Summer is officially over, and here in Sydney, the event calendar of the cooler months is dominated by one word: Vivid. The multidisciplinary festival of lights, music, food and ideas will return to the Harbour City for 23 sparkly nights this winter, promising its most creative and boundary-pushing program to date. Reimagined for 2025, the festival will unfold across five immersive zones – Circular Quay and The Rocks, Barangaroo, Darling Harbour, The Goods Line and Inner City, and Martin Place and the CBD – with a massive 75 per cent of the events program (and the entire Light Walk) completely free.
Whether you’re travelling from overseas or interstate, or just a local keen to see what’s new, we’re here to guide you on the best things to see, places to stay and dining experiences to book at Vivid Sydney 2025.
When is Vivid Sydney 2025?
Vivid is set to illuminate Sydney across 23 dazzling nights from Wednesday, May 23 to Wednesday, June 14, 2025.
What to see at Vivid Sydney 2025?
In 2025, Vivid Sydney is bringing us a reimagined program of light, music, ideas and food – all centred around the open-ended theme, ‘dream’. If you’re only in town for one night, the impressive Vivid Light Walk is a must, guiding you past all the biggest and best light projections from Circular Quay to Barangaroo and Darling Harbour. The best part? The Light Walk will be free for everyone to enjoy this year, along with 75 per cent of the festival’s events.
Music lovers can look forward to free live concerts at Tumbalong Park, exclusive gigs at Sydney Opera House and interactive shows at Carriageworks, to name a few. Foodies are in for a treat with the return of the Vivid Fire Kitchen, fancy dinners with the fabulous Nigella Lawson, and feel-good feasts by Australia’s top chefs at Refettorio OzHarvest. Meanwhile, big thinkers can engage in thought-provoking talks and panel discussions featuring the likes of D.W. Pine, the Creative Director of TIME Magazine, who will deliver the keynote ‘Where Do Ideas Come From?’ You can check out the full program here.
When does Vivid start?
The lights switch on at 6pm every night and turn off at 11pm.
When is the Vivid drone show 2025?
Due to safety concerns, the Vivid drone show will not go ahead in 2025. Additionally, popular ticketed experiences, like the Dark Spectrum light journey in the abandoned Wynyard Train tunnels and Lightscape at the Royal Botanic Garden will not be returning this year.
How to get to Vivid Sydney?
With road closures and limited parking in the city, the best way to explore Vivid Sydney is on foot. If you’re not staying within walking distance of the CBD and Circular Quay, you can easily travel to your starting point by train, bus, metro, light rail or ferry. Extra trains and buses will run on weekends, making it even easier for you to get from point A to B.
Where to stay for Vivid Sydney?
If you’re coming to town just for Vivid, you’ll want to stay in the heart of the action. That means booking a hotel or Airbnb anywhere in The Rocks, Circular Quay, Sydney CBD, Barangaroo, Darling Harbour, Walsh Bay or Pyrmont.
For the absolute best views of the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, you can’t go past the Park Hyatt Sydney. It's located right on the Vivid Light Walk, with rooms boasting unbeatable views of the bright city lights and Opera House. Other popular stays with harbour views include the Four Seasons Hotel, Shangri-La Sydney, Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour, W Sydney, Crown Sydney and Pier One Sydney Harbour. If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly option, the YHA Sydney Harbour rooftop offers stunning panoramic harbour views at a fraction of the price.
Where to eat and drink during Vivid?
The “food” pillar of the Vivid program is one of the biggest drawcards. This year, Vivid Fire Kitchen will be complemented by a fun plant-based diner next to a pop-up rollerskate rink in Darling Harbour, a series of dinners with the fabulous Nigella Lawson, a series of feel-good feasts by Australia’s top chefs at Refettorio OzHarvest and a precinct-wide celebration in the Hollywood Quarter (home to some of Sydney’s best restaurants).
Plus, every year, Sydney’s top restaurants and bars impress with Vivid-inspired set menus, colourful desserts, illuminated cocktails and more. While most will unveil their creations closer to the festival, we recommend booking your dinner reservations early if you’re only here for one night. For a truly special experience, The Dining Room by James Viles is putting on a spectacular dream-inspired, multi-course menu ($95), where you can dine with front-row views of Sydney Harbour. If you’re after something more laid-back, head to the rooftop of The Glenmore Hotel for epic harbour views, Hotel Palisade for elevated pub fare, Belles Hot Chicken Barangaroo for a no-fuss feed, or anywhere in Chinatown for affordable Asian bites. You can check out our round-up of the best dining and drinking spots to see the Vivid lights here, and our guide to the best restaurants around Circular Quay here.
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