Vivid festival returns with the longest continuous light walk in Vivid history, a world premiere of ‘The Gospel According To Marcia’, plus the first ever Vivid Sydney Dinner.
Vivid Sydney 2022 is all set to illuminate our city this Autumn. With more than 200+ events celebrating the essence of Sydney’s soul including its diversity, beauty and resilience, we thought it’d be a good idea to line up our top Vivid picks.
Staged over 23 nights, the festival kicks off with an unmissable festival first, a moving Welcome to Country ceremony celebrating the Gadigal people, country and culture – First Light. The powerful opener features an especially commissioned dance piece by NAISDA unfolding into the customary Lighting of the Sails.
Vivid Light
This year, the sails will provide the canvas for the stunning Martumili collective painting Yarrkalpa – Hunting Ground, Parnngurr Area 2013. Extending the Martu Artists’ stories beyond the walls of a gallery, the animated artwork will celebrate the Martu’s intimate knowledge of the land representing an intimate connection with country, as well as abstracted ancestral stories.
Also set to be an audience favourite this year is the show-stopping Sydney Infinity by Oracle Liquid. The epic water sculpture featuring dynamic jets, 12 x 80m high water shooters and dramatic lighting will dance over the waters of Cockle Bay in Darling Harbour.
Also on water, Walsh Bay will come to life with a 100m floating Light Walk incorporating the large-scale artwork Ephemeral Oceanic by Sydney’s own Atelier Sisu. Visitors are invited to walk under more than 200 giant, bubble-like spheres hovering eight metres in the air!
Ode’s to Sydney also include Michaela Gleave’s large-scale illuminated works which will see the phrase ‘Endless Love’ arching over Circular Quay in what is sure to be a ‘gram fave.
Vivid Dinner
What kind of Eat, Drink, Play list would this be if we didn’t take a sec to shout about Vivid Sydney’s first dinner event!? Great food, talks, music, wine and light collide at this celebration of all things Sydney. Join host Justine Clarke at Merivale’s Ivy Ballroom, transformed into an effervescent feast for the senses on Saturday 4 June. As well as a NSW themed feast designed by chefs Dan Hong (Mr Wong, Ms. G’s) and Mike Eggert (Totti’s), the evening will showcase a bespoke lighting experience, live music and art installations from local artists.
Vivid Music
This year’s Vivid music showcase takes a deep dive into Sydney’s diverse and dynamic music communities. In a Vivid Music exclusive, 2022 will see legendary Australian music icon Marcia Hines will perform a world premiere show of The Gospel according to Marcia. The 2 night show will be set to the backdrop of St Stephen’s Uniting Church and will see Marcia joined by a 12-piece band and choir set against atmospheric lighting, celebrating the sounds of her gospel roots.
Vivid Festival 2022 runs from 27 May – 18 June 2022. To view the full line up and start planning your visit, head to the Vivid Sydney website.
Can’t wait till May for a slice of the action? Check out our Best Things To Do In March!