27 May 2025
CARRIAGEWORKS VIVID SYDNEY 2025 PROGRAM KICKS OFF NEXT WEEK
Highlights
MALL GRAB • NGAIIRE • SKEGSS • MOKTAR • KAMASI WASHINGTON • BLACK STAR • ECHOES OF THE BLOCK • DIIV • PURE SPACE & BUTTER SESSIONS: ANDY GARVEY & SLEEP D
From next week, Carriageworks lights up for Vivid Sydney 2025 with a monumental music program spearheaded by homegrown legends and global icons pushing boundaries across soul, jazz, indie rock, R&B, hip hop, funk and electronic sound. With more than 20 artists across 12 electrifying performances from 5-14 June, each night at Carriageworks - one of Vivid Sydney’s most unmissable live music destinations - promises something fresh, unexpected and unforgettable.
Cementing its status as a cornerstone of Australia’s electronic music scene, Carriageworks delivers a standout lineup of local talent for Vivid Sydney 2025. Mall Grab (13-14 June) makes his long-awaited return to Sydney in his biggest headline show yet, with RONA., Oots and Claire O’Brien joining him for a raw, high BPM night of full-throttle party vibes. Egyptian-Australian producer moktar (14 June) brings his powerful, bass-heavy fusion of techno and traditional Arabic instrumentation, supported by sets from Tash LC, Wax’o Paradiso & Ben Fester, Anush. Two of Australia’s most forward-thinking collectives - Pure Space & Butter Sessions (7 June) - join forces for an all-night showcase of dubby techno and hypnotic blends, led by Andy Garvey and Sleep D with Diskonnected and Wings of D'sire.
Music trailblazer Ngaiire (6 June) will perform her most visceral work yet – PAIA, a new collaboration with multi-award-winning director Dino Dimitriadis that fuses music, dance, and visuals into a blazing eruption of rage, sex, ecstasy, ceremony, ancestry, and cleansing. Following the release of his acclaimed new album Fearless Movement, American modern jazz icon Kamasi Washington (8 June) will deliver a transcendent performance blending jazz, funk, orchestral soul and spiritual grooves. The legendary duo of Yasiin Bey (fka Mos Def) and Talib Kweli bring their razor-sharp lyricism, classic beats and conscious hip hop to Sydney as Black Star (10 June) for one unforgettable night only.
Byron Bay’s Skegss (7 June) will inject the lineup with their sun-soaked melodies, gritty riffs, and infectious anthems ahead of the release of their EP Pacific Highway Music, alongside The Buoys and Fool Nelson. Hot on the heels of their latest album Frog in Boiling Water, Brooklyn’s indie shoegaze heavyweights DIIV (13 June) bring their signature dreamy, distorted sound to Carriageworks with Negative Gears.
Echoes of the Block: A Live & Local Blak Hip Hop Collaboration (5-8 June), a fearless First Nations-led music takeover with collective Awesome Black, will transform Carriageworks’ Track 8 with a Mob-led open studio by day and free, live broadcast shows at night. Artists on the lineup including DOBBY, Mr Rhodes, Izzy, ChillCheney, Minty, Prodikal-1, The Chaza, Emerald Brunt and Yung Brother.
Plus, Smirnoff is turning up the heat at Carriageworks with its Freeze & Fire Igloos, running from Friday 6 June across two weekends. Step inside for a full flavour hit, good vibes and a sensory experience that’s as cool as it is shocking - and enjoy an exclusive first taste of Smirnoff’s latest serve on the house*.
Carriageworks’ Vivid Sydney 2025 program takes place from 5 to 14 June. Registrations are open, and tickets are on sale now.
Vivid Sydney runs from 23 May to 14 June, for more information visit vividsydney.com
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MEDIA CONTACT
For further information or to request media interviews, please contact:
Marissa Giannone
Communications Manager, Carriageworks
marissa.g@carriageworks.com.au 02 8571 9099
Vivid Sydney
media@dnsw.com.au
Check out Carriageworks’ Vivid Sydney 2025 program here.
Register for the free Echoes of the Block performances here.
IMAGES available to download here.
ABOUT CARRIAGEWORKS
Carriageworks is one of Australia’s most significant creative industry hubs, renowned for its dynamic cultural events, performances, and exhibitions. Housed in a historic railway workshop in Sydney on Gadigal Country, Carriageworks offers a vibrant platform for contemporary art, theatre, music, dance and more, collaborating with leading local and international artists to foster innovation and creativity in its distinctive industrial setting.
ABOUT VIVID SYDNEY
Vivid Sydney, the Southern Hemisphere’s leading multi-artform festival, transforms Sydney into a vibrant hub of creativity, innovation and community connection. Over 23 nights, light installations, music, ideas and food inspire global audiences and drive cultural exchange. The 2025 theme, ‘Dream’, sparks imagination and engagement, attracting visitors and fuelling economic growth. Proudly owned by Destination NSW, Vivid Sydney showcases NSW's cultural vibrancy and positions it as a global leader in artistic innovation.
Tickets for Vivid Sydney are on sale now. For a full list of events go to vividsydney.com.
Vivid Sydney 2025 at Carriageworks - Key Details:
- Echoes of the Block: A Live & Local Blak Hip Hop Collaboration
Thursday 5 – Sunday 8 June
Free Entry, Registrations Required - Ngaiire presents PAIA
Friday 6 June
$59 + BF - Pure Space & Butter Sessions: Andy Garvey & Sleep D
with Diskonnected, Wings of D'sire
Saturday 7 June
$49 + BF - Skegss
with The Buoys and Fool Nelson
Saturday 7 June
$79 + BF - Kamasi Washington
with Micah Heathwood
Sunday 8 June
$99 + BF - Black Star – Yasiin Bey & Talib Kweli
with Mr Rhodes and more
Tuesday 10 June
$109 + BF - Mall Grab
with RONA., Oots, Claire O’Brien
Friday 13 – Saturday 14 June
From $109 + BF - DIIV
with Negative Gears
Friday 13 June
$79 + BF - moktar, Vivid Sydney & Astral People Present دعوة (Bida’wah or By Invitation)
with Tash LC, Wax’o Paradiso & Ben Fester, Anusha
Saturday 14 June
$59 + BF - Smirnoff Freeze & Fire Igloos
Running from Friday 6 June across two weekends
*Product sampling is available to those aged 18 years old and over only.