Sun, rain, winter or summer, regardless of season or circumstance, there’s always something to uncover in Sydney. This month find new restaurants across the city bringing creative new ideas to service, cuisine and style; explore the Blue Mountains through Aboriginal culture; stay in a bold, colourful new hotel; and discover priceless Egyptian artefacts.
FOOD & DRINK
Dessert in the city
Ever finished a late-night dinner and found there’s few dessert options? 2AM: dessertbar is your saviour. The new dining concept within the anticipated W Sydney hotel serves creative desserts by award-winning chef Janice Wong until, as promised, 2am. Before then, dine at BTWN, a NSW-produce-focused modern Australian restaurant run by Chris Dodd, formerly of The Blue Door.
Baking on Barrack
CBD lunching is undergoing a revolution – first we got Loftus Lane, then Sydney Place and now the king of Sydney baked goods, A.P Bakery, is joining the fray with a new shop near Wynard. A.P Place serves travellers and office workers Japanese egg and cheese buns, bagels with locally made chorizo, and the bakery’s classic pies, pizza and Reuben Hills coffee.
Mumbai class
Imagine a high-end Mumbai hotel, full of character and class combined with the old-and-new style of Potts Point and you have something like Raja, a new restaurant from the team behind Ezra. Like the sometimes maximalist sometimes minimalist interiors, the menu from ex-Firedoor chef Ahana Dutt mixes the spice of India with the pared back cooking famed at Firedoor. The garlicky, green chutney mud crab with roti is already being dubbed a signature dish.
Coffee to cocktails
Start off with a morning focaccia and espresso, then come back after sunset for ricotta stuffed zucchini flowers, kingfish crudo and a spritz and stay late into the night. That’s the experience Makaveli promises, Bondi’s new morning-until-late Italian eatery by Jacob Hill and Phill Cooke (ex-Milpa Collective).
Pastry saga
Salma’s Canteen wants to be your one stop shop – the tables outside serve pastry alongside Mediterranean influenced salads, the deli fridge will have you perusing house-made salmon pastrami and shortcrust pastry, and the counter shows off sweet treats made by famed pastry chef Andy Bowdy. Joining Bowdy in the Rosebery business is partner Maddison Howes and the team behind Kepos Street Kitchen.
Salma’s Canteen Credit: Mel Koutchavlis
Salma’s Canteen Rosebery - Michael Rantissi and Andy Bowdy
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Salma’s Canteen Credit: Mel Koutchavlis
Salma’s Canteen Rosebery - Michael Rantissi and Andy Bowdy
Street onigiri
Few things feel more Japanese than nabbing two onigiris and a drink from a convenience store when in dire need of a snack. Otogo offers the same experience in Sydney with their new Ultimo eatery. Take a yuzu soda in one hand, a cup of soba noodles (made with local buckwheat) in the other and an onigiri for after and pay less than $20.
Secret cocktails
In a tiled alcove on Phillip Street, Circular Quar, you’ll see a curious painting of a lady with a chalice and a doorbell next to it, ring and the painting opens like a door to reveal a cocktail bar. Next, you’ll be inside the lavish interiors of Messenger, a cocktail and wine bar from Mulpha Group, who run Bimbadgen Estate, a winery in the Hunter Valley.
Prepare to queue
How long are you willing to wait for an unbelievable meal? Hansang fans would say more than half an hour. The famous Strathfield Korean restaurant’s incredible side dishes, soups and hot pots have been drawing queues since it opened, and its new Chinatown outpost is set to bring the same hype.
ACCOMMODATION
Bright and bold
Looking for somewhere where the design goes beyond a beige and grey? ADGE is your refuge, a new Surry Hills boutique hotel inspired by the colours and vibrancy of the neighbourhood’s art, music and culture. Opening in August, each suite features bold, retro carpets; bespoke light features and eclectic furnishings. Downstairs is the acclaimed Korean cafe Soul Deli.
EXPERIENCE
A Gundungurra Welcome
Hear, smell and see thousands of years of Blue Mountains Aboriginal history and culture on Scenic World’s new Gundungurra Country Experience. Gundungurra custodian David King welcomes you to Country, takes you on the railway, beneath the canopy and introduces you to local lore and wildlife, all while having a yarn.
Ramses in Sydney
Let the Australian Museum transport you to 1300BC, when Ramses the Great, the most renown Egyptian king of all history, ruled a flourishing kingdom. From November 18 until 19 May 2024, Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs lets you Gaze over 181 astoundingly well-persevered artefacts (some have never left Egypt before) and don a VR headset and tour ancient temples.
Australian Museum, Sydney Credit: Daniel Boud
Exterior view of the Australian Museum, Sydney.
#feelnewsydney #ilovesydney
Australian Museum, Sydney Credit: Daniel Boud
Exterior view of the Australian Museum, Sydney.
ADGE Hotel + Residences Credit: ADGE Hotel + Residences
ADGE Hotel + Residences
#feelnewsydney
ADGE Hotel + Residences Credit: ADGE Hotel + Residences
ADGE Hotel + Residences
More News
Vivid Sydney 2024Credit: Destination NSW
The 'Nest' installation at the Stargazer Lawn, Barangaroo during Vivid 2024. Artist: Leila Jeffreys & Melvin J. Montalban. An expansive circular structure welcomes you to bear witness to the ritualistic mating dance of the Brolga, one of only two species of crane native to Australia. Projected onto a transparent surface, the huge bird apparitions appear to float in the air and are visible from both out and inside the Nest.
#feelnewsydney #vividsydney
Calling All Dreamers: Vivid Sydney Wants You
Vivid Sydney 2024 Credit: Destination NSW
#feelnewsydney #vividsydney
Vivid Sydney, the Southern Hemisphere’s largest multi-artform festival, is calling on the best creative minds to submit ideas for next year’s event.
Vivid Sydney 2025 will take place from Friday 23 May to Saturday 14 June 2025, with a program centred around the theme of Vivid Sydney, Dream.
Artists, musicians, thought leaders and food creatives are encouraged to submit Expressions of Interest (EOI) for the opportunity to be part of Australia’s largest event and showcase their work to a mass audience across the festival pillars of Light, Music, Ideas and Food.
Destination NSW CEO Steve Cox said: “Since 2009, Vivid Sydney has grown to become Sydney’s vibrant cultural showpiece, driving significant visitation to Sydney and regional NSW and positioning our state as the arts and creative industries capital of the Asia Pacific.
“Vivid Sydney is more than a light show, it is Sydney’s living legacy that captures imaginations and shares with visitors and locals alike the very best talent from our creative, entertainment and hospitality industries.
“I encourage the brightest talents to join Destination NSW in creating an event that elevates the Harbour City as the Asia Pacific’s leader in world-class cultural experiences.”
Vivid Sydney 2024 Credit: Destination NSW
Patrons enjoying a night out at Machine Hall during Vivid 2024
#feelnewsydney #vividsydney
Vivid Sydney 2024 Credit: Destination NSW
Patrons enjoying a night out at Machine Hall during Vivid 2024
Vivid Sydney Festival Director Gill Minervini said: “Vivid Sydney 2025 is pushing the creative boundaries across our theme of “Dream” to deliver another unforgettable global celebration.
“Dreaming is something we all do. It’s as old as time and as universal as life itself. Dreams don’t discriminate – they are borderless, ageless and endless. They can be personal or public. When shared, our dreams can become a movement. They can inspire, motivate, spark excitement and connection.
“The whole world dreams, it is something we have in common, something that unites us. Our human story is embedded in dreams, they help explain our existence and our past.
“We want the very best in homegrown talent to be part of our vibrant Vivid Sydney event program, with a unique opportunity to foster community connection, spark imagination and showcase the multitude of ways creativity can enrich our lives.
“Each year Vivid Sydney aims to deliver unparalleled artistic brilliance and we look forward to welcoming the inspirations within our community that will help shape Vivid Sydney 2025 into a show-stopping cultural phenomenon.”
The Vivid Sydney EOI outlines opportunities for artists, designers, creative industry professionals, equipment suppliers, architects, engineers, promoters, restaurants, event companies, chefs, producers and educational institutions to present their ideas, designs, concepts and interest for inclusion in the annual event.
Light and Cross Art Form EOIs will close on Monday 2 September 2024 with Ideas, Music and Food closing on Friday 27 September 2024.
This year’s Vivid Sydney attracted 2.42 million attendees, making it the third largest on record. Highlights included a record-breaking opening night and the busiest single night in the festival’s history on Sunday 9 June.
While Vivid Sydney 2024 attracted millions of people from across Australia and the globe, it also had a profound impact on the creative minds who helped bring the event to life, including Sydney’s retail, hospitality and accommodation sectors.
Vivid Sydney 2024 Credit: Destination NSW
Shifting Perspectives at Walsh Bay Arts Precinct for Vivid Ideas during Vivid Sydney 2024
#feelnewsydney #vividsydney
Vivid Sydney 2024 Credit: Destination NSW
Shifting Perspectives at Walsh Bay Arts Precinct for Vivid Ideas during Vivid Sydney 2024
Leila Jeffreys the artist behind popular Vivid Light 2024 installation Nest said: “Thank you to Festival Director Gill Minervini and all at Vivid Sydney for giving me and my artistic collaborator Melvin J. Montalban the opportunity to create art on a scale that we could not have achieved on our own.
“I visited Nest many times throughout the festival and was always moved to see people from all walks of life and ages stand together to witness the courtship dance of the Brolga, a moment where we all felt the link between the natural world and the human journey.”
Tekno Train creator and composer Paul Mac said: “When I set out to create Tekno Train I wanted to make an experience that fused my love of techno and trains with lights and to share this joy with as many people as possible. The positive reactions I have received from people on the train, as well as the drivers, guards, and random folks on social media has absolutely blown me away.
“Vivid Sydney 2024 has been an unexpected career highlight, and I am forever grateful to everyone who helped bring this together.”
Club Broadway MC & Music Producer DJ Dan Murphy said: “Bringing our Club Broadway show to a Vivid Sydney audience has been an absolute joy. We loved making our show accessible to a whole new audience who love the world of musical theatre.
“Vivid Sydney is such an amazing and important festival for our city, and we were thrilled to be on the program. From old to young, we had them all on the dancefloor for Club Broadway at Tumbalong Park. The night was absolutely magical and a great way to celebrate our community.”
Vivid Sydney 2024 Credit: Destination NSW
Sex Work; A Social History Walking Tour at Elizabeth Bay for Vivid Ideas during Vivid Sydney 2024. This fascinating walking tour is an invitation to see the area and profession in a new light. Led by writer, performer and Kings Cross local Vashti Hughes and the Inner City Legal Centre's Managing Solicitor Katie Green, you will be immersed in the sights, history and contemporary challenges of sex work in Australia's most famous redlight district.
#feelnewsydney #vividsydney
Vivid Sydney 2024 Credit: Destination NSW
Sex Work; A Social History Walking Tour at Elizabeth Bay for Vivid Ideas during Vivid Sydney 2024. This fascinating walking tour is an invitation to see the area and profession in a new light. Led by writer, performer and Kings Cross local Vashti Hughes and the Inner City Legal Centre's Managing Solicitor Katie Green, you will be immersed in the sights, history and contemporary challenges of sex work in Australia's most famous redlight district.
Service and Creative Skills Australia (the Jobs and Skills Council for Arts, Personal Services, Retail, Tourism and Hospitality) CEO Natalie Turmine said: “Vivid Sydney showcases brilliantly our talented and vibrant creative arts, tourism and hospitality workforce, demonstrating the wealth of exciting career opportunities available in this sector.
“Thank you to all the creative artists, technicians, performers, hospitality staff and event organisers for delivering another successful Vivid Sydney.”
Plate it Forward CEO and restaurateur Shaun Christie-David said: “Vivid Sydney shows the diversity of Sydney, shining a positive light on our city, culture and produce. As a social enterprise hospitality group, it was a privilege to partner with Vivid Sydney to bring the 2024 festival theme humanity to life through food. Food is all about sharing, love, respect and community.
“There is so much pride, joy and power that can be found in food, it is a platform to celebrate culture, make meaningful connections and create jobs. Through working with Vivid Food and selling more than 1000 tacos, more than 1500 meals will be donated to community kitchens for people in need.”
Tourism & Transport Forum CEO Margy Osmond said: “Between the lights, the music, the ideas, the food and the incredible vibe…Vivid Sydney has once again delivered a spectacular event for visitors and locals of all ages, with the big winners being local tourism and hospitality operators.”
“The bright lights of Vivid Sydney have showcased first-class hospitality, creativity and our beloved Sydney CBD and Harbour icons to audiences across the globe, demonstrating the value and huge potential of this event and the need to continue investing in world class events.”
Vivid Sydney 2024 Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying the Fire Kitchen at The Goods Line during Vivid 2024. It's back and blazing brighter than ever. Vivid Fire Kitchen returns, igniting its new home at The Goods Line with flame-seared street food from around the globe. Come and enjoy the universal language of BBQ, the best NSW produce and the diversity of Sydney's food scene as we gather round the fire once again.
#feelnewsydney #vividsydney
Vivid Sydney 2024 Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying the Fire Kitchen at The Goods Line during Vivid 2024. It's back and blazing brighter than ever. Vivid Fire Kitchen returns, igniting its new home at The Goods Line with flame-seared street food from around the globe. Come and enjoy the universal language of BBQ, the best NSW produce and the diversity of Sydney's food scene as we gather round the fire once again.
Accommodation Australia’s Michael Johnson said: “Once again, the juggernaut that is Vivid Sydney illuminated the city, shining a light on the beauty and culture of the city.
“Over the course of the event, hotels in the CBD enjoyed 75 per cent occupancy with bookings reaching as high as 90 per cent on weekends. There is no denying major events such as Vivid Sydney, that have the capacity to draw a high level of overnight visitation in the middle of winter, create an incredible boost for the city’s visitor economy.”
Vivid Sydney is owned, managed and produced by Destination NSW, the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency.
For more information and to submit an Expression of Interest for Vivid Sydney 2025, go to www.vividsydney.com