VIVID is making a dazzling return to Sydney in 2023 in what organisers have dubbed the “biggest” year of thrilling displays yet!
With incredible projections, sculptures, drone shows, immersive experiences and more taking centre stage across the city, there truly is something for everyone!
Scroll on for everything you need to know about VIVID Sydney 2023…
WATCH NOW: VIVID Sydney 2022 highlights. Article continues after video.
When is VIVID Sydney 2023?
This year, the iconic light festival will run from Friday the 26th of May until Saturday the 17th of June.
The lights will “turn on” the moment the sun goes down.
What are the main attractions at VIVID Sydney?
Light installations are located across the Sydney CBD, specifically the eight-kilometre Vivid Sydney Light Walk which includes Circular Quay, The Rocks, Barangaroo, and Darling Harbour.
Additional attractions are located around Taronga Zoo, Wynyard Station, The Goods Line, and Central Station.
As always, iconic buildings such as the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Museum of Contemporary Art, and Customs House will be lit up.
A nightly water and light show will also return to Darling Harbour, with impressive 80-metre water shooters, flames, projection, and pyrotechnics.
Not to be missed is the biggest drone show in the Southern Hemisphere – Written in the Stars – which will take place for 10 incredible minutes at 9:10pm on the 28th and 31st of May, as well as the 4th, 7th, 12th, and 14th of June.
And for the first time, unused tunnels under Wynyard Station will be opened to the public in an immersive experience called ‘Dark Spectrum’.
Using light to “mimic the human experience,” Dark Spectrum will span across 900 metres, broken into eight rooms, each one representing an element of the lived human experience.
“Diving beneath the surface of what is now one of the city’s busiest railway lines, Dark Spectrum is a truly mesmerising and engaging experience for visitors to explore Sydney in a whole new way,” VIVID Sydney Festival Director Gill Minervini said.
“I am excited we get to shine a light on unknown spaces across the city.”
Does VIVID Sydney cost any money?
Despite sending the NSW Government’s electricity bill through the roof, the vast majority of light displays and installations are free for members of the public to view, walk through and engage with.
Controversially, this year the previously free VIVID installations at the Royal Botanic Gardens will require an entry fee to view.
To walk through the “after-dark oasis of botanical brilliance” at the Royal Botanic Gardens, adults will be charged $40, children under the age of 13 will be charged $28 and families with two kids will be required to pay a steep $128 to enter.
Unfortunately, entry to the Dark Spectrum installation also comes at a cost, prices ranging from $35 to up to $150 for a family pass.
A full list of official ticketed VIVID Sydney events can be found here.
