A first-timers guide to Vivid Sydney
23 May – 14 June 2025
Discover Sydney transformed into a dreamscape city of surreal experiences and fascinating events.
Every year, Vivid Sydney, the Southern Hemisphere’s largest festival of Light, Music, Ideas and Food, transforms the city into a vibrant hub of creativity, imagination and technology.
Over 23 nights, Sydney is reimagined through boundary-pushing installations, world-class performances, thought-provoking talks, and exclusive dining experiences. In 2025, the festival theme of ‘Dream’ invites you to step into a world of possibility, wonder and inspiration.
Whether it’s your first time at Vivid Sydney or you need a refresher, here’s everything you need to know to make the most of this brilliant event.
Sydney lights up at 6pm every night
As the sun sets, the city begins to glow. Each night at 6pm sharp, the festival’s light installations and projections come to life, transforming Sydney’s most famous landmarks, including the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, and the city skyline.
Explore Vivid Sydney’s Five Zones
This year, Vivid Sydney unfolds across five immersive zones, each offering its own unique experience of Light, Music, Ideas and Food.
At Circular Quay & The Rocks, Sydney’s most iconic landmarks are transformed. At Barangaroo, storytelling and technology collide. At Darling Harbour, Vivid Sydney transforms the waterfront into a surreal dreamscape of interactive art and music. At The Goods Line & Inner City, Sydney’s creative scene takes centre stage. For the first time since 2018, Vivid Sydney lights up Martin Place & the CBD, transforming the city’s heart.
Vivid Light
The Vivid Sydney Light Walk is a free stretch dotted with all the festival’s Light installations and projections. Explore a section of the light walk in each of the festival zones – Circular Quay & The Rocks, Barangaroo, Darling Harbour, The Goods Line & Inner City and Martin Place & the CBD.
When visiting a zone, make sure to wear comfortable shoes and pack your camera – or make space on your phone to capture some stunning shots.
Top tip: make a night of it at each zone – pack in dazzling art, great food and a gig, talk or performance – before venturing to your next stop.
Vivid Sydney is so much more than a light festival
Let music move you
The Vivid Music program offers a diverse range of exclusive concerts, free gigs and a late-night Supper Club. There’s something to get everyone moving.
Vivid Sydney hosts a whole range of free live music events for all ages and tastes at Tumbalong Nights at the Tumbalong Park Stage at Darling Harbour.
The Vivid LIVE program at the Sydney Opera House and Carriageworks is a great place to start if you’re looking for global and local music icons. With multiple stages, there is always someone incredible to see plus, when taking in a Vivid LIVE show, you can also enjoy the stunning projections on the Sydney Opera House sails beforehand.
Hungry for more
Food lovers will find Vivid Food bigger and bolder than ever. From flame-cooked street food at the sensory explosion that is Vivid Fire Kitchen, to cinematic dining adventures at Hollywood Dreaming, there’s something for every taste and budget. Nigella Lawson’s exclusive Vivid Sydney Dinners promises an unforgettable fine-dining experience in the immersive Muru Giligu Tunnel, while the Native Food Experience at NSW Parliament House blends First Nations ingredients with contemporary cuisine.
Getting about
With road closures and limited parking, the best way to explore Vivid Sydney is by public transport. Trains, buses, ferries, metro and light rail make it easy to travel to and between festival zones. The ferry offers stunning views of the city’s glowing skyline, while train stations like Circular Quay, Wynyard, Town Hall and Martin Place and Metro stops like Barangaroo, Martin Place, Gadigal and Central put you right in the action.
Vivid Sydney is for everyone
Vivid Sydney is for everyone – including the little ones! If you’re visiting with children, we recommend getting here early to beat the crowds, and consider visiting earlier in the week as the Light Walk can get very busy on the weekends.
There are also free ID wristbands available at Vivid Sydney Information Booths, which are helpful should your child get lost. You can also download a printable map of Vivid Sydney to keep at hand so you can find your closest information point or plan a meeting spot should your group get split up.
Vivid Sydney
