Vivid Sydney sees the Emerald City light up and there are so many events to attend during the 23-day festival.
This year, Vivid Sydney combines art, innovation and technology while collaborating with some of the most boundary-pushing artists, thinkers and musicians.
This year’s annual festival will include 3D light projections, cross-art form installations, exhilarating live music and deep-dive discussions. With plenty of events and music to choose from we’ve found some of the highlights.
Troye Sivan
International style icon, singer-songwriter, actor and arts fanatic Troye Sivan will be gracing Vivid Sydney and speaking at a special event.
He brings his interpretation of beauty, creativity, fluidity and queer politics in an intimate conversation with Lillian Ahenkan aka Flex Mami.
Sivan doesn’t shy away from pushing creative boundaries and first rose to fame after collaborating with international superstars Ariana Grande, Charli XCX and Kacey Musgraves, before branching out into leading TV and film roles.
He enjoys creating visual stories and collaborates with designers, digital artists and stylists such as Marc Sebastian Faiella and Jason Ebeyer. He also collects Australian artwork from contemporary artists Tom Polo, Nell and Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran. With an eye for talent he was commissioned to create an installation with Miami Art Week 2021.
When Sivan sits down with Lillian Ahenkan (aka Flex Mami), you’ll find out what motivates and inspires him.
When: May 29
Where: Sydney Town Hall
Price: from $40
Dying Well with Lynette Wallworth
Emmy award-winning virtual-reality filmmaker and artist Lynette Wallworth brings her renowned storytelling skills to talk about end-of-life rituals and how cultural differences reflect our knowledge of what happens at the end of life.
Lynette joins two doctors, Dr Justin Dwyer, one of the leading doctors at St Vincent’s Melbourne’s world-first psilocybin trial for palliative care patients, and Dr Chris Kerr, who is the chief medical officer and CEO at Hospice and Palliative Care in Buffalo, New York.
Both medical professionals have a lot of experience in guiding those who are close to the door of death. Their creative approaches aim to change our relationship with death and offer hope for dying well.
Wallworth has a long history of working with communities that place great emphasis on spirituality, consciousness and end-of-life rituals. Her documentary, Tender, followed the establishment of a community funeral home and she collaborated with the Yawanawa to tell the story of Hushuhu, the first female shaman of the Amazonian tribe to share their medicine, through VR.
When: June 12
Where: The Great Hall, University of Technology
Price: from $25
Vivid Ideas Exchange
Vivid Ideas Exchange is a curated program of talks and seminars, structured networking events, workshops, screenings and immersive experiences.
This year’s line-up includes Mavericks of Stage and Screen with award-winning actress, writer and director Leah Purcell, stand-up comic and Utopia regular Nina Omaya, critically acclaimed playwright Alana Valentine, AACTA award winner and screenwriter of Lambs of God Sarah Lambert, and One the Bear stage-show creator Candy Bowers. The event is being held at the Great Hall at the University of Technology Sydney in Ultimo on June 10 from 6:30-8:30pm with tickets starting at $20.
Vivid Sydney is also holding an Ideas session called Slashies! and the forum is for creative professionals who are pursuing different practices. During Vivid Sydney, freelancers can come and meet speakers, including Lillian Ahenkan, Dr Kate Smith, Travis De Vries and Chika Ikogwe, about how to juggle their careers, navigate the pitfalls and celebrate the benefits.
There are dozens more events being held as part of Vivid Ideas Exchange.
Gretchen Carlson & Lisa Wilkinson
Gretchen Carlson, the New York Times bestselling author, speaker and champion for women’s rights in the workplace, joins journalist and TV presenter Lisa Wilkinson AM to discuss power imbalances and finding the courage to expose misconduct and harassment.
Carlson sued Fox News Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes and paved the way for the #MeToo movement, with her story being told in the movie, Bombshell, and Showtime mini-series The Loudest Voice.
Since her court case, she successfully advocated and introduced new legislation that stops victims from being silenced which led to President Biden signing a new Ending the Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act on March 3, this year.
When: May 29
Where: Sydney Town Hall
Price: from $40
Drink, dine and stay
Where to stay
– Holiday Inn Darling Harbour is offering a two-night stay in a Standard King Room, with fully buffet breakfast daily in Shipleys restaurant, for $365 per person, twin share.
– You can stay at Intercontinental Sydney for two nights in an Eastern Harbour Room, which includes a three-hour Starlight Dinner Cruise with window seating, giving you 360-degree harbour views. Prices start from $655 per room.
What to do
To celebrate Vivid Sydney’s return, the Wildlife Retreat will host specialty wildlife lighting, with Indigenous artists performing in the N’Gurra Lounge and a very special Vivid add-on package which starts at $109 per person. Priced from $496 in a Bushland Room with harbour views.
Where to eat
Teahouse at Crown Sydney has created five Vivid Sydney limited-edition cocktails or you can book an exclusive high tea at TWR Crown Sydney which includes an assortment of savoury and sweet treats with coffee, and a glass of sparkling wine or champagne. Vivid High Tea is available Friday to Sunday during Vivid Sydney.