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West Australian
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- West Australian
Vivid flips the switch on Sydney in first-night spectacular
The Sydney CBD lit up for the first night of the annual Vivid festival on Friday night. More than three million people are expected to hit the streets over the 23-day event, taking in over 40 installations and projections spread across the Harbour City. This year's theme is Dream – a vision of light, harmony and a future in balance. 'In 2025, Vivid Sydney invites you to dream big,' the official website reads. 'To go to the outer reaches of your mind, to think differently, without boundaries or preconceptions and to immerse yourself in new experiences and ideas. 'We want you to dream with the lights on, to daydream, to dream without boundaries, to soar.' Celebrations kicked off on Friday evening by First Light, a special welcome ceremony featuring Indigenous Australian dancers from NAISDA. Dancers in traditional wear, illuminated by bursts of fire and colourful lighting, brought Campbells Cove at The Rocks to life, followed by a free concert celebrating First Nations pride. Hosted by rapper Ziggy Ramo, visitors were invited to celebrate the next generation of Indigenous artists such as DJ Rona, Kaiit and Jeremy Whiskey in a one-night-only music extravaganza. One of Vivid's most highly-anticipated centrepieces is the lighting of the Opera House Sails. This year, it will display the works of David McDiarmid in Lighting of the Sails: Kiss of Light on the 30th anniversary of the artists death. The projections will act as a 'rallying cry for equality, inclusion and freedom', the festival organisers said, through a colourful and quirky lens – including slides of moving tiled shapes, rainbows and a green eyeball. Circular Quay is not the only spot to get in on the action. The festival will be split into five zones, including The Rocks, Barangaroo, Darling Harbour, The Goods Line and inner city and, for the first time since 2018, Martin Place. Things look a little different this year with Vivid deciding to scrap its drone show and make its famous light walk free. Destination NSW confirmed the decision to scrap the drone show, which has been part of the festival since 2021, in March citing safety concerns. It was thought the spectacle would bring in too many people and create dangerous conditions after crows were stuck in a bottleneck while trying to leave the western side of Circular Quay last year. Meanwhile, the light walk – which previously set festival-goers back $30 – will now be free as this year's festival aims to be as 'budget-friendly' as possible. 'We are all feeling the pinch in terms of the economy and cost-of-living crisis,' Festival director Gill Minervini said. 'I really wanted Vivid to respond to that. My job as director is to renovate and refresh the festival every year. 'We want audiences to come back time after time, and not think, 'Oh, it's the same old Vivid'. We want to keep everyone guessing.'
Perth Now
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Vivid lights up Sydney in epic colour show
The Sydney CBD lit up for the first night of the annual Vivid festival on Friday night. More than three million people are expected to hit the streets over the 23-day event, taking in over 40 installations and projections spread across the Harbour City. This year's theme is Dream – a vision of light, harmony and a future in balance. 'In 2025, Vivid Sydney invites you to dream big,' the official website reads. 'To go to the outer reaches of your mind, to think differently, without boundaries or preconceptions and to immerse yourself in new experiences and ideas. Indigenous performers at the Countdown til light up, the opening night of Vivid Sydney. NewsWire / John Appleyard Credit: News Corp Australia 'We want you to dream with the lights on, to daydream, to dream without boundaries, to soar.' Celebrations kicked off on Friday evening by First Light, a special welcome ceremony featuring Indigenous Australian dancers from NAISDA. Dancers in traditional wear, illuminated by bursts of fire and colourful lighting, brought Campbells Cove at The Rocks to life, followed by a free concert celebrating First Nations pride. Celebrations were kicked off on Friday evening by First Light, a special welcome ceremony featuring Indigenous Australian dancers from NAISDA. NewsWire / John Appleyard Credit: News Corp Australia Hosted by rapper Ziggy Ramo, visitors were invited to celebrate the next generation of Indigenous artists such as DJ Rona, Kaiit and Jeremy Whiskey in a one-night-only music extravaganza. One of Vivid's most highly-anticipated centrepieces is the lighting of the Opera House Sails. This year, it will display the works of David McDiarmid in Lighting of the Sails: Kiss of Light on the 30th anniversary of the artists death. The projections will act as a 'rallying cry for equality, inclusion and freedom', the festival organisers said, through a colourful and quirky lens – including slides of moving tiled shapes, rainbows and a green eyeball. The sails of the Sydney Opera House will be lit up with the works of David McDiarmid as a 'rallying cry for equality, inclusion and freedom'. NewsWire / John Appleyard Credit: News Corp Australia Circular Quay is not the only spot to get in on the action. The festival will be split into five zones, including The Rocks, Barangaroo, Darling Harbour, The Goods Line and inner city and, for the first time since 2018, Martin Place. Things look a little different this year with Vivid deciding to scrap its drone show and make its famous light walk free. The festival will be split into five zones, including The Rocks, Barangaroo, Darling Harbour, The Goods Line and inner city and, for the first time since 2018, Martin Place. NewsWire / John Appleyard Credit: News Corp Australia Destination NSW confirmed the decision to scrap the drone show, which has been part of the festival since 2021, in March citing safety concerns. It was thought the spectacle would bring in too many people and create dangerous conditions after crows were stuck in a bottleneck while trying to leave the western side of Circular Quay last year. Meanwhile, the light walk – which previously set festival-goers back $30 – will now be free as this year's festival aims to be as 'budget-friendly' as possible. Lights across Circular Quay with small crowds on the opening night of Vivid Sydney. NewsWire / John Appleyard Credit: News Corp Australia Crowds look out to the Opera House. NewsWire / John Appleyard Credit: News Corp Australia 'We are all feeling the pinch in terms of the economy and cost-of-living crisis,' Festival director Gill Minervini said. 'I really wanted Vivid to respond to that. My job as director is to renovate and refresh the festival every year. 'We want audiences to come back time after time, and not think, 'Oh, it's the same old Vivid'. We want to keep everyone guessing.'
News.com.au
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Vivid flips the switch on Sydney in first-night spectacular
The Sydney CBD lit up for the first night of the annual Vivid festival on Friday night. More than three million people are expected to hit the streets over the 23-day event, taking in over 40 installations and projections spread across the Harbour City. This year's theme is Dream – a vision of light, harmony and a future in balance. 'In 2025, Vivid Sydney invites you to dream big,' the official website reads. 'To go to the outer reaches of your mind, to think differently, without boundaries or preconceptions and to immerse yourself in new experiences and ideas. 'We want you to dream with the lights on, to daydream, to dream without boundaries, to soar.' Celebrations kicked off on Friday evening by First Light, a special welcome ceremony featuring Indigenous Australian dancers from NAISDA. Dancers in traditional wear, illuminated by bursts of fire and colourful lighting, brought Campbells Cove at The Rocks to life, followed by a free concert celebrating First Nations pride. Hosted by rapper Ziggy Ramo, visitors were invited to celebrate the next generation of Indigenous artists such as DJ Rona, Kaiit and Jeremy Whiskey in a one-night-only music extravaganza. One of Vivid's most highly-anticipated centrepieces is the lighting of the Opera House Sails. This year, it will display the works of David McDiarmid in Lighting of the Sails: Kiss of Light on the 30th anniversary of the artists death. The projections will act as a 'rallying cry for equality, inclusion and freedom', the festival organisers said, through a colourful and quirky lens – including slides of moving tiled shapes, rainbows and a green eyeball. Circular Quay is not the only spot to get in on the action. The festival will be split into five zones, including The Rocks, Barangaroo, Darling Harbour, The Goods Line and inner city and, for the first time since 2018, Martin Place. Things look a little different this year with Vivid deciding to scrap its drone show and make its famous light walk free. Destination NSW confirmed the decision to scrap the drone show, which has been part of the festival since 2021, in March citing safety concerns. It was thought the spectacle would bring in too many people and create dangerous conditions after crows were stuck in a bottleneck while trying to leave the western side of Circular Quay last year. Meanwhile, the light walk – which previously set festival-goers back $30 – will now be free as this year's festival aims to be as 'budget-friendly' as possible. 'We are all feeling the pinch in terms of the economy and cost-of-living crisis,' Festival director Gill Minervini said. 'I really wanted Vivid to respond to that. My job as director is to renovate and refresh the festival every year. 'We want audiences to come back time after time, and not think, 'Oh, it's the same old Vivid'. We want to keep everyone guessing.'
Korea Herald
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Let There Be Light: Vivid Sydney 2025 Kicks Off
SYDNEY, May 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Harbour City has awakened in colour and creativity tonight as Vivid Sydney 2025, Australia's largest event, has officially begun for its 15 th year. Under this year's theme of Dream, a world class curation of Light, Ideas, Music and Food await festivalgoers over 23 nights, until Saturday, 14 June. This year, the festival comprises over 200 events across five unique zones around the city's CBD, all designed to inspire wonder, expand thinking and give each visitor the opportunity to see Sydney in a new light. Making Vivid Sydney more accessible than ever, over 75 per cent of this year's program is free to enjoy, including the entire Vivid Light Walk, Martin Place also makes a welcome return to the festival footprint after a seven-year absence. This year, the world's biggest names in entertainment, food, and pop culture will feature, including, Martha Stewart, Nigella Lawson, Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally, plus Portishead's Beth Gibbons. Minister for Jobs and Tourism Steve Kamper said, "Sydney is ready to shine! As we mark 15 years, this world-class event continues to showcase the very best destinations and creative talent our city has to offer. "Vivid Sydney continues to grow in scale and impact, drawing millions of visitors and reinforcing Sydney's position as the premier destination in the Asia Pacific. "With over 75 per cent of the program free to attend and the entire Vivid Light Walk open to everyone, it is one of the most accessible events in the country, and this year's program has something for everyone. "It's a festival that unites communities, supports local businesses and boosts our visitor and night-time economies. We can't wait to see the city light up tonight!" Vivid Sydney 2025 kicked off at Overseas Passenger Terminal in Circular Quay for the annual First Light ceremony, featuring performances by NAISDA dancers that honoured Yolngu culture in Arnhem Land. The ceremony culminated at 6pm as Sydney Harbour burst to life with pyrotechnics, projections and installations illuminating the city's world-famous buildings and landmarks followed by First Light Live, a free concert honouring the power and pride of First Nations music.
