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Vivid Sydney, the city’s spectacular festival of Light, Music and Ideas, kicks off today and for the first time, it will have an exciting culinary program. Vivid Food promises a smorgasbord of food experiences, including a Chef Series featuring some of the world’s leading chefs, and Vivid Fire Kitchen, focusing on some of the hottest concepts in dining.
All will tie in with the festival’s over-arching theme, Vivid Sydney, Naturally.
Running from today until Saturday, June 17, Vivid lights up Sydney with more than 300 activations and events. The program features some of the world’s most innovative artists, talented music makers and thought leaders, along with the significant contribution of First Nations peoples and cultures to the creative industries.
A highlight of the Vivid Food program is a two-week residency for New York chef Daniel Humm at Matt Moran’s Aria. The chef and owner of three Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park, Humm made headlines when he changed the entire menu to a plant-based offering. He’ll bring both his team and his visionary approach to Aria from 6 to 17 June.
The Vivid Chef Series will welcome other collaborations between leading overseas chefs and some of Sydney’s best restaurants, including Kiln, Fred’s and Yellow. Guest chefs include award-winning Los Angeles chef Jeremy Fox, two-Michelin starred chef Rishi Naleendra from Singapore, and Cape Town’s Mmabatho Molefe, one of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 50 Next hospitality pioneers in 2022.
Globally renowned pitmasters and barbecue heroes will take centre stage at Vivid Fire Kitchen, including Firedoor’s Lennox Hastie, Australian-born Texas pitmaster and television celebrity Jess Pryles, Byron Bay’s Pip Sumbak, and Dave Pynt from Michelin-starred restaurant Burnt Ends in Singapore. They are just some of the chefs who will be firing up The Cutaway at Barangaroo. Festival goers will be able to watch cooking demonstrations and sample dishes from some of Sydney’s hottest dining establishments, from casual eateries to acclaimed restaurants.
Other elements of the Vivid Food program include Chefs on the Harbour, a Vivid Rooftop Experience at Aster Bar, and the Vivid Sydney Dinner at Ivy Ballroom. On June 14 and 15, Carriageworks presents the Warakirri Dining Experience showcasing 60,000 years of First Nations culture through a guided dining experience, entertainment, music and storytelling.
We’ve always loved our experiences at Vivid Sydney and it’s great to see the festival evolve in this way. Festival director Gill Minervini sees Vivid Food as an integral part of the festival’s evolution, celebrating an expanded definition of the creative industries.
Tickets to the Vivid Chef Series and Daniel Humm’s residency at Aria are available from www.vividsydney.com
Vivid Fire Kitchen events, at The Cutaway in Barangaroo, are free for anyone to attend. Food and drink can be purchased on site.
