14 Jun 2025
Lights Off for Vivid Sydney 2025 After 23 Nights of Dazzling Dreams
After 23 unforgettable nights of transforming Sydney into a canvas of light, sound, and imagination, Vivid Sydney 2025 has come to a spectacular close - reaffirming its place as the Southern Hemisphere’s leading multi-artform festival and Australia's largest event.
From Friday, 23 May to Saturday, 14 June, this year's theme of Dream didn't just illuminate Sydney's iconic buildings and landmarks - it awakened the collective imagination of millions of visitors, both locally and abroad.
While final attendance figures will not be confirmed until post-event analysis is complete, the NSW Government is encouraged by preliminary results – including Sydney’s highest May hotel occupancy rate since 2019 and nightly crowds nearing 200,000 on the festival’s first two Saturdays.
This year, the festival boasted more than 200 events spanning five connected zones: Circular Quay & The Rocks, Barangaroo, Martin Place & CBD (for the first time since 2018), Darling Harbour, and The Goods Line & Inner City. More than 75 per cent of events were free to attend, with the entire Vivid Light Walk open to all.
A testament to the international reputation of the festival, 2025 featured the world’s biggest names in entertainment, food, and pop culture including, Martha Stewart, Nigella Lawson, Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally - all appearing exclusively at Vivid Sydney.
NSW Minister for Tourism, Steve Kamper said, “Vivid Sydney captured imaginations and attracted millions of visitors from across Australia and around the globe, reinforcing Sydney’s reputation as a premier destination for cultural events.
“More than just a light festival, Vivid Sydney creates unforgettable experiences that celebrate our city’s vibrant culture, innovative creative industries, rich culinary scene and thriving night-time economy. It brings Sydney alive after dark, supports thousands of jobs and delivers significant economic benefits to local businesses. Congratulations to everyone involved in making the 15th edition such an outstanding success.”
Vivid Sydney Festival Director Gill Minervini said, “As my final year as Festival Director, this one holds extraordinary meaning for me. Vivid Sydney 2025 has been a celebration of creativity, technology, bold ideas and, above all, human connection.
“Visitors have responded positively to our reimagined footprint, exploring the festival zones across multiple nights. Sydney once again shone as the perfect canvas, and we thank everyone who came along with all the artists who created the magic.
“Vivid Sydney proves that when we dream together, we create something truly extraordinary. That's what makes this festival truly special.”
Motti and Smith Events Director Blake Smith said: “It was a fantastic experience working with Vivid Sydney to curate the food and beverage activations at both Barangaroo Reserve and Tumbalong Park.
“The foot traffic was exceptional throughout the festival, and the response to Blacklight Dessert Lab was a real highlight - festivalgoers couldn’t get enough of the glow-in-the-dark desserts!”
Transport and Tourism Forum CEO Margy Osmond said: “It’s fantastic to see the roaring success of yet another incredibly curated Vivid Sydney. This festival not only makes Sydney shine, but it’s also a tremendous boost for the visitor economy and plays a huge role in showing off the icons and hidden gems alike.
“The positive numbers and bumper crowds speak for themselves.”
Accommodation Australia CEO James Goodwin said: "Vivid Sydney and major events like it, are crucial for hotels.
"Over the last few years Vivid Sydney has turned what are usually a few quiet winter weekends into a boom period, with occupancy rates in Sydney regularly close to 90 per cent, which is a remarkable achievement."
Service and Creative Skills Australia CEO Natalie Turmine said: “Vivid Sydney injects millions into the visitor and night-time economy, creating thousands of jobs across arts, retail, tourism, hospitality and event production.
“With more visitors comes a higher demand for skilled staff in hotels, restaurants, transport and attractions, providing a powerful boost to the state’s workforce. From students gaining their first industry experience to seasoned professionals leading complex productions, Vivid Sydney fuels opportunities at every career stage and drives long-term employment growth.”
Further data and insights on the festival’s economic and tourism impact will be released in the coming weeks along with expressions of interest and dates for Vivid Sydney 2026.
Vivid Sydney 2025 Program Highlights
Vivid Light
Vivid Sydney’s signature Light Walk came alive with interactive installations and 3D projections, including voice-activated animations, whimsical seesaws, and a tennis match made of light. Eight buildings and landmarks were illuminated for the first time, including the Museum of Sydney and Challis House in Martin Place.
Sydney Opera House’s Lighting of the Sails featured Kiss of Light (2025) by the late David McDiarmid, Romance Was Born debuted House of Romance on Customs House, blending fashion and fantasy in a dreamlike spectacle while Vincent Namatjira’s King Dingo lit up the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia.
Namatjira said on having his work on display, “It makes me very proud to be showcasing something for this wonderful event, I’m also looking forward to see other artists’ work and connecting with them whilst in Sydney… it is a beautiful place.”
Vivid Music
Free concert series Tumbalong Nights brought global sounds to Darling Harbour with artists like Dobet Gnahoré (West Africa), Mỹ Anh (Vietnam), MonoNeon (USA), while quintessential Sydney venues, Metro Theatre, City Recital Hall, and Oxford Art Factory hosted genre-spanning performances from Tangerine Dream (Germany) and Soccer Mommy (USA), to TikTok rapping stars, Pete & Bas (UK).
Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House hosted over 50 ground breaking artists, including Anohni and The Johnsons, Beth Gibbons of Portishead, Sigur Rós with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Japanese Breakfast, Marlon Williams, Ravyn Lenae, and homegrown stars Miss Kaninna and SAHXL.
At Carriageworks, festivalgoers danced to cult local DJ Mall Grab, were moved by Ngaiire’s transcendent performance, and rocked out with Byron Bay duo Skegss.
Vivid Ideas
Among the standout moments of this year’s program was a rare In Conversation event with global lifestyle icon Martha Stewart.
On her visit to the Harbour City, Stewart praised Sydney’s food and generosity of locals. “I’m always excited to be invited to this beautiful city. To be here at Vivid Sydney talking to so many people, I’m just thrilled!” she said.
Vivid Ideas also explored the science and symbolism of dreams. D.W. Pine, Creative Director of TIME Magazine, delivered a keynote on creativity, Professor Matthew Walker unpacked the mysteries of sleep. Plus, elite mountain athlete, globally renowned documentarian and director Jimmy Chin spoke to a captivated crowd at Sydney Town Hall in his event, Beyond The Summit.
Closing out the Vivid Ideas program with warmth and wit, comedy’s coolest couple, Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally took part in their first-ever joint conversation on stage, sharing stories of love, creativity and collaboration.
Vivid Food
In the festival’s largest food program yet, culinary royalty Nigella Lawson curated three sold-out Vivid Sydney Dinner events in the newly opened Muru Giligu tunnel in Martin Place, transforming the space with light, sound and seasonal NSW produce.
Dubbing Sydney the city of her heart, Lawson said: “I love Sydney, and I love Vivid Sydney, to have the two together for these incredible dinners… I can’t quite believe I’m here doing it.”
Vivid Fire Kitchen returned to The Goods Line, while Spice Lounge and Hollywood Quarter activations brought fire, flavour and festivity to the streets.
FoodLab Sydney spotlighted the flavours, stories and dreams of emerging chefs from migrant and refugee backgrounds, rescued produce was the hero ingredient with OzHarvest for Our Shared Dream, and, guided by Sydney’s top female chefs, Dreams On A Plate showcased the culinary talents of Afghanistan, Ukraine and Palestine’s hospitality and culture.
Elsewhere, the Vivid Chef Series once again paired global culinary stars with Sydney’s finest restaurants Ester and Eleven Barrack.
Vivid Sydney Partners
Returning as Major Partners for Vivid Sydney 2025 were Samsung Electronics Australia and Kia.
Samsung activated on both land and water in Cockle Bay, Darling Harbour with Space to Dream, including an unmissable and dramatic light show on the water, that explored the boundless potential of creativity inspired by Galaxy AI.
Kia displayed its new and highly anticipated EV3 electric vehicle along the Vivid Light Walk.
Official Partners included Estée Lauder, returning for its second year, with their installation: While You Were Dreaming—a radiant fusion of science, beauty and imagination, along with Ausgrid, who powered Vivid Sydney’s Tumbalong Nights program.
Airbnb was once again Vivid Sydney’s Community Partner, supporting the volunteer program, while the festival’s Charity Partner for 2025 Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation brought Dream Scene to Darling Harbour –a digital canvas where children's dreams come alive in an evolving dreamscape.
Vivid Sydney Supporting Partners Dexus, Event Engineering, Kennards Hire, Mandylights, Nova, Port Authority of NSW, SBS, Stan, The P.A. People, TDC, and Transdev.
– ENDS –
Click here for new b-roll footage, video and imagery from Vivid Sydney 2025
Media Contact
More information on Sydney and NSW is available here. Sign up for Destination NSW’s Uncovered Media Newsletter here.
About Destination NSW
Destination NSW is the champion and voice for the visitor economy within the NSW Government. Spearheading a whole-of-government approach to visitor economy growth, Destination NSW influences and shapes the visitor economy through strategic research, policy and thought leadership, stakeholder engagement and consultation, commercial partnerships and investment in visitor experiences, business support, marketing and events. Destination NSW is also the major investor in Business Events Sydney (BESydney) for the purpose of securing more international and domestic conventions, incentive travel reward programs, corporate events and exhibitions.
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.