This year, Vivid Sydney, the largest festival in Australia, shattered attendance records with a staggering crowd of over 3.28 million people. This impressive figure reflects a remarkable growth of approximately 30 per cent from the previous year’s attendance of 2.5 million. As a festival that has always been centred on community, Vivid Sydney yet again succeeded in bringing people together.
The recently concluded Vivid festival in Australia was a resounding triumph, showcasing an array of fascinating spectacles across four main categories. The Vivid Light exhibit was particularly stunning, featuring a myriad of dazzling illuminations that wowed audiences both local and foreign. Meanwhile, the Vivid Music and Vivid Ideas sections did not disappoint, providing an eclectic mix of music performances and thought-provoking discussions, respectively. Finally, the newly added Vivid Food category was a welcome addition, treating visitors to a delectable range of gastronomic delights. With borders now fully open to international visitors, the festival was able to enjoy a truly enthusiastic turnout from all corners of the globe.
The preliminary figures demonstrate another successful year for Vivid, with the record participants enjoying light, music, ideas, and food programs over 23 nights. The 13th edition of the Vivid Sydney started on May 26 and ended with much fanfare on June 17, 2023.
Over a period of three weeks, Vivid Sydney accomplished impressive feats, with the festival’s organizers and Destination New South Wales receiving enthusiastic responses to their planned events and activities. As the largest annual event in NSW, Vivid Sydney plays a significant role in contributing to the state’s social and economic growth.
‘Vivid Sydney, Naturally’
The theme for this year’s creative display in Sydney was “Vivid Sydney, Naturally” which focused on the connection to the natural environment. The city’s nightlife was brought to life with a vibrant display of colourful light projections and various events, both free and ticketed.
The city of Sydney was transformed by Vivid Sydney 2023, with over 300 activities that lit up various locations. More than 50 dazzling light installations and 3D projection art were showcased at popular spots like Circular Quay, The Rocks, Barangaroo, Darling Harbour, The Goods Line, Central Station, and iconic landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and the Museum of Contemporary Art.
Vivid Lights
In 2023, Vivid Sydney’s drone shows took a significant leap in number and scale. What began as a single show with 600 drones in 2022 grew into a lineup of six scheduled shows, culminating in a surprise final night show featuring over 1,000 drones. The highlight of the event was undoubtedly the ‘Written in the Stars’ drone show, which drew in a staggering 500,000 viewers across seven performances.
The longest-ever free Vivid Light Walk at 8.5 km with 57 mesmerising light installations and 3D projections from Circular Quay to Central Station was truly a star attraction, with Sydneysiders and visitors gathering in large numbers at evening hours. Light Walk also hosted the works of 100+ light collaborators and 26 international light artists from 13 countries, with street installations re-shaping old sights, surprising projection sites and large-scale immersive experiences.
This year’s Vivid Lights showcased the magnificent lighting on the Sydney Opera House’ sails, titled ‘Life Enlivened’, which featured the renowned late Australian artist John Olsen AO OBE’s work. The projections, which displayed a vibrant array of colours on one of Australia’s most popular attractions, mesmerized tourists and stole the show. The Sydney Harbour Bridge also featured unique illustrations of endangered native Australian birds, adding to the overall charm of the event.
In 2023, Vivid Lights also took over the popular Taronga Zoo with Wild Lights and The Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney with ‘Lightscape’, the world-famous spellbinding 2.1 km experience arriving in Sydney for the first time. Plus, the ‘Dark Spectrum’ debuted at Vivid Sydney at the Wynyard Station’s secret tunnels to the public for a one-off experience unlike anything previously seen at Vivid Sydney.
The Vivid Sydney 2023 drone show ‘Written in the Stars’ featured more than 1,000 drones over seven shows for what was the ‘biggest drone show’ in the Southern Hemisphere to date.
Vivid Food
Vivid Sydney also premiered its first-ever Food program in 2023 with entry points for everyone, from wholesome street food to luxurious high-end dining experiences. Vivid Food was about celebrating those who make the Sydney food scene so special, with a line-up of events all nodding to the natural world.
2023 saw the launch of Vivid Food, which hosted 282 events across 18 Sydney venues, including pop-up restaurants showcasing the city’s wide-ranging culinary culture. Vivid’s Chef Series hosted four internationally renowned chefs in restaurants around Sydney for a unique food experience.
Restaurants, cafes, and bars also enjoyed a surge in patronage during the Vivid festival this year. Last year 701,000 people ate meals across the festival, which is up to 745,000 this year.
Vivid Sydney also delivered strong returns for Harbour City businesses in Cockle Bay, Darling Harbour, King Street Wharf, Barangaroo, Walsh Bay, The Rocks, East Circular Quay, West Circular Quay, and the CBD over the 23 nights.Restaurants across the festival footprint reported 81 per cent of attendees purchasing food and beverages – more diners than any Vivid Sydney festival to date.
Hotels in the Sydney Central Business District (CBD) also reported increased occupancy during the festival, with occupancy rates up 12 per cent overall compared to last year’s festival, lifting occupancy to 78 per cent across the CBD and 90 per cent on Friday and Saturday nights, which is a remarkable achievement.
Vivid Ideas
The Vivid Ideas program brought together exceptional minds and fearless storytellers from around the world to engage in 60 captivating talks and workshops. These sessions explored a range of themes, including community, authenticity, respect, love, and lessons learned from nature. The program offered a variety of immersive and theatrical workshops, audio-visual tours, and talk shows that captured the essence of Vivid Sydney’s natural brilliance.
In addition, the Vivid Ideas Exchange presented more than 20 cutting-edge discussions and thought-provoking workshops this year.
The city of Lyon is a contrast to the mad rush and crowds of Paris, the fashionable French capital. What fashion is to Paris, Gastronomy is to Lyon. Many French masters have left an indelible mark on the city, especially, Paul Bocuse. It was to his credit that Lyon earned the moniker – French Capital of Gastronomy. But then, so as not to limit the city to just its exceptional culinary heritage, there is a lot more to Lyon. A Sunday read…
