Soon, Sydney is about to become a sparkly city on steroids as the Southern Hemisphere's largest multi-platform festival lights up the sky for 23 nights from Friday, May 24 to Saturday, June 15. While Vivid initially began as a light show, over the last few years it’s transformed into so much more, with the introduction of Vivid Food (my personal favourite), a pillar that showcases the best eats and drinks in the city and beyond. Calling all food and wine lovers: today, the first line-up for Vivid Food 2024 has been announced and as expected, it sounds absolutely delicious. Strap in.
Similar to 2023, this year there are three parts to Vivid Food: Vivid Residence, Vivid Chef Series and Vivid Fire Kitchen, which all will tie back to the 2024 festival’s theme of ‘humanity’, highlighting food as a fundamental part of the human experience and how it brings people from all over the world together. Here’s what we know so far.
What you can expect from Vivid Residence
Manoella Buffara, Latin America's Best Female Chef 2022, will be taking over Greek diner Ploós for an exciting two-week residency during Vivid. Renowned for her passion for sustainability and boundary-pushing Brazilian fare, in Sydney, Buffara will be spotlighting the best NSW produce with a Brazilian twist, all surrounded by the dazzling lights of Vivid.
What you can expect from Vivid Chef Series
Vivid Chef Series, which sees top chefs from Sydney’s finest restaurants collaborate with some of the best chefs in the world, is always a fun and yum time. It’s been announced that chefs from the award-winning Fred’s, Aalia, and The Charles Brasserie & Bar will all be hosting Vivid Chef Series and teaming up with Michelin-starred chefs including Max Coen, Sally Abé and Ivan Brehm. You don’t need to ask us twice.
What you can expect from Vivid Fire Kitchen
Last but certainly not least is Vivid Fire Kitchen, which will have a new home this year along Vivid Sydney Light Walk. Come on down and see the world’s most talented chefs and pitmasters cook with roaring flames using the best Aussie produce (and taste the fruits of their labour, of course). Enjoy fire-cooked things like tandoor-cooked numbers, teppanyaki, First Nations dishes, slow-cooked brisket, charred veggies, and satay. Vivid Fire Kitchen will feature Californian-star Shalamar Lane, Aussie culinary legend Christine Manfield, First Nations chef and restaurateur Mindy Woods, Firedoor’s Lennox Hastie, Texas-based Aussie barbecue cook Jess Pryles, Australian hospo gun John McFadden, and the Apollo Group’s Oscar Solomon. You can learn the art of cooking over fire with the live cooking demonstrations and there will be a fleet of food and drink trucks there, too. One thing’s guaranteed: it’s sure to get hot.
Tickets for Vivid Food 2024 are now on sale, and more information will be dropping soon – we'll keep you posted on updates. In the meantime, you can find more information here.
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