Festival of Lights Vivid Sydney 2019

Light Entertainment

We are eagerly counting down the days to Vivid Sydney 2019, when the city becomes a wintry kaleidoscope of light, music and ideas. This year, Vivid is set to run from Friday 24 May to Saturday 15 June. And there is so much to experience. Question is where to start? Here are some of our top picks for 2019:

The Royal Botanic Garden

One of Sydney’s most beautiful green spaces will be transformed into an interactive enchanted forest, complete with dancing grass, river of light and shimmering firefly field. We can’t wait to unlock the mysteries of The Light Portal and enjoy the buzz at Beetopia, a touch-sensitive bee hotel.

And we’ll definitely be testing our voices at I Hear You (But Do You Hear Me?) an installation that looks at (in)equality of speech in the digital era.

Circular Quay

It’s definitely the time to don the winter woollies because it’s set to snow at Hickson Road Reserve during the festival! Let It Snow comprises thousands of LED bulbs that respond to weather and people’s movements.

We’re seriously excited by the prospect of playing with Goo! Where else can you play with great big blobs of the colourful stuff – without getting your hands dirty?!

Sydney Opera House

Sydney Opera House is always a must-see during the festival. This year, the Austral Floral Ballet inspired by Australia’s beautiful native plant life will dance across the famous Sails.

We’ll be on foot to take in the action. The Vivid Light Walk winds around from the Royal Botanic Garden past the Opera House to The Rocks. The 3 km route will be ablaze with colour and light from myriad installations on land and sea.

And the fun is not all limited to the CBD, either.

We fancy an evening at Taronga Zoo, which joins the festival again this year. Lights for the Wild features giant illuminated animal sculptures, including a Sumatran Tiger and her cubs, a Marine Turtle and a gorilla family. Each one provides a vibrant reminder of the zoo’s ongoing commitment to wildlife conservation.

Note: Evening entry fees for Taronga Zoo apply.

Chatswood is also a key destination in Vivid Sydney 2019 with no few than 18 installations. Chatswood Mall will hold a garden of giant Trumpet Flowers where visitors can make their own light and sound, while The Concourse unfolds into a many-feathered bird of paradise.

We’ll be heading to the top of the Mall to Listen to the World via Alexandr Milov’s heart-shaped sculpture, where flower power meets technology.

And let’s not forget that Vivid Sydney is also about music and ideas.

For musos, we reckon Carriageworks is the place to hang out. This trendy Sydney venue will be welcoming indie dance trio RÜFÜS DU SOL for a headline performance (already sold out, alas), as well as FKA twigs. Curve Ball featuring music and visuals, looks like a real winner too. And, of course, legendary band The Cure will be playing five nights at Sydney Opera House.

We’ll be checking into The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia for inspiration from Vivid Ideas Exchange, featuring talks and workshops on pretty much everything, including Unworking – How the Future of Work Will Set Us Free. Do we want to hear a panel of experts discuss what work will look like in Sydney in 2029? Yes, we do.

Vivid Sydney 2019: Light entertainment, and so much more.