VIVID Sydney 2022 – what to expect

Vivid Sydney Harbour light show

After the darkness of the past few years, VIVID, the festival of light, is back with a bang this 2022 in Sydney.

From Friday 27 May to Saturday 18 June, there’ll be more than 200 events celebrating the essence of Sydney’s soul including its diversity, beauty, resilience, First Nations culture and vibrant creative community.

Staged over 23 nights, the festival will deliver mesmerising art displays, 3D light projections, uplifting live music performances and deep-dive discussions from the world’s brightest minds. Plus, in a festival first, the renowned Light Walk will stretch continuously for 8km, linking the Sydney Opera House to Central Station, with more than 200 LED sculptural birds guiding the way as part of the Future Natives installation.

Here are some favourites to look forward to:

Vivid Sydney 2022 Sydney lights Customs House

THE VIVID SYDNEY DINNER

Great food, talks, music, wine and light collide at the very first Vivid Sydney Dinner – a celebration of all things Sydney. Join host Justine Clarke at Merivale’s Ivy Ballroom, which will be completely transformed into an effervescent feast for the senses on Saturday 4 June, featuring “love letters to Sydney” from renowned artist Ken Done and journalist/author Julia Baird. 

VIVID LIGHT

Visitors will connect with powerful stories of Sydney’s soul after dark, as more than 50 light installations and projection artworks designed to explore and define the city’s character come to life.

VIVID IDEAS

Vivid Ideas brings together the world’s brightest minds and fearless global storytellers, exploring the forces that shape not only Sydney’s unique society, but all great cities around the world. With more than 85 intriguing talks and workshops on offer, Vivid Ideas explores the forces shaping our society, and starting conversations that continue long after the festival has ended.

Our Connected City

A visual spectacle that seeks to connect the city of Sydney with light, Our Connected City with Crown Sydney, will feature the highest and largest searchlight cluster, with thirty-six beams shining from the rooftop, two-hundred and seventy metres above ground. The work is created by Mandylights, an Australian lighting design firm, that developed the work for all twenty-one buildings across Sydney CBD and Sydney Harbour Bridge.

And there’s plenty more. To get planning, head to the VIVID Sydney website.

Crown Sydney Vivid light beams