immerse themselves in colour and light.
Although you can wander on foot and enjoy this annual event for free, here are some other ways of experiencing Vivid where we guarantee you’ll find your wow moment.
Vivid Sydney is on now until June 15, 2024. For program details, visit vividsydney.com
See Vivid from up high
Take the elevator to level 32 of the InterContinental Sydney to its luxe rooftop bar, Aster. With its expansive harbour views, Aster offers a ringside view of Vivid like no other.
Choose from a huge list of creative cocktails, whisky, gin, artful small plates, Champagne and other fine wines. Many of the cocktails have astronomy-inspired names – a nod to the bar’s sky-high location.
We felt on top of the world, literally, as we sank into lounge chairs pressed right up against the glass with uninterrupted views of both the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House.
We could see the bridge’s full illuminated span and its pylons with moving projections, and in the same frame the Opera House with its impressive Lighting of the Sails: Echo, in which 2023 Archibald Prize winner Julia Gutman digitised centuries-old fabric-making techniques into a modern epic.
Aster’s outdoor balcony provides a 270-degree vista, so you can photograph the whole shebang without glass getting in the way.
Aster is open only to adults aged 18 and over. It has a special package for Vivid, where for $169 per person you can enjoy a palate cleanser, two cocktails and a two-course meal. Two sittings are available, one at 6pm and one at 8pm. Visit the InterContinental website for bookings.
See Vivid from a kayak
For a crowd-free way of experiencing Vivid, enjoy a 90-minute kayaking tour of Darling Harbour with Sydney Harbour Kayaks. The tour begins and ends at the National Maritime Museum, which is currently showing Barani, a bittersweet narrative exploring themes of humanity, compassion and connection with the land.
In keeping with the Humanity theme of this year’s Vivid, Barani, is set in Warrane (Sydney Cove) 500 years ago and juxtaposes humanity’s current existence with a time of harmony between humans and nature. This immersive experience of animation, sound and storytelling is projected onto the museum rooftop every evening during Vivid and is also playing daily in the museum’s Bamal Gallery.
Paddling around Darling Harbour by moonlight, you have a front row seat for viewing Barani, and at the same time you’ll appreciate the city skyline and Vivid illuminations.
Go deep underground
It’s time to go deep underground, travel back in time, then fast forward to right here, right now. Dark Spectrum: A New Journey takes you into the Wynyard Tunnels for a sound and light show that will plunge you into a space of misdirection, colour, music and light.
Explore a secret spectrum of touchable colour with 300 kaleidoscopic lasers, 500 handmade lanterns and more than 250 searchlights in Sydney’s underworld.
An epic soundtrack filled with dance tracks and club hits draws you deeper into the kilometre-long journey through eight different chambers where light, sound and colour collide.
Magic from the Sydney Harbour Bridge pylon
The Harbour Bridge’s pylon lookout has some of the city’s best seats for viewing the harbour, and there’s an added touch of magic during Vivid.
Australia’s leading sleight of hand specialist, Harry Milas, is sharing some of his secrets in an exclusive event in the pylon lookout. The Unfair Advantage at the Pylon Lookout plays to just 25 people a night.
If you can take your eyes off the view, you’ll learn top-secret magic tricks as Milas reveals how magicians, card cheaters, and mentalists fool the world. His critically acclaimed show recently returned from a twice-extended season in Chicago.
In this interactive experience, guests can set challenges, ask questions and be a part of the magic. Note that you’ll be asked to sign a legal contract of confidentiality.
Playing on Fridays and Saturdays during Vivid, the 5:30pm experience includes the bridge’s spectacular ‘lights on’ moment, while the 7.30pm show gets even better on June 8 when it includes the Vivid drone show. Tickets are $129 (show only) or $159 (dinner and show). Bookings here.
Train travel will never be the same again
Now, this is really one of a kind. For 23 nights only during Vivid, Tekno Train by Paul Mac is radically reinventing the experience of train travel by turning a regular Sydney train into a a thrilling musical adventure.
As the train pulls out of Central Station, passengers are treated to a techno soundtrack composed by Aria-award winner Paul Mac especially for the event, accompanied by custom lighting inside all the carriages.
As the train moves, the lights and music rhythmically adjust to match the train’s speed and changing landscape outside. Tekno Train promises an unforgettable ride through both Sydney’s city circle and disused train lines.
Embodying the theme of Humanity, Tekno Train by Paul Mac celebrates the uniting power of music and community, leaning on a routine experience to create a joyous moment that brings people together.
Tekno Train by Paul Mac runs every night of the festival, with tickets starting at $13.90 for children (5-12 years) and $19.90 for adults. Family pricing is also available at $59.90.
Vivid Sydney on the table
The world would be a much happier place if people sat down at a table and shared a meal together. In that sense then, Vivid’s exhaustive food program is a great way of celebrating Humanity.
The Vivid Chef Series returns to hatted restaurants Fred’s, AALIA, The Porter House, Firedoor and The Charles Brasserie & Bar as they host foodie collaborations with Michelin-starred chefs including Max Coen, Ivan Brehm, Selassie Atadika, Niklas Ekstedt and Sally Abé.
Vivid Fire Kitchen is back with delectable offerings at its new location on The Goods Line, bringing together the world’s hottest culinary concepts, curated drinks and cocktails from Archie Rose and Starward, and demonstrations from local and international pitmasters including California-favourite Shalamar Lane, Christine Manfield, Mindy Woods, Lennox Hastie, Jess Pryles, and more.
Making its debut at Vivid Sydney 2024, the Messina Milk Bar is an illuminated full-scale pop-up with a menu of gelato-infused chocolate bars, dixie cups, tailor-made milkshakes and spiders.
Plates with Purpose offers a taste of Ukraine at Kyiv Social, courtesy of head chef Borys Chernyk who brings over 30 years of experience in Ukrainian fine dining.
Visitors can explore more than 20 top chefs and restaurateurs at the VividPlace Food Trail or indulge in a bespoke bar snack and cocktail experience at Aurorae at Bennelong Bar while enjoying an incredible view of the lights across Sydney Harbour. That’s a whole lot of wow moments rolled into one.
With thanks to the InterContinental Sydney for hosting us for drinks at Aster during Vivid. We had a sensational view as per the photo second from the top supplied by the hotel. All other photos were supplied by Vivid Sydney.
Vivid sounds spectacular!