Vivid Sydney 2022Credit: Destination NSW
Friends party on the main stage, Darling Harbour, illuminated by the lights of Vivid Sydney 2022
#ilovesydney #feelnewsydney #vividsydney
A Bend in the River: A Tribute Archie Roach AC
"For so many who were lucky enough to experience the incredible power and potency of the late songwriter and storyteller Archie Roach AC, his music and message has left an indelible mark. Working with Archie’s long-time manager Jill Shelton and Vivid Sydney’s First Nations Advisor Rhoda Roberts, we've assembled a staggering line-up of Archie’s friends, family and collaborators to celebrate his life and music in what will be a deeply special, exclusive concert at Sydney Town Hall. Featuring Paul Kelly, Emma Donovan, Dan Sultan, Kutcha Edwards, Becca Hatch and many more, it'll be a beautiful night."
Yothu Yindi + Ziggy Ramo | Tumbalong Nights
"We have drawn a bullseye in the centre of Tumbalong Park in 2023 with Tumbalong Nights supported by CommBank Indigenous Careers, your Vivid Sydney go-to for free live music across 12 nights.
Trailblazers Yothu Yindi have been changing the cultural and political fabric of this country with their truly singular musical output since the mid ‘80s as pioneers of Yolngu desert rock, which marries thumping rock’n’roll with electronica, reggae and dance. In a very special concert on our opening weekend, the 17-piece group travel from North East Arnhem Land, with original members joined by a new generation to deliver an unmissable night of music and dance. Plus, before they're on, the immensely talented and inspiring truth-teller Ziggy Ramo takes the stage. See you on the dancefloor!"
A Bend in the River: A Tribute to Archie Roach Credit: Destination NSW
A Bend in the River: A Tribute to Archie Roach. *Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website may contain images, voices and names of deceased persons.
#feelnewsydney #vividsydney
A Bend in the River: A Tribute to Archie Roach Credit: Destination NSW
A Bend in the River: A Tribute to Archie Roach. *Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website may contain images, voices and names of deceased persons.
Yothu Yindi, Tumbalong Park Credit: Destination NSW
Yothu Yindi, Tumbalong Park
#feelnewsydney #vividsydney
Yothu Yindi, Tumbalong Park Credit: Destination NSW
Yothu Yindi, Tumbalong Park
Cornelius + Nice Biscuit | Tumbalong Nights
"Japanese cult icon Cornelius (Keigo Oyamada) has been an international mainstay of experimental pop and electronica for over three decades and in a Vivid Sydney first will be closing the festival with a spectacular free concert in Tumbalong Park. Cornelius’ live shows jump from the frenetic to the sublime, complete with full live band and elevated visuals. Joining from Brisbane, Nice Biscuit will open with their psych-pop charm, stunning harmonies and synchronised dance moves."
Vivid Sydney Supper Club
"Vivid Sydney Supper Club returns in 2023, as we transform Mary’s Underground in Circular Quay into an anything-goes late-night lounge – your ultimate Vivid Sydney nightcap destination. Featuring Rhys Nicholson, Christine Anu, David Campbell, Paulini, Reuben Kaye, Beccy Cole, Tim Draxl and curated by Sydney uber-diva Trevor Ashley, the Supper Club runs every Friday and Saturday night for the duration of the festival. These shows jump from jazz to cabaret, comedy to burlesque. They’ll be intimate and loose, with plenty of charm and swagger."
Soft Centre
"Following an incredible event in 2022, the multi-sensory festival experience Soft Centre returns to Carriageworks this year for a full precinct takeover on Sunday of the long weekend. Soft Centre sits on the subversive side of all things digital, immersive, experimental and extreme, punctuated by ecstatic moments, quiet and ambient contemplations and contemporary dance, while leaning into the worlds of left-field club, electronica and noise. Long weekend plans sorted!"
Vivid Sydney 2022 Credit: Destination NSW
The Vivid Sydney Supper Club, in the basement bar of Mary’s Underground. An intimate cabaret lounge where lovable uber-diva Trevor Ashley hosted the crème-de-la-crème of Sydney’s soirée scene, veering wildly from jazz and soul to acoustic alt-rock and ultra-glam drag.
#ilovesydney #feelnewsydney #vividsydney
Vivid Sydney 2022 Credit: Destination NSW
The Vivid Sydney Supper Club, in the basement bar of Mary’s Underground. An intimate cabaret lounge where lovable uber-diva Trevor Ashley hosted the crème-de-la-crème of Sydney’s soirée scene, veering wildly from jazz and soul to acoustic alt-rock and ultra-glam drag.
Vivid Sydney 2019 Credit: Destination NSW
Crowds enjoying the Curve Ball music event at Carriageworks, Eveleigh during VIvid Sydney 2019.
#feelnewsydney #ilovesydney #vividsydney
Vivid Sydney 2019 Credit: Destination NSW
Crowds enjoying the Curve Ball music event at Carriageworks, Eveleigh during VIvid Sydney 2019.
Yaeji | Vivid LIVE
"Having just released her debut LP With a Hammer which oscillates between synth-pop, club and left-field electronica, Korean-American singer and producer Yaeji plays two Australian exclusive shows in the Sydney Opera House’s Joan Sutherland Theatre on Vivid Sydney’s opening weekend. Sit still, I dare you."
Plus, Joe’s Light, Ideas and Food Picks
"I don’t know where to start with the Vivid Ideas program... it's stacked! I'm very much looking forward to Jeanette Winterson unpacking identity and the 'way of things' in conversation with Richard Fidler. Like everyone else in Sydney, I am so excited for Jennifer Coolidge and Mike White in conversation with Benjamin Law. Don't sleep on NOCTURNE either, an immersive, dream-like guided journey through the hidden streets and laneways of The Rocks. You'll never see the city the same again.
My hot pick though is Queeries, which features eight Australian LGBTQIA+ writers, comedians and artists in a variety style show that sees them share new work spanning from literature to stand-up performance. The line-up is great - I am incredibly excited for that one on the Sunday of the long weekend!
And when it comes to Food, the Vivid Sydney Dinner marries fine dining with fine music, too. With a menu from Danielle Alvarez and Ben Greeno and performances from Montaigne, Christine Anu, Julian Belbachir and Eddie Perfect, who’s also hosting, plus a DJ set from Kate Monroe to keep things moving, it's going to be a fun night.
As for Light, Tumbalong Nights features a trio of haloes overhead the crowd called Dance Together. That’s a message I can get behind.
More Inspirational Stories
The Fall Guy Credit: Universal & UPI Media
The Fall Guy in Sydney with a spectacular Glebe Island Silo Stunt
#feelnewsydney
Action-comedy film The Fall Guy explodes onto Australian screens on 24 April, and along with Hollywood superstars Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, Sydney also plays a starring role. But the city isn’t just a backdrop to many of the action-packed scenes in the film, it also offers real-life action experiences to get your heart pumping. Here’s our guide to high-octane experiences in Sydney.
On-the-water adrenaline
Just like Ryan Gosling blasting around Sydney Harbour in a high-speed boat chase, you too can feel the wind in your hair, the sea spray on your face and your heart in your mouth on an Oz Jet Boating experience. These bright red, shark-faced jetboats fish-tail, spin and slide under the Sydney Harbour Bridge, past Dawes Point Park (where we meet Jean Claude the kelpie in the film) and the iconic Sydney Opera House, leaving you breathless and somewhat damp. Turn it down a notch with a two-, three- or five-day course from EastSail, with classes on the calm shores of Rushcutters Bay, or go five-star by hiring your very own superyacht from the fleet at Sydney Harbour Luxe Charters – Ghost II was featured in the film.
Get locked in an escape room
A bolted door, a countdown clock and a series of fiendish puzzles – outsmart the bad guys and challenge your friends in one of Sydney’s best escape rooms. Award-winning The Cipher Room, with locations in Newtown and St Peters, offers immersive, expertly designed rooms. Choose from a film noir-style hotel, a mysterious abandoned toy shop or a dystopian French bunker. Entermission Sydney has virtual-reality rooms, with themes like Alice in Wonderland, a pirate ship or space station. While not strictly an escape room, the one-of-a-kind Hijinx Hotel is a fun escape-like challenge set inside a quirky 15-room hotel.
Hickson Road Reserve, Dawes Point Credit: Destination NSW
Friends walking along Sydney Harbour in the morning.
#feelnewsydney
Hickson Road Reserve, Dawes Point Credit: Destination NSW
Friends walking along Sydney Harbour in the morning.
Oz Jet Boating, Sydney Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
Experience the incredible speed of the red shark boats as they blast across Sydney harbour at high speed with Oz Jet Boating.
#feelnewsydney
Oz Jet Boating, Sydney Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
Experience the incredible speed of the red shark boats as they blast across Sydney harbour at high speed with Oz Jet Boating.
Find your need for speed
It’s not an action movie without a car chase, and while you can’t speed through the CBD streets like Ryan Gosling and Jean Claude, you can still challenge your friends to race via go kart at Hyper Karting Moore Park. At the 410-metre indoor track, the electric cars offer plenty of exhilarating straights and corners, with a high-speed function to help you overtake your mates. True petrol heads should make a pitstop at Luddenham Raceway in southwest Sydney, where the go karts are fuelled and the 600m outdoor pro circuit offers 12 high-speed corners and even nighttime drives. Want to do the real thing? Trackschool has half-day passenger or driving experiences in a Porsche 911 Carrera also at the raceway.
Have an adventure up high
A high-stakes, sky-high chopper scene is an action flick essential; recreate the experience (minus the stress) on a flight with Sydney HeliTours. The 20- or 30-minute tours take in jaw-dropping views of harbour icons like the Sydney Opera House, Taronga Zoo, Bondi Beach and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Or live out your Hollywood star dreams onboard the luxury Sydney Seaplanes. If free-falling from the sky like Ryan Gosling does jumping from a multi-story building is the heart race you crave, get the thrills without the spills at iFly Downunder: fully accessible, all-ages indoor skydiving that will make you feel like a superhero. Or take a day trip to the Blue Mountains for a ride on Scenic World’s 270m-high glass-cased Beyond Skyway for that soaring feeling while safely enclosed in a cable car.
Luddenham Raceway, Luddenham Credit: Destination NSW
Track Day at Luddenham Raceway Motorsport Park, Luddenham.
#feelnewsydney
Luddenham Raceway, Luddenham Credit: Destination NSW
Track Day at Luddenham Raceway Motorsport Park, Luddenham.
Sydney Seaplanes, Rose Bay Credit: Destination NSW
Couple ready to enjoy a Sydney Seaplanes flight from Rose Bay, Sydney.
#feelnewsydney
Sydney Seaplanes, Rose Bay Credit: Destination NSW
Couple ready to enjoy a Sydney Seaplanes flight from Rose Bay, Sydney.
Scale walls and cliffs
Action heroes need to be agile and spider-like; flex your skills scaling rock walls at one of Sydney’s top indoor rock-climbing centres. Climb Fit in St Leonards has beginner and high-tech climbs using augmented reality, while Ledge is a smaller centre in Camperdown perfect for beginners, and BlocHaus in Marrickville focuses solely on bouldering. If you prefer to climb surrounded by waterfalls and forests, make the extra leap to the Blue Mountains, and challenge yourself on an abseil or rock-climb under the expert guidance of the Blue Mountains Adventure Company.
Spots to refuel
After all that adventuring, you’re going to need a spot to refuel and cheers to a big day. Make it a meal with a view at Aster Bar on top of the InterContinental Sydney – with uninterrupted views of the harbour. The rooftop bar featured in the film is the Ivy – which is a local favourite for big nights out. Partake in Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt’s love for spicy margaritas at Centro 86, a new underground tequila bar in the CBD, or taste award-winning cocktails at Dean and Nancy on 22. Finish up with a feast at one of the restaurants located around Jones Bay Wharf (you’ll spot this area in the film as Ryan Gosling hides on his boat from the bad guys) or snack in the late-night dining havens in Chinatown: try Japanese izakaya Nakano Darling, xiao long bao from Nanjing Dumpling or Mamak’s legendary roti.
Rest your head
Even heroes need their beauty sleep. Rest up like an A-lister at the Kimpton Margot, a recently opened CBD hotel with Art Deco touches, and featured in the movie (ask Kevin for the fruit plate). Compact yet comfortable, the Little National Hotel is located in the heart of the city near Wynyard (also a major filming locale for The Fall Guy). And for a boutique hotel suitable for everyone from film stars to stunt crew, stay in the Ace Hotel in Surry Hills, with unique in-room features like guitars, record players and locally made custom robes.
Sydney Adventure Tours, Katoomba Credit: Destination NSW
Sydney Adventure Tours offers private tours to the Blue Mountains. With an experienced tour guide, take a bushwalk through nature and experience the rainforests.
#feelnsw #newsouthwales
Sydney Adventure Tours, Katoomba Credit: Destination NSW
Sydney Adventure Tours offers private tours to the Blue Mountains. With an experienced tour guide, take a bushwalk through nature and experience the rainforests.
Little National Hotel, Sydney Credit: Little National Hotel
The rooftop lounge at the Little National, in Wynyard in Sydney.
#feelnewsydney
Little National Hotel, Sydney Credit: Little National Hotel
The rooftop lounge at the Little National, in Wynyard in Sydney.