Vivid Sydney 2019Credit: Destination NSW
Views of Harbour Lights installations on marine vessels moving across Sydney Harbour during Vivid Sydney 2019.
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Vivid Sydney returns to the streets, parks, venues, and buildings of Sydney from Friday 27 May to Saturday 18 June 2022, and this year it’s bigger and brighter than ever. With the longest continuous Light Walk in Vivid Sydney history and groundbreaking new light art, the 2022 festival is set to be an illuminating journey into Sydney’s soul. Here's a sneak peek of what’s to come.
There’s more to discover than ever on Vivid Sydney’s longest continuous Light Walk
The 2022 festival boasts the longest continuous Light Walk in the history of the event, trailing eight kilometres from the Sydney Opera House to Central Station, featuring 47 installations and projections. Traverse the Light Walk passing through exciting new locations including the Central Concourse, The Goods Line and Darling Square. Book end the city and start your Light Walk experience at Central Station, pop into Shirt Bar Barangaroo for a drink along the way, finishing up with dinner at Bennelong under the sails of the Sydney Opera House and an overnight stay at Harbour Rocks Hotel.
The Light Walk’s first wayfinding installation shows visitors the way
Two hundred neon birds will guide visitors along the Light Walk this year, as Sydney artist Chris Daniel’s colourful installation Future Natives connects 2022’s light artworks with its illuminated beacons in a festival first. Daniel’s inspiration comes from Sydney’s rare gift of a great variety of birdlife – from pretty rainbow lorikeets to cackling kookaburras and even the misunderstood ibis – the city is lucky to have such a diversity of feathered friends making their home in its CBD parks and neighbourhood trees. Grab a table at Campbell’s Stores and enjoy the full spectacle of Future Natives while enjoying a local seafood platter at Harbourfront Seafood Restaurant with a glass of Hunter Valley Semillon.
Ken Done’s iconic Sydney scenes come to life on Customs House
Prolific Sydney artist Ken Done is one of Australia’s best known and most respected artists. His acclaimed Sydney-inspired artworks are synonymous with the city that has been his muse for the last 80 years. For Vivid Sydney 2022, Ken’s work For Sydney With Love will burst to life in a joyful animation projected onto the façade of Customs House. In collaboration with animators from digital storytelling group Spinifex, Done’s playful scenes of Sydney Harbour will unfold across the building’s façade, from boats sailing across the harbour to pretty gardens, beach scenes and the city's most famous icons. “Sydney is one of the great cities in the world,” he says. Admire Ken’s artistic genius before heading to Café Sydney atop Customs House for the ultimate view of the Vivid Sydney lights for dinner, before spending the night at nearby Four Seasons Hotel Sydney.
Vivid Sydney 2022_’For Sydney with Love’_’Ken Done’_Credit ‘Spinifex Group’. Credit: Spinifex Group
"For Sydney with Love" on Customs House by Ken Done at Vivid Sydney 2022
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Vivid Sydney 2022_’For Sydney with Love’_’Ken Done’_Credit ‘Spinifex Group’. Credit: Spinifex Group
"For Sydney with Love" on Customs House by Ken Done at Vivid Sydney 2022
Vivid Sydney 2022_’Future Natives’_’Chris Daniel’. Credit: Chris Daniel
Future Natives is inspired by an observation made of the rare gift Sydney has in its birdlife.
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Vivid Sydney 2022_’Future Natives’_’Chris Daniel’. Credit: Chris Daniel
Future Natives is inspired by an observation made of the rare gift Sydney has in its birdlife.
The largest laser installation in Vivid Sydney’s history takes over an abandoned tunnel
This year, Vivid Sydney unveils the essence of Sydney's soul by exploring its history through contemporary, innovative works in unexpected spaces. The Goods Line Tunnel – a disused railway passage that began life back in 1855 as part of the first freight railway line to the port at Darling Harbour – will reawaken with the largest scale laser installation in Vivid Sydney’s history: Convergence, by Australia's largest and oldest dedicated lighting and production design firm, Mandylights. After almost 40 years of disuse and darkness, the mesmerising space will lure visitors in as they follow bouncing rays of light into a fully immersive display – a spectacular confluence of colour, laser and smoke. Afterwards, wander along the The Goods Line, stopping off to enjoy a bowl of noodles at Ho Jiak in Chinatown and spend the night overlooking all the action at Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour.
Meet the eight-metre-tall idol glowing with fire and light
Towering over a corner of Hickson Road Reserve, monumental light art installation Earth Deities explores themes of power and worship. The work of Sri Lankan-born, Western Sydney-raised multidisciplinary artist Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran, the eight-metre-tall, multi-limbed avatar will radiate over audiences, animated through the synthesis of dramatic lighting. Hand-painted and fabricated from compacted earth, steel and paint, the contemporary sculpture offers audiences a memorable Vivid Sydney experience.
The full Vivid Sydney program will be announced in mid-March - go to vividsydney.com for more information.
Share your Vivid Sydney experiences on social media with @vividsydney #vividsydney
Hickson Road Reserve, Dawes Point Credit: Destination NSW
Friends walking along Sydney Harbour in the morning.
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Hickson Road Reserve, Dawes Point Credit: Destination NSW
Friends walking along Sydney Harbour in the morning.
Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying Sofitel Sydney's rooftop pool with views across Darling Harbour.
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Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying Sofitel Sydney's rooftop pool with views across Darling Harbour.
More Inspirational Stories
The Fall Guy Credit: Universal & UPI Media
The Fall Guy in Sydney with a spectacular Glebe Island Silo Stunt
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Little National Hotel, Sydney Credit: Little National Hotel
The rooftop lounge at the Little National, in Wynyard in Sydney.