The curtain has closed on Vivid Sydney 2024, after an incredible 23 days and nights of Light, Music, Food and Ideas. The lights went out at at 11pm on Saturday across Vivid Sydney’s festival footprint which has transformed Sydney’s glittering harbour, iconic landmarks and cityscape into a showcase of creativity and innovation for the last three weeks.
The festival featured the world’s most innovative artists, culinary talent, contemporary musicians and thought leaders as part of its 2024 program under the theme of ‘Humanity’.
“It was incredible to watch Sydney’s living legacy once again come alive as locals and visitors from around the country – and the world – took part in Australia’s largest event,” said Destination NSW CEO Steve Cox. “The 23-day festival has energised the city with a vibrant program exceeding expectations. Both Sydneysiders and visitors enjoyed the thriving night-time economy and a showcase of Sydney’s finest talent across creative, entertainment, and hospitality industries”.
“Preliminary figures confirm Vivid Sydney’s enduring popularity, captivating audiences and sharing exceptional talent. From the diverse Vivid Music program featuring over 80 events to the popular Vivid Fire Kitchen, the festival presented a multi-faceted experience for everyone to enjoy”.
“Vivid Sydney has once again inspired and entertained locals and visitors alike, showcasing the world’s best creativity, innovation and technology across our Harbour City,” said Vivid Sydney festival director, and curator of Vivid Light and Vivid Food, Gill Minervini. “There’s so much of this year’s festival that was a highlight for me. Seeing Reg Mombassa’s band Dog Trumpet perform in front of Gumscape with Road and Creatures at Customs House forecourt was truly spectacular. A great spot for a performance and an awesome audience, this is something I have dreamed of doing for a long time”.
“The sheer energy of Vivid Sydney 2024 was incredible and I’m so proud of the program. Vivid Music at Machine Hall was a highlight, from international headliners Underscores and Deerhoof packing Machine Hall to special events like Club 4A and Grand Silky Ball taking the venue to new heights, this year’s festival has been a celebration of creativity,” said Vivid music curator, Julian Ramundi. “There have been so many highlights this year; from the rapturous messages from those who participated in A THOUSAND WAYS at the State Library of NSW to the hilarious Window Dressing on The Goods Line to the energy and education of the Sex Work walking tour, this year’s program has radically changed the way ideas are communicated with creativity and imagination at the forefront,” said Vivid ideas and special events curator, Rachel Healy.
Highlights of the three-week festival included:
Vivid Light
Thirty light installations and 3D projections completed this year’s 8km Vivid Sydney Light Walk, highlighted by the Sydney Opera House, featuring the breathtaking new digital artwork, Lighting of the Sails: Echo (2024) by multidisciplinary Australian artist and 2023 Archibald Prize Winner Julia Gutman, with creative technologists Pleasant Company.
Reg Mombassa reimagined the classic Aussie road trip on Customs House for Gumscape with Road and Creatures, and festival goers stepped into a canopy thick with countless LED ropes in the technicolour, immersive installation Connection by New Zealand artist, Angus Muir.
Dark Spectrum: A New Journey returned to the Wynyard Tunnels, the internationally acclaimed multi-sensory experience of light, colour and sound, Lightscape, returned to The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney.
Festival goers also witnessed a 40km stretch of rainbow lasers emanating from the Sydney Tower, a universal symbol of hope by US artist Yvette Mattern titled Global Rainbow.
Vivid Music
One of the hottest festival tickets, Tekno Train by Paul Mac, became a sell-out, one-of-a-kind interactive experience that transformed a Sydney Trains ride into a moving, sensory sound and light experience, while the reimagined 100-year-old substation Machine Hall pulsated with performances from Deerhoof, Jen Cloher, CLUB4A, No Fixed Address and more.
Tumbalong Park in Darling Harbour also became the Vivid Sydney go-to for free and contemporary music right in the heart of the Light Walk for Tumbalong Nights. The 12-night line-up featured artists such as Sneaky Sound System, Forest Claudette, Teenage Jones, tiffi, Budjerah, grentperez, and more, plus DJs and kids programming on Saturday nights, all free of charge.
Diverse and multi-sensory experiences were on offer at Carriageworks, with an electrifying line-up including Electric Fields, Yves Tumor, Yasiin Bey and many more.
Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House featured Australian and international artists, including Arca, Air, Underworld, Fever Ray, Devonte Hynes, Snoh Alegra, Sky Ferreira, Thelma Plum and many more, who took to the stages of the world-famous building in a program curated by Sydney Opera House’s Head of Contemporary Music Ben Marshall.
Vivid Ideas
One of the fastest-selling events on the 2024 program, Golden Globe® and Emmy Award® winning actress and comedian Amy Poehler headlined Vivid Ideas for a special and unmissable In Conversation event at Sydney Opera House, which included a special first look at Disney and Pixar’s Inside Out 2.
Another Vivid Ideas sell-out, Sex Work: A legal and social history, offered an immersive look into the sex industry of Kings Cross and Darlinghurst, while the Golden Age of Humanity showcased nine films over nine nights curated by nine great Australians, including Amar Singh, Saxon Mullins, Kylie Kwong AM, Kate McClymont AM, Craig Foster AM, and more.
A THOUSAND WAYS: An Encounter, Window Dressing and Shifting Perspectives offered immersive moments to connect with both strangers and ourselves, while Tony Gustavsson, head coach of the CommBank Matildas, and CommBank Matildas goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold shared an insightful conversation – Champions of Change – facilitated by Matildas alumni and now journalist Grace Gill at Sydney Town Hall.
Vivid Food
One of Vivid Food’s most hotly anticipated dining experiences, Vivid Residence, returned within Kiln restaurant at Ace Hotel Sydney with Latin America’s best female chef, Manoella ‘Manu’ Buffara, Vivid Chef Series returned to hatted restaurants Fred’s, AALIA, The Porter House, Firedoor and The Charles Brasserie & Bar for unmissable foodie collaborations with Michelin-starred chefs including Max Coen, Ivan Brehm, Selassie Atadika, Niklas Ekstedt and Sally Abé.
Vivid Fire Kitchen was a fan favourite among festival goers, popular for its delectable offerings at its new location on The Goods Line, which included an illuminated full-scale Messina Milk Bar pop-up with a menu of gelato-infused chocolate bars, dixie cups, tailor-made milkshakes and spiders.
Our Shared Humanity presented a series of exclusive dinners at Refettorio OzHarvest with the state’s best chefs, including Christine Manfield, Darren Robertson, Mitch Orr and more, plating up their unique take on a three-course vegetarian menu, made using rescued NSW produce.
VIVID SYDNEY PARTNERS
- Kia returned as a major partner for a third year, presenting two visually immersive activations on the Vivid Sydney Light Walk – EV9 “Kia Kinetic” at Circular Quay and EV5 “Kia Kaleidoscope” at Darling Harbour.
- Australian Traffic Network (ATN) partnered with Vivid Sydney to deliver the Love is in the Air drone shows.
- Sony Music Entertainment Australia returned for a second year with two ticketed immersive light events, Dark Spectrum: A New Journey, at the Wynyard Tunnels with Mandylights and Culture Creative, and Lightscape at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, in collaboration with Culture Creative.
- Samsung also came onboard as a Major Partner of Vivid Sydney 2024, to present Chorus of Light, an immersive activation on the Vivid Sydney Light Walk, designed to tap into our desire for connection through the enablement of barrier-free communication, inspired by Samsung Galaxy AI technology.
- Airbnb as the inaugural Vivid Sydney Community Partner, supporting the Vivid Sydney Volunteer Program.
- Official partner Sennheiser presented the Sennheiser Mirrorbox, an audio experience merging AI analysis, sound design and visual elements to explore the relationship between sound and human identity.
- Estee Lauder partnered with Vivid Sydney as an Official Partner, with an activation during the festival with Beauty Sleep, integrating elements of beauty and science.
- Supporting Partners included City of Sydney and Nova 96.9.
- Supplier partners included Cinewav, Event Engineering, Mandylights, Technical Direction Company, Transdev and Kennards Hire.
- Returning for the second year, the Local Business Program Partner was Experience Oz Australia.
- Vivid Sydney program partners included Carriageworks, Disney, Museum of Contemporary Art and Sydney Opera House.
- The Vivid Sydney 2024 Charity Partner was Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), which translates to Doctors Without Borders.
- Vivid Sydney locations included Barangaroo, Darling Harbour, The Rocks, Barangaroo House, Golden Age Cinema, Machine Hall, University of Technology Sydney, State Library of New South Wales, North Sydney Council and Walsh Bay Arts Precinct.
