Vivid Sydney 2023: Epic Things to Do to Light Up Your Life

Vivid Sydney 2023: The Biggest Festival Yet

Lights, music, action! Vivid Sydney is back this 2023 and promises be bigger and brighter than ever.

From lights and food to workshops and parties, Vivid Sydney 2023 is gearing up to be the biggest edition yet.

Fun fact: Vivid is not only the largest festival of light in Australia, but the entire world.

And it really is all about the lights here.

From 26 May to 17 June, Sydney's Vivid light projections will transform the city. Plus, there'll be over 300 fun activities to check out.

The only trouble is, where do you begin? Well, we've got you covered.

Here are the absolute best things to do at Vivid Sydney 2023 to light up your life:

The Top Things to Do at Vivid Sydney 2023:

Go on a foodie pilgrimage through the city

For the first time ever, food at Vivid Sydney is getting its fair share of the limelight. And dining is set to be a key pillar of 2023.

Foodies, get prepared to be very, very excited.

There'll be upscale dining experiences and pop-ups helmed by talented chefs.

So without further ado, here are some great Vivid food events to check out:

• Vivid Sydney Dinner

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For the best of Sydney's dining scene, head on over to the Vivid Sydney Dinner at the ivy Ballroom. You can savour a menu featuring seasonal produce curated by Ben Greene and Danielle Alvarez. Plus, there'll be live music to give you good vibes all night long - what's there not to love?

Get your tickets here.

• Yellow x Rishi Naleendra

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In this collab, Rishi Naleendra of two Michelin-starred Cloudstreet will team up with his mentor Brent Savage of the two-hatted Yellow Restaurant for a series of exquisite dinners. Expect an innovative menu representing Vivid Sydney's celebration of nature.

Make a reservation here.

• Vivid Fire Kitchen

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Move aside, Avengers. The only people we'd like to see assemble are the world's best pitmasters at the Vivid Fire Kitchen. BBQ lovers can savour a variety of smoked and grilled delights here as well as fire-inspired cocktails. Best of all, entry is free!

• Carriageworks Presents: The Warakirri Dining Experience

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For a true taste of history and culture, make a beeline for The Warakirri Dining Experience. Chef Sharon Winsor will create a delectable 5-course menu celebrating First Nations ingredients sourced on Gadigal Land. And each course will be paired with a selection of Australian wines.

Make a reservation here.

• Play With Your Dinner

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Whoever says playing with your food is a bad thing? At this one-of-a-kind dinner, food is art. And almost everything is edible too. Try out Chin Chin Sydney's four-course menu that lets you join a "watercolour" painting session, where you'll be creating art (and eating it too).

Make a reservation here.

Catch Written in the Stars, an epic drone show

Go deep into the drone zone at Vivid Sydney 2023, where an epic gathering of drones will illuminate the night sky with a spectacular show at Written in the Stars.

It's one of the most anticipated shows of this year's edition, and Vivid Sydney created a Facebook event just for this, so all you folks can keep in the loop of weather updates or if the shows need to be postponed or cancelled.

Best of all the show will be free. You just need to keep an eye out for the dates below:

• Sunday, 28 May 2023

• Wednesday, 31 May 2023

• Sunday, 4 June 2023

• Wednesday, 7 June 2023

• Monday, 12 June 2023

• Wednesday, 14 June 2023

Admire Lightscape at the Royal Botanic Garden

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Get ready for a kaleidoscopic, multi-sensory experience of light, colour, and sound at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Trees will be illuminated and roots will take on a new light (quite literally). Enjoy all this Botanical brilliance nightly at the festival, from 5.30pm to 10pm from 26 May onwards.

Put on your dancing shoes and groove along to a concert

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Ah, dancing. No festival is quite complete without it and Vivid Sydney 2023 is no exception.

And revellers are spoilt for choice this year.

Festival-goers can catch indie artist Kimbra, and drag star Trevor Ashley's nightcap at the Vivid Sydney Supper Club.

Oh, and don't forget the live music at Tumbalong Nights, featuring Yolngu supergroup Yothu Yindi, Solomon Island rapper Ziggy Ramo, and more!

Marvel at the Sydney Opera House with Lighting of the Sails: Life Enlivened, by John Olsen and Curiious.

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Light installations around the city are the centrepiece of Vivid Sydney. And year, the festival showcases some of the most innovative and breathtaking light shows that you'll ever see.

This year, the iconic Sydney Opera House's iconic sails will be lit up by the works of late artist John Olsen (1928 to 2023).

As far as best viewing spots go, head right on over to the tip of the cruise terminal pier. You can't miss it - it's right near Squire's Landing.

Or you could always set sail on a cruise, which leads us to our next point...

Hop on a harbour cruise for the best Vivid views

Cruising along Sydney Harbour is one of the best ways to enjoy the lights of the festival.

On a cruise, you can see the city's best landmarks, like the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Besides, there's no better way to enjoy the impeccable light installations than from the waterfront. But remember, pick your cruise wisely. Some cruises packages include dinner, drinks and live entertainment, so you should decide which cruise suits you best.

And don't forget to book your cruise in advance as they can sell out quickly during the festival.

Climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge for stunning, panoramic vistas

If you are a sucker for killer views, there's no better way to see the spectacle of Vivid than by giving your calves a good stretch by making your way up and climbing to the top of the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge. After all, what beats soaking in the radiant glow of the city's glittering skyline from 134-metres high, eh?

Check out the Taronga Zoo's slick light installations

Taronga Zoo's Vivid Sydney returns with a brand-new night trail - yay!

Get ready for your breath to be taken away larger-than-life statues of dingos, kangaroos, koalas, emus, and platypuses.

And while you're at it, check out the entire zoo along the trail. One must-visit is the Nura Diya Australia area, a spot that showcases the country's First Nations roots.

Catch First Nations artists at First Light in The Rocks

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What better way to celebrate First Nations culture than with a ceremony at The Rocks?

Catch this special moment of celebration of First Nations peoples with performances by dance groups Muggera and Jannawi Dance Clan, a Haka by Te Aranganui, with musicians sharing their stories, and an ancient chant that will invite residents who now call Australia home to share age-old calls and responses.

Fly high in the sky on a chopper

See Sydney like never before with a breathtaking helicopter tour. Take in the spectacular lights from above.

And witness the dazzling city lights from a bird's eye view, including the iconic Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge.

One thing's for sure, this helicopter-led adventure is a bucket list-worthy experience for locals and visitors alike.

Navigate the abandoned Wynyard tunnels in Dark Spectrum

After last year's success of the Goods Tunnel theming in 2022, festival-goers can expect more of the same this year.

Adventurers, look forward to exploring the magical labyrinthine tunnels of Dark Spectrum. It'll be an electro-themed, sensorial experience held at the abandoned railway tunnels right underneath Wynyard Station - a must-visit if you ask us.

When is Vivid Sydney 2023?

Vivid's 2023 Sydney edition is set to take place from 26 May to 17 June 2023.

What to do at Sydney Vivid 2023?

Well, there's plenty of things to do depending on what you're interested in.

If you're looking to mark some of Vivid's 2023 dates, here are some of the highlights you should look out for on the Vivid schedule:

Music events at Vivid Sydney - Our Picks

Food events at Vivid Sydney - Our Picks

Light events at Vivid Sydney - Our Picks

Where is Vivid Sydney?

The festival will spread its illuminating lights across the iconic city spots.

In particular the areas of The Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, The Royal Botanic Gardens Barangaroo, Darling Harbour, Circular Quay, The Rocks, Darling Square, Darling Quarter, The Goods Line, Taronga Zoo, and Central Station

Is Vivid Sydney free?

Well, yes and no. You have to fork out some dough if you want to attend some of the ticketed events like the Music, Ideas and Food events.

But if you're on a budget, there's the Vivid Light Walk, which is completely free-of-charge.

The will span a record 8.5-kilometres, and will feature stunning works from 114 artists across five countries, with stops at Dark Spectrum, the Lighting of the Sails, and City Gazing Sydney.

Look out for laser installations, animations, stylised birds, and cannons shooting water 80-metres high in the sky at Cockle Bay in Darling Harbour.

When did Vivid Sydney start as a festival?

Vivid began as the brainchild of lighting designer Mary-Anne Kyriakou way back in 2009 as a smart light festival, and it has blossomed to become the mega festival that it is today. Vivid veterans will remember that the first edition was headlined by Brian Eno.