11 Mar 2024

Vivid Sydney 2024 Program Unveiled

• Festival program spotlights the essence of humanity
• 40km-long laser beams to be projected from the city’s tallest structure, Sydney Tower
• 2023 Archibald Prize winner to transform Sydney Opera House for Lighting of the Sails
• Vivid Fire Kitchen returns in a brand-new space
• Budjerah, Mos Def and Air to headline Vivid Music
• An exploration into sex work in Australia’s notorious red-light district

2024 program announcement video content and images are available here.

Tickets through vividsydney.com 

Vivid Sydney, the Southern Hemisphere’s largest multi-artform festival, today unveiled a captivating program for 2024.

From 24 May to 15 June, the festival promises 23 nights of unforgettable experiences, exploring the theme of ‘Humanity’ through Light, Music, Ideas and Food.

Australia’s largest event will transform Sydney with mesmerising light installations and 3D projections from Circular Quay to The Goods Line; genre-spanning music performances and creative showcases; a formidable Vivid Ideas program featuring experiences that will open minds; and a mouth-watering Vivid Food program.

Vivid Sydney 2024 will deliver an immersive, holistic and diverse festival, spotlighting what makes us uniquely human – love, kindness, compassion and creativity – across the interactive experiences and events that make up the 23-day program.

John Graham, Minister for Jobs and Tourism, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy, said: “We’re getting set for the 14th Vivid Sydney. It’s an important event every year that Sydneysiders and visitors alike have come to love. It’s not just a light show, it’s a celebration of light, music, ideas and food – a program full of rich cultural experiences that resonate with locals and visitors alike.

“Vivid Sydney brings together important parts of Sydney’s culture - Light, Music, Ideas and Food. It celebrates what’s great and unique about our city, and our state and creates a uniquely Sydney experience. That’s why it’s been so popular over so many years.

“This year’s festival will have a variety of free and cost-effective events on offer to provide many opportunities for people to come together and celebrate.

“Last year, the festival achieved the biggest attendance on record and the largest visitor expenditure in its history, with more than 3.48 million attendees generating more than $206 million in visitor expenditure.

“We look forward to welcoming Sydneysiders and the world as they come and experience first-hand Sydney at its creative best at Vivid Sydney 2024.”

Vivid Sydney Festival Director Gill Minervini said this year’s festival looks at how creativity fuels our interconnected world.

“Humanity is at the core of everything we do, and this year Vivid Sydney is diving deep into what makes us uniquely human,” Ms Minervini said.

“We have curated a diverse program that explores the human spirit, designed to foster connections, spark imagination and showcase the multitude of ways creativity enriches our lives. Everyone is invited to be part of this global event in the world’s most beautiful city to connect, create and celebrate.”

Staged across Sydney, Vivid Sydney festival locations and venues include Circular Quay, the Sydney Opera House, The Rocks, State Library of New South Wales, Walsh Bay, Walsh Bay Arts Precinct, Barangaroo, Darling Harbour, University of Technology Sydney, The Goods Line, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, Carriageworks, and more. 

Vivid Sydney 2024 will engage audiences across four pillars: Vivid Light, Vivid Music, Vivid Ideas and Vivid Food. Vivid Light will dazzle with large-scale projections, immersive experiences and interactive artworks. Witness a 40km stretch of rainbow lasers emanating from the Sydney Tower, a universal symbol of hope by US artist Yvette Mattern. Immerse yourself in the captivating display of the 2023 Archibald Prize winner, Julia Gutman, adorning the Sydney Opera House sails for Lighting of the Sails: Echo (2024). Reg Mombassa, Guan Wei, Leila Jeffreys and many more join the line-up, transforming the city into a dynamic open-air art gallery.

Vivid Music ignites the city with a curated program of live performances, concerts and DJ sets across diverse venues. Tumbalong Nights returns with a free program, featuring established and emerging artists including Budjerah, grentperez and Mallrat, while the newly opened Machine Hall Precinct pulsates with headliners like Deerhoof, Jen Cloher and No Fixed Address.

Vivid Ideas, a cornerstone of the festival, sparks curiosity with new ways to experience ideas – theatre, installations and engaging discussions are just the beginning. Engage in After The Fact, nightly discussions on current affairs, or peek into someone else’s window at Window Dressing and discover a universal human trait. Participate in unique experiences like A THOUSAND WAYS: An Encounter, which fosters connections with strangers; experience the immersive dance and art installation of Shifting Perspectives; or join influential Australians at the Golden Age of Humanity film screenings and discussions at Golden Age Cinema.

Vivid Food celebrates the diverse culinary landscape of Sydney and NSW. Vivid Fire Kitchen returns with delectable offerings at its new location, The Goods Line. A Culinary Canvas by Danielle Alvarez showcases women in Australian gastronomy, while Plates with Purpose offers a taste of Ukraine at Kyiv Social. Explore over 20 top chefs and restaurateurs at the VividPlace Food Trail or indulge in a bespoke bar snack and cocktail experience at Aurorae at Bennelong Bar.

Tickets go on sale on March 11. For more information and to keep updated about additions to the program, go to vividsydney.com.

VIVID SYDNEY PARTNERS

Vivid Sydney thanks its Partners for their support of Vivid Sydney 2024.

• Kia returns as a major partner for a third year, hosting light activations in the Sydney CBD and Darling Harbour.
• Sony Music presents Lightscape at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, in collaboration with Culture Creative.
• Collaborators include Technical Direction Company, Event Engineering and Mandylights.
• The Vivid Sydney 2024 Charity Partner is Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF, or Doctors Without Borders).

MEDIA ASSETS 

The full Vivid Sydney 2024 media kit, program announcement and high-res imagery, including 2024 Vivid Sydney light renders and broadcast-quality video footage of previous festival highlights, are available to download at www.vividsydney.com/news-room.

MEDIA CONTACT

James Toovey – PR Manager Vivid Sydney

PH: +61 407 828 310

james.toovey@dnsw.com.au

Jacqueline O’Neill – Ogilvy PR

PH: +61 449 107 774

jacqueline.oneill@ogilvy.com

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 2024 theme, ‘Humanity,’ sparks reflection 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.

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 is responsible for leading the delivery of the NSW Visitor Economy Strategy 2030 in partnership with government and industry. 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.

VIVID SYDNEY 2024 PROGRAM INFORMATION

VIVID LIGHT

Gill Minervini, Festival Director and Curator of Vivid Light, highlights that this year’s Vivid Light Walk will offer a unique insight into the essence of humanity.

“Illuminating Sydney’s stunning harbourfront and CBD with vibrant bursts of colour, mesmerising artworks and dynamic 3D projections, Vivid Light beckons everyone to immerse themselves in a display of human creativity and experience. In 2024, we emphasise works of grand scale, interactivity and profound meaning, delving into the rich tapestry of human experience through exclusive artist collaborations only found at Vivid Sydney,” said Ms Minervini.

• Global Rainbow, from US artist Yvette Mattern, showcases beams of rainbow lasers fanning out from the iconic Sydney Tower, extending for up to 40km. This universal symbol of hope and love will bask Sydney in vibrant hues as a guiding light to Vivid Sydney.
• Vivid Sydney Light Walk’s signature Sydney Opera House Lighting of the Sails will feature the unique works of the 2023 Archibald Prize winner and Sydney-based textile artist Julia Gutman, bringing her stunning patchworks to life on a grand scale for Echo (2024) by Julia Gutman, and Pleasant Company with soundtrack by Angus Mills.
• One of Australia’s most-beloved artists, Reg Mombassa will reimagine the classic Aussie road trip in a takeover of Customs House. The iconic building will be transformed with retro-futuristic robots, one-eyed koalas and other strange creatures for Gumscape with Road and Creatures.
• Celebrated Chinese Australian artist Guan Wei’s signature iconography will transform the Museum of Contemporary Art for Sea, Sand and Stars.
• Nest, a collaboration between Leila Jeffreys and Melvin J. Montalban, features a large-scale circular projection at the Stargazer Lawn in Barangaroo, spotlighting the ritualistic mating dance of the brolga and humanity’s connection with nature.
• Horizon, by Spanish artists Playmodes, offers a hypnotic, full-body experience where trance-like sound and strobing lights challenge your perception of space, inviting you to see beyond the ordinary.
• Stateless, by NSW artist Sinclair Park, features 4,000 solar-powered LED candles along Barangaroo Reserve’s sandstone blocks, each representing the growing number of stateless people globally, prompting reflection on their resilience and struggles.
• Sydney’s skyline will transform for Our Connected City, uniting the city with kaleidoscopic colour and sophisticated lighting design across Sydney Harbour Bridge and through The Rocks, Circular Quay, the Sydney Opera House and buildings in Sydney’s CBD.
• The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney will come alive for Lightscape, returning to amaze with a re-imagined multisensory journey of light, colour and sound, showcasing breathtaking works from acclaimed international and local artists.

VIVID MUSIC

Vivid Music Curator Julian Ramundi says Vivid Music in 2024 will transform Sydney into a dynamic stage, in a city-wide celebration that shines a light on both established and emerging artists.

“Vivid Music in 2024 elevates artist stories and connects audiences in a diverse range of spaces, from cultural institutions and theatres to free and accessible spaces across the Vivid Light Walk. Hear music in new parts of our city and gather to celebrate voices from all around the world, artists who remind us that songs vibrate at the centre of our shared humanity,” said Mr Ramundi.

• Tumbalong Nights makes a return with 12 nights of free performances in Tumbalong Park, Darling Harbour, featuring international sounds, diverse languages, interactive sing-a-longs and First Nations perspectives. Highlights include the pop brilliance of Brisbane’s Mallrat, Western Sydney’s rising star grentperez and Australia’s chart-topping Budjerah. An Australian-exclusive performance by Korean Indie luminaries sunwoojunga and Silica Gel, and an exclusive album launch from First Nations supergroup 3%, are just some of the acts that make up an unforgettable line-up.
• In a first for Vivid Sydney, the spectacular Machine Hall Precinct emerges as the new home of Vivid Music. Audiences can catch international headliners and parties within the surrounds of a reimagined 100-year-old heritage substation, right in the heart of Sydney and only recently opened to the public. The program features US indie rockers Deerhoof and hyperpop artist Underscores, along with shows from Jen Cloher, legendary First Nations band No Fixed Address and Arnhem Land song man Ngulmiya, and parties from Trackwork, The Huxleys and CLUB 4A. Vivid Sydney at Machine Hall is presented with the support of both Machine Hall Precinct and the City of Sydney.
• The Vivid Sydney Supper Club returns to Mary’s Underground with new curators Rhys Nicholson and Georgia Mooney delivering a packed list of talent across music, theatre and television, including Mo’Ju, Montaigne, Luke McGregor, Annabel Crabb, Julia Zemiro and Ewen Leslie, with Rhys and Georgia hosting each night of the program.

VIVID IDEAS

Vivid Ideas Curator Rachel Healy says Vivid Ideas 2024 has transformed from talking heads to interactive experiences, serving as a platform for inspiration that challenges and redefines traditional views of the world.

“The Vivid Ideas program of 2024 offers the panel discussions, conferences and talks for which it is renowned, but this year we’ve broadened the program to include events that express ideas in less traditional formats. Think performance, walking tours, a one-on-one experience with a stranger, meditations and cryptoscopophilia!”

• New for 2024 is After The Fact, a free, nightly deep-dive into current affairs and the daily news cycle featuring a rotating panel of high-profile change-makers, analysts and experts, offering fresh perspectives on the world’s pressing issues.
• The critically acclaimed A THOUSAND WAYS: An Encounter from New York company 600 Highwaymen, puts you and a stranger at the centre of a private ‘performance’ that encourages participants to see each other, and themselves, in new light.
• Liesel Badorrek’s Window Dressing taps into our collective fascination of glimpsing into the windows of homes (otherwise known as cryptoscopophilia). Peek into illuminated windows to watch people living ordinary lives across eight windows of a Frank Gehry building on The Goods Line.
• Part dance performance, part art installation, Shifting Perspectives features the dancers of Restless Dance Theatre. Watch as these performers weave around the 24 mirrored plinths as light swirls and sound pulsates.
• Sex Work: A legal and social history offers an immersive look into the sex industry of Kings Cross and Darlinghurst, peeling back stereotypes for a raw, immersive dive into its rich history and modern-day challenges.
• Golden Age of Humanity spans nine nights at the Golden Age Cinema in Surry Hills, featuring nine influential Australians, including Bernard Collaery, Kylie Kwong, Kate McClymont and more, who will introduce films that resonate with their interpretation of humanity.
• Can you say my name? Not so far, say Hibaq Farah, Niamh Ní Hoireabhaird, Ranjana Srivastava and the thousands of other Australians whose names are shortened, anglicised, mispronounced or replaced. Say My Name: The Humanity of Names is a storytelling session and panel discussion that unpacks how we perceive and acknowledge names unfairly categorised as ‘tricky’, ‘unfamiliar’ or ‘foreign’.
• Comedy, calamity and contemplation come together at Parliament House, Sydney for AI Will Destroy Humanity: A Future Science Debate, diving deep into the controversy of artificial intelligence.

VIVID FOOD

Festival Director and Vivid Food curator Gill Minervini says Vivid Food returns to Vivid Sydney in 2024 in a celebration of the rich diversity of Sydney and NSW’s culinary scene.

“In its second year, the festival’s newest pillar Vivid Food explores how food is often at the core of the human experience, acting as both a vibrant expression of diversity and a powerful connecter. Blending internationally celebrated cuisine with authentic local food experiences, Vivid Sydney 2024 presents renowned and culturally diverse food cultures in Sydney to the world,” said Ms Minervini.

• 2024 will see the return of the popular Vivid Fire Kitchen, taking up its new position at The Goods Line every night of the festival for a celebration of the universal language of barbecue.
• A Culinary Canvas by Danielle Alvarez invites guests to the iconic Yallamundi Rooms, on the Northern Boardwalk of the Sydney Opera House, for a celebration of women in Australian gastronomy and winemaking.
• Our Shared Humanity presents a series of exclusive dinners at Refettorio OzHarvest. Every night of the series will see the state’s best chefs, including Christine Manfield, Darren Robertson, Mitch Orr and more plate up their unique take on a three-course vegetarian menu, made using rescued NSW produce.
• A special 10-course degustation will offer an unparalleled opportunity to experience the authenticity and abundance of a Ukrainian family table at Kyiv Social for Plates with Purpose: A Taste of Ukraine.
• In the tradition of lively night food markets, Sydney Place and Bulletin Place laneways in the Uptown District will be transformed into a pedestrianised, culinary hub. VividPlace Food Trail will feature over 20 of Australia's top chefs, restaurateurs and bartenders just a short walk from Circular Quay and will be open every night of the festival.
• Bennelong, the “holy grail of Australian restaurants”, presents Aurorae at Bennelong Bar, a bespoke bar snack and cocktail offering by award-winning chef Peter Gilmore.
• Vivid Residence and Vivid Chef Series will also return in 2024, with chefs and venues to be announced soon.

VIVID LIVE AT SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE

As part of Vivid Music, the Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House line-up will feature more than 50 Australian and international artists. Air, Arca, Underworld, Fever Ray, Sky Ferreira, Devonté Hynes and many more will break new ground on the stages of the world-famous building in a program curated by Sydney Opera House’s Head of Contemporary Music, Ben Marshall.

• French cult favourites Air will celebrate their critically acclaimed debut album Moon Safari (1998).
• Venezuelan electronic artist Arca will make her long-awaited Australian debut in the Concert Hall in an Australian exclusive for Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House.
• Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Devonté Hynes will perform a suite of his classical compositions accompanied by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra with UK conductor Matthew Lynch.
• American enigma Sky Ferreira will return to Australia for the first time in a decade, playing her iconic tracks and teasing her highly anticipated new album.
• In an Australian exclusive, UK’s techno legends Underworld will bring their unmatched blend of dance music’s past and present, performing over three euphoric nights in the Concert Hall.
• Swedish iconoclast of avant-garde pop Fever Ray and the next generation of soul, Snoh Aalegra, will make their Australian debuts in the Concert Hall.
• Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House Studio Parties also return to celebrate the best in local club culture, featuring parties from House of Mince, Mad Racket, Astral People and many more.

CARRIAGEWORKS

The Vivid Sydney at Carriageworks 2024 program will span across 13 nights and will feature international and local music acts and immersive dining experiences.

• One of the most influential figures in hip hop culture, musician, actor and activist Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) joins Vivid Sydney at Carriageworks for a two-night exploration of his back catalogue and artistic influences.
• British singer-songwriter Tirzah will take to the stage for an intimate night of enchanting, boundary-pushing music.
• Experimental American musician and alt-rock star Yves Tumor will make their Australian debut, performing an explosive, genre-bending set.
• Dance music duo X CLUB. is set to up the tempo with a frenetic set where techno collides with drum & bass.
• Australian electronic dance duo Electric Fields will treat audiences to their high-octane dancefloor sound, which is grounded in ancient melodies and sung in Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara and English.
• As part of Vivid Food, Coyoacán Social will take up residence at Carriageworks throughout the festival, serving up authentic Mexican street food with a purpose.
• The Warakirri Dining Experience will also return to Carriageworks over two nights for an intimate First Nations dining experience led by Ngemba Weilwan woman and chef Sharon Winsor that fuses modern cooking techniques with traditional methods, alongside storytelling, dance and music.