Back With A Bang! Vivid Sydney 2022: Guide

Time to get lit! Sydney’s favourite winter festival has finally kicked off on May 27th after two long years and the city can’t keep quiet about it! The festival’s return has been in the making for a couple of months now and is showing every sign of making up for its lost time. The opening weekend kicked off with a bang and even if you missed it, you can get a glimpse of it on the Light Walk. Now as the festival approaches its third weekend, let’s take a look at some of the much-awaited events and attractions on the schedule.

Cruise along the Harbour Waters

In a first in the festival history, numerous commercial operators participate in a collective display of lights on Sydney Harbour. Boats, ferries and Vivid Lights Cruises become part of a coordinated display that ripples across the waters, creating stunning aquatic artwork through cutting-edge technologies and 3D projections. The harbour will be teeming with revellers to witness some of the festival’s major draw cards–The Lighting of The Sails, the riveting Harbour Bridge and more. Jump on a catamaran cruise to enjoy a crowd-free dining experience on the waterfront, while getting  a closer look at these harbour spectacles from its three spacious outer decks. Not to mention, you can also enjoy an added perspective of the festival with luminous light reflections that wiggle through the waters.

Late Night Shenanigans

Being a staple in the city’s winter economy, the festival invites more than a million visitors every year and rightfully so, with more than 2003 events on the cards, who’d wanna miss such an extravagant display. When the lights go off at 11pm, the stage at the Vivid Sydney Supper Club lights up! One of the go-to music venues in Sydney, Mary’s Underground, gets transformed into a cosy, exclusive cabaret lounge for eight special nights! Trevor Ashely will be hosting, inviting guests to one of the coolest spots in the town every Friday and Saturday. The perfect place to round off your Vivid night, the event will feature major Australian acts, plus a few surprise acts!

Other POVs of the Festival

When it comes to views and photo ops, the Vivid Harbour Cruise is second to none. But there are also other options other than watching it from the waters. Offering one-of-a-kind angles of the whole city, the Harbour Bridge Pylon is an underrated spot from where you can capture long-exposure shots of the vessels cruising on the harbour. The Bridgeclimb is also an exhilarating alternative. The pros are also on the run to help you get those ‘gram worthy shots in Vivid Sydney Night Photography Course. Embark on the Light Walk with an award-winning photographer by your side, teaching you all the creative techniques and more to capture those exclusive photos of the festival. And if that still ain’t working out for you, take to the skies! On the popular HeliTours, you will get to soar thousands of feet above it all, capturing photos that can hardly be rivalled!

The Spectacular Light Walk

Living in Sydney for some time makes you realise, you are lucky to be surrounded by this many birds! We live in one of the unusual cities where there is plenty of wildlife within the city itself. The Light Walk, unlike the previous years, will be one of the highlights of the event, spanning 8kms long, from the Opera House to the Central Station and The Goods Line. Meander through this mesmerising walk and you will witness the city’s major streets, buildings and public venues transformed into a captivating work of lights and projections, everyday from 6pm to 11pm. The walk will also feature neon birds of exotic species, serving as beacons or ‘wayfinder’ throughout the entire walk!