A Spotlight on Vivid Sydney 2023

After a successful run in 2022, the world-renowned festival of light, music, ideas and food returned for its 13th year this 26th May, 2023. The 2023 edition of Vivid Sydney lived up to its promise of being bigger and better than ever before, with a lineup of events that left everyone mesmerised. Want to know what transpired in Vivid Sydney 2023? Let me take you through the highlights of this year's festival that amazed, inspired, and entertained locals and tourists alike.

Vivid Lights

Lighting of the Sails (Life Enlivened)

Vibrant paintings of the late Australian artist John Olsen came to life on the Sydney Opera House sails, which was a breathtaking spectacle indeed. These images of life and energy were handpicked by curator Dr. Deborah Hart and brought to life through animation by creative technologists, Curiious. The animated art piece 'Life Enlivened' captures the artist's escalating interest and captivation with the beauty of Australian nature and landscape. It was a moment to be savoured, a testament to the awe-inspiring beauty that can be conjured when art and technology intertwine in perfect harmony.

Written in the Stars

Over 1,000 drones across six breathtaking shows. A celestial ballet of stars and constellations was enlivened in a magical display that transported all to another realm. It was the biggest drone show in the Southern Hemisphere –‘Written in the Stars’ created by the visionary Gill Minervini.The awe-inspiring stellar journey began at 9.10pm on Sundays and Wednesdays. It was a sight to marvel in the night sky above Circular Quay.

No doubt, there are a wide choice of vantage points in and around the city for the best views of these luminous spectacles. Vivid dinner cruises, though, are always much in demand as these cruising vessels offer to be the ideal spot to soak in the Vivid Lights experience.

Glass Boat Vivid Sydney Cruises - The Ideal Vantage Point

A glass boat offers an unobstructed Vivid Lights spectator experience. That’s why many either opted for a dining experience on the Vivid Sydney Clearview glass boat dinner cruise or a sightseeing experience on the Mezzanine bar lounge of the Clearview. You couldn’t ask for a better ambience to celebrate the colourful festival. With its floor-to-ceiling windows, the glass boat offers 360° harbour views. The fully air-conditioned Clearview features sophisticated interiors, mood lighting, spacious dining saloons and expansive viewing decks. What’s more? For drinks on the go, you could purchase from the licensed bar on board. The professional wait staff ensures to keep you content throughout the cruise. It's a premium 360° experience on one of the Glass Boat Vivid Lights cruises you wouldn’t want to miss next year around.

Now, let’s take a sneak peek at a few highlights of the other three significant pillars of Vivid Sydney.

Vivid Music

Roaming Acts

Every Friday and Saturday night of Vivid Sydney, there were roaming acts by musicians who presented free and live music to the Light Walk from 6pm to 10pm. Across Central Station Grand Concourse and The Goods Line, roaming musicians kept the party going. Some of the highlights were -

• The Vivid Sydney Brass Band that featured every Saturday night
• The Sydney’s award-winning 7-piece band ‘The Morrisons’

Vivid Ideas

Future Art is Vivid

This event made its return this year to celebrate the world’s brightest digital and NFT crypto artists. Some of the notable NFT crypto artists you will find here are Neurocolor, Rebecca Rose, Jon Noorlander. Also cutting-edge VR experiences, NFT displays and monumental large-scale projections at an art party enhanced by live music performances and DJs that set the dance floor ablaze. There were digital art forms, whether multi-sensory or ultra-immersive. That also includes motion art, animation, 3D art, AI, generative art and VR. This is a part of Vivid Ideas ‘Immersive Events series’.

Vivid Food

Vivid Fire Kitchen

Bringing together the hottest dining concepts with local and internationally-acclaimed pitmasters during the flame-fuelled festivities of Vivid Sydney was the Vivid Fire Kitchen. Awe-inspiring demos from MasterChef Australia 2021 Runner Up Pete Campbell, Pip Sumbak’s beautiful and immersive food experience combined local produce and raw fire cooking. A line-up of street-food experts and trailblazing restaurants served up dishes to sate everyone’s hunger with innovative dining concepts.

The vibrant city of Sydney is known for many things, but nothing quite compares to the Vivid Sydney festival. From spellbinding light installations to live music performances, interactive art exhibits, inspiring talks and food experiences, this year’s Vivid Sydney was an event that was an audio-visual treat to the senses.