As Vivid Sydney 2025 lights up the Harbour City with its largest and most immersive program yet, some of the world’s biggest brands are stepping into the spotlight, transforming marketing into art, technology into experience and partnerships into pure magic.
From tech giants to TV networks, Vivid has become the canvas for brands to show their most creative side. And this year, under the theme Dream, the ambition is bigger and brighter than ever.
Samsung’s Iridescent Immersion
Returning for its fourth year, Samsung Australia has delivered one of the festival’s most ambitious activations yet: Space to Dream. Situated in Cockle Bay, the installation stretches across land and water, combining iridescent floating structures, dream-like light shows and real-time interactivity powered by Galaxy AI.
At the heart of the experience is the message that technology can give Australians back their time and rekindle their ability to dream. With over half of Gen Z and Millennials feeling too busy for personal passions, Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra and its AI capabilities are positioned as a gateway to creativity and freedom.
“About half of Australians aged under 55 wish they had more time to explore and pursue their dreams. Space to Dream, inspired by our Galaxy S25 series and Galaxy AI2, is more
than just a beautiful display of sound and light. It’s about stepping into a world of possibility,” said Eric Chou, vice president of Mobile eXperience at Samsung Australia. “We want to
encourage Australians to dream bigger than ever before.”
Award-winning film director and artist Chloe de Brito in collaboration with Collider Studio is responsible for the dazzling visuals of this year’s installation: “Weaving together live action,Galaxy AI2, and a CGI approach, we’ve visualised an impressionistic adventure into the dream state, painted uniquely with colour and light. Together with Samsung, we’re shifting Cockle Bay into a pool of moving neon, inviting Australians into the creation of the show,” said de Brito.
“Shaping the music and sound design for Space to Dream was a deeply immersive process,” said Berlin-based, Australian musician Milan Ring, who composed the ethereal soundscape for the installation. “I hope the audience feels transported into the dream world we created, and I’m excited that the piece will be experienced throughout the duration of Vivid Sydney.”
Samsung’s Space to Dream activation marks the brand’s fourth appearance at Vivid Sydney, which has become a must-see for festivalgoers year after year. This year’s immersive installation will be a spectacle like no other, transforming water into art and blurring the lines between reality and illusion.
Brand experience agency, Amplify, has helped bring the installation to life. “We are thrilled to be partnering with Samsung Australia for the second year in a row at Vivid Sydney, this year bringing ‘Space to Dream’ to Cockle Bay,” said Gareth Davies, Amplify managing director.
“An ambitious project since its ideation, Amplify is excited for Vivid Sydney attendees and Samsung consumers to experience the activation’s ethereal blend of immersive content, lights and water, all powered through innovative technology.”
“This installation takes Vivid Sydney’s partnership with Samsung to the next level. The scale and beauty of what we have been able to achieve is phenomenal. With Space to Dream surrounded by free music events and light installations in Tumbalong Park, our Darling Harbour festival zone in 2025 will be one visitors cannot miss,” said Vivid Sydney Festival Director Gill Minervini.
ABC Hits the Right Notes
While not an official Vivid Sydney partner, public broadcaster ABC made a memorable impression with Circular Keys, a giant 15m-long interactive foot piano installed at Circular Quay to promote its heartfelt new show The Piano. Developed by brand activation agency Curious Nation, the activation transformed passers-by into performers—lighting up with every step while dancers and surprise guest Andrea Lam (one of the show’s mentors) delivered unmissable musical moments.
Kia Charges Up the Light Walk
Kia has made a bold statement with the debut of its all-electric EV3, displayed proudly along the Vivid Light Walk. Beyond showcasing automotive innovation, Kia’s presence symbolises a future-forward mindset aligned with the festival’s spirit of progress, creativity and environmental consciousness.
The Kia Portal is a surreal moment where imagination meets bold design and innovation. With this mesmerising installation, the all-electric Kia EV3 takes centre stage—perched on a glowing platform, bathed in synchronised light, colour and motion.
As a sweeping screen glides across this sleek, small SUV, it reveals a magical X-ray vision of the car in action. Lights pulse and animations play, inviting you into a surprising look at the hidden rhythms and mysteries of life on the move. Bold and delightfully surreal, Kia Portal reimagines the connection between machine, design and dream.
Estée Lauder Illuminates Beauty
Now in its second year at Vivid, Estée Lauder’s installation, While You Were Dreaming, merges science, beauty and imagination. The glowing experience reflects the brand’s ongoing strategy to create sensorial connections beyond skincare, tapping into emotion and wonder.
A towering five-metre-high facial sculpture split down the centre explores the transformative power of the night through an unexpected artistic lens.
Renowned Sydney-based multidisciplinary artist Mikka Byarugaba, also known as Mikkapedia, has created a hypnotic audio-visual experience within the sculpture, illuminating the invisible renewal that takes place beneath the surface of our skin while we sleep.
A nod to Estée Lauder’s expertise in nighttime skincare and the brand’s iconic Advanced Night Repair serum, Byarugaba took his inspiration from the space between waking and dreaming; where reality starts to dissolve and imagination takes over.
From powering concerts (Ausgrid at Tumbalong Nights) to inspiring volunteerism (Airbnb) and even championing charity (Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation’s Dream Scene), Vivid’s brand ecosystem is vast and carefully curated.
Whether it’s through floating dreamscapes, giant pianos or glowing facades, Vivid Sydney 2025 proves that when brands show up with purpose, creativity and courage, audiences don’t just engage, they remember.
For 23 nights, Sydney is a dream shared by artists, technologists, marketers and the public. And this year’s brand partnerships remind us that in the right hands, marketing doesn’t interrupt the experience. It becomes the experience.
