Latest news with #SydneyCBD
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.'
News.com.au
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- News.com.au
Six car bays in Sydney's CBD have sold for millions of dollars
If you thought the cost of real estate in Australia could not get anymore unaffordable, a handful of car bays in Sydney's CBD have just sold for millions of dollars. Located within one of Sydney's most enviable addresses, six car bays at 2 Phillip St went under the hammer for an eye-watering $3.65m. The 85sq m concrete slab is located on the ground floor of The Quay, a 29-storey residential building just 150m from Circular Quay and within walking distance to the Opera House and new Quay Quarter. The prime parking bays costing a soul destroying $600,000 each for 14sq m of space were sold by Collier executives James Cowan and Cameron Colquhoun. The sale price was almost double a previous record for a car spot which sold for $304,700 in Bondi last year. In 2013, the City of Sydney restricted carparking in the city to encourage people to use public transport and reduce congestion. The restrictions led to limited parking and high costs in the city with off street parking costing drivers about $40 an hour.
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Sydney parking space smashes sales record as bidders go crazy for prime location
Six parking spaces in a carpark have sold for a mammoth $3.65million, smashing a previous sale record. The spaces were sold as a single lot underneath the 29-storey building known as The Quay on 2 Phillip Street, in Sydney 's CBD, last week. Each parking space was valued at around $608,000 with five bidders ultimately vying for the 85sq metre block. The most expensive single car space in the Harbour City had previously been set on Notts Avenue, in Bondi, when it sold for $304,7000 in January 2024. The car park fronts onto Circular Quay ferry terminals and the thoroughfare toward the Opera House. A budget of about $600,000 would purchase two-bedroom apartments in some of Australia's other capital cities, including Adelaide or Perth. Colliers advertised the 'premium car spaces' as an 'irreplaceable opportunity'. 'Ideal for nearby office and residential owners, corporate institutions, or savvy investors, this offering presents a rare chance to acquire valuable parking in the tightly held Sydney CBD market,' the listing read. Ninety-two prospective buyers inquired about the property, and 16 inspected the lot. It is understood most interested parties were affluent locals to the nearby Bennelong, Opera Quays and One Circular Quay apartments. Selling agent James Cowan said the bidding war surpassed his expectations. 'Being one of the most undersupplied and tightly held asset classes in the Sydney CBD, we knew competition was going to very high,' he told The spaces were offered with vacant possession and were dubbed the 'holy grail' of city parking by an industry insider.
Daily Telegraph
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Telegraph
Parking in Sydney CBD sells for over $600,000 a space
Sydney, you've got to be kidding. A range of parking spaces in the CBD have sold at auction for higher prices than what most Aussies pay for their homes. The six humble parking spots in the CBD sold for a wallet smashing $608,000 per space – what's understood to be a record price paid per space. The $3.65 million sale for the parking near Circular Quay saw five highrolling bidders go head-to-head for the underground lot at 2 Phillip Street, just metres from the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. For some perspective, a budget of about $600,000 would be enough to secure a fairly substantial apartment in most capital cities. The 85-square-metre lot, part of the luxury Quay residential tower, drew 92 inquiries and 16 inspections. Most inquiring buyers were reported to be cashed-up locals from affluent neighbouring homes like those in the Bennelong Apartments, Opera Quays, and One Circular Quay. Selling agent James Cowan of Colliers said competition for the spaces was expected to be strong, but not anything close to the frenzy it became. 'Being one of the most undersupplied and tightly held asset classes in the Sydney CBD, we knew competition was going to very high,' he said. MORE: Suburbs where homes are selling for huge discounts MORE: Sad demise of Hog's Breath Cafe Aus exposed 'Strong bidding saw the reserve reached by the fourth bid, with more than 30 bids received.' The spaces, offered with vacant possession, are securely tucked beneath the 29-storey The Quay building. They boast direct access to Circular Quay's ferry, train, and light rail network — a location one agent called 'the holy grail of parking. It's understood the priciest individual car space ever sold in Sydney prior to last week changed hands for about $350,000. MORE TO COME
News.com.au
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- News.com.au
Parking in Sydney CBD sells for over $600,000 a space
Sydney, you've got to be kidding. A range of parking spaces in the CBD have sold at auction for higher prices than what most Aussies pay for their homes. The six humble parking spots in the CBD sold for a wallet smashing $608,000 per space – what's understood to be a record price paid per space. The $3.65 million sale for the parking near Circular Quay saw five highrolling bidders go head-to-head for the underground lot at 2 Phillip Street, just metres from the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. For some perspective, a budget of about $600,000 would be enough to secure a fairly substantial apartment in most capital cities. The 85-square-metre lot, part of the luxury Quay residential tower, drew 92 inquiries and 16 inspections. Most inquiring buyers were reported to be cashed-up locals from affluent neighbouring homes like those in the Bennelong Apartments, Opera Quays, and One Circular Quay. Selling agent James Cowan of Colliers said competition for the spaces was expected to be strong, but not anything close to the frenzy it became. 'Being one of the most undersupplied and tightly held asset classes in the Sydney CBD, we knew competition was going to very high,' he said. 'Strong bidding saw the reserve reached by the fourth bid, with more than 30 bids received.' The spaces, offered with vacant possession, are securely tucked beneath the 29-storey The Quay building. They boast direct access to Circular Quay's ferry, train, and light rail network — a location one agent called 'the holy grail of parking. It's understood the priciest individual car space ever sold in Sydney prior to last week changed hands for about $350,000.
