Enjoy the colours of the rainbow at Vivid Sydney

For the first two weeks of June, the city of Sydney will be awash in vibrant colours and music. The Vivid Sydney festival officially began on the 24th of May with the first lights being turned on by Premier Gladys Berejiklian. It is the largest event in the Southern Hemisphere that caters to music, light and ideas.

Tourists from all over come to see the beautiful pieces of art that look magnificent against the night sky. This year, artwork includes installation art, paintings being projected on the facades of old houses, and a giant turquoise peacock that people can’t wait to take pictures with. They can be seen everywhere- from zoos, to harbours, to amusement parks. There are more than 50 projects created by more than a 100 artists and collaborators from 17 countries. They will be seen across eight Sydney precincts including Barangaroo, Chatswood, Circular Quay, The Rocks, Darling Harbour, Luna Park, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney and Taronga Zoo. 

According to Ms Berejiklian and Minister for Tourism Stuart Ayres, the festival is more than just a showcase for breathtaking light installations- it is also the source of great tourist revenue. “Vivid Sydney is an incredibly important event drawing millions of visitors to the city in May and June each year, many of whom have gone on to explore regional NSW as well,” Ms Berejiklian. Ayres believes that the benefits of Vivid Sydney are significant for the local economy and jobs. “Last year Vivid Sydney, with 2.25 million attendees across the 23 days, we saw a record 185,887 travel packages sold to domestic and international visitors which was a 37 per cent increase on 2017,” Mr Ayres said.   

The event kicked off at 6pm on the 24th of May with LA-base artist Andrew Thomas Huang’s Lighting of the Sails which featured a hypnotic tribute to Australia’s native plants.