Vivid Sydney is one of the Australian Festivals that had been long on my bucket list. It's the largest Australian Festival and one of the largest in the world. In my opinion the most exciting festivals I have ever see and I think you you will love it too.

Vivid is a celebration of art, creativity, music and innovation not only with lighting and filming projections but also with highly educational and engaging performances involving local and international artists, as well as various industries and the community alike.

When is Vivid Sydney in 2018

Vivid Sydney is also the world largest outdoor festival of this kind. It takes place every year over (update) three weeks between May and June, with a rich calendar of outdoor performances and events scattered around various areas of Sydney City. It's all about its urban areas transformed and re-interpreted through the eyes of many local and international artists.

So the Vivid Sydney dates for this year are 25th May to 16th June. Three weeks, a week longer than what it used to be.

Where to stay in Sydney during Vivid

If you plan to go to Vivid you should book in advance cause hotels are fully sold out, especially over weekends. During weekdays you may be lucky to find some places to stay, if you decide to visit now. I spent a couple of nights at this hotel in Sydney, close to Harbour Bridge. This the best hotel to stay for vivid Sydney that I can recommend.

I wouldn't stay far from all main vivid spots. A great budget location to stay during the light festival, is the YHA The Rocks, but you will have to book months in advance though.

Booking.com

 Vivid Sydney Tips for first timers

The best way to get to Vivid Sydney is to use public transportation, like flight, train, bus. If you come by car, make sure you arrange your parking space before arriving. Once you are in Sydney, walk, walk and walk. Walking is the way to explore vivid. However while some of the locations vivid locations are concentrated around Circular Quay and the Harbour Bridge and the surrounding areas, if you want to ge to the Darling Harbour you need to walk 25 minutes, so catching the ferry is a good idea. Buses is no-go as most street and roads are closed. If you drive into Sydney, do it early before the light shows starts at night.

Vivid Sydney Photos

I have been to Vivid in 2015, so these photos were takes 3 years ago. It's only a small taste of it, an introduction to the wealth of inspirational performances.

Where to watch the best Vivid Light Shows

If you think you can see Vivid in one day, then think again, because this is not going to happen. With so many festival highlights to see, you will need at least 2 full days. If you can plan 3 days in your trip, that would be ideal.

Circular Quay with the Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House are the main location where the bulk performances take place and one day is not enough to explore this area alone.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge and Circular Quay are the areas I liked most. However I must say that the light projections on the Sydney Opera House were a bit disappointing and far from what you see on the web. The Harbour Bridge is illuminated with various colours along the edges. The main activities take place in the area around the bridge, with varied interactive platforms that can keep you occupied for hours and hours.

I loved strolling along Circular Quay, raising my eyes to the sky and marveling at the bright colours of the illuminated buildings. The effect is stunning because it shows you the majestic of the buildings surrounding you, that you wouldn't take any notice of, with normal day light.

I loved watching a fairy tale or a short film projected in bright colours on the façade of the MOMA (Museum of modern Art).

Hyde Park and St. Martin Place is a Vivid Sydney best spot with live music, food stalls and quirky interactive platforms. You can spend hours browsing through the stalls and checking out the various light panels. Canon Australia was one of the sponsors for Vivid Sydney 2015. There were few stalls with lighting panels where you could take a picture, share it on Twitter and FB and maybe be the lucky winner and be picked for the best Vivid photo!

Vivid Sydney at Darling Harbour

Darling Harbour was, among all top Vivid locations, my favourite, although I am not a big fan of this area. Here Lighting Sydney is at its best. Performances take place on the water while excellent music enliven the scenery. All restaurants and dining venues are packed with a cheerful and unique atmosphere. On a balmy autumn evening it's such a pleasure to stroll around Darling Harbour, sit down for dinner and enjoy the magic going on. The fireworks on the water with the light reflections are the cherry on the cake. All in all a truly beautiful sensorial experience, really worthwhile!

Another idea for experiencing Vivid Sydney, painted in colours at night is to take a Sydney Skywalk on the Sydney Tower and enjoy the view from over 300 meters of height. I did that on the first evening and can recommend it. However you will not be allowed to take your camera when you go on the Skywalk, so be sure you shoot some good photos from inside. This is one of the photos I took from Sydney Tower.

How to organize your Trip to Sydney

With an array of Vivid Events I'm sure you will feel overwhelmed. So to help you with that, just click and head over to the official site for Sydney Light Festival where you can find anything you need to get your trip organized and book yourself into workshops, events. etc.

The best way to visit Sydney during the Vivid Festival is on foot. Or get an Opal Card. You can also go on day-trips by public transport from Sydney to see more of its beautiful surroundings.

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This post was last updated on 21st May 2018.

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