Vivid Sydney 2025: A Festival Reimagined, Inviting You to Dream

Vivid Sydney 2025 Program Unveiled

For full program details and ticket purchases, visit www.vividsydney.com.

A Transformative Festival Experience

• Five interconnected zones spanning Light, Music, Ideas, and Food
• Over 75% of events and 100% of Vivid Light Walk free to enjoy
• Nigella Lawson curates three exclusive Vivid Sydney Dinner events at Muru Giligu, Martin Place
• TIME Magazine’s Creative Director and Stranger Things: The Experience confirmed for Vivid Ideas
• Martin Place rejoins the festival for the first time since 2018
• Vivid Music expands with new venues, including City Recital Hall and Metro Theatre
• Eight buildings and landmarks illuminated for the first time

Australia’s largest cultural festival will once again transform Sydney from Friday, 23 May to Saturday, 14 June 2025. Under the theme ‘Dream’, Vivid Sydney will explore the question: What’s in a dream?

A Redesigned Festival Footprint

Celebrating its 15th year, Vivid Sydney introduces a reimagined layout with five key zones:

• Circular Quay & The Rocks
• Barangaroo
• Martin Place & CBD (returning for the first time since 2018)
• Darling Harbour
• The Goods Line & Inner City

Each zone will feature a dynamic blend of Light, Music, Ideas, and Food, ensuring an immersive festival experience across the city.

A Winter Celebration of Creativity and Innovation

Highlighting Sydney’s vibrant cultural scene, Vivid Sydney will collaborate with Sydney Writers’ Festival, Sydney Film Festival, and esteemed institutions such as the Art Gallery of NSW, Australian Museum, Bangarra Dance Theatre, City Recital Hall, State Library of NSW, and Sydney Theatre Company.

Minister for Jobs and Tourism, Minister for the Arts, and Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy, John Graham, stated:

“Vivid Sydney continues to innovate, bringing color, creativity, and excitement to the city. This year, we’re expanding the number of free events, ensuring that everyone can experience the magic of the festival, regardless of budget.”

Vivid Light: A Visionary Spectacle

Vivid Light 2025 will showcase pioneering animation and projection technologies, including:

• Sydney Opera House: Kiss of Light (2025), a bold tribute to the late Australian visionary David McDiarmid
• Museum of Contemporary Art: King Dingo by Vincent Namatjira
• Customs House: House of Romance by Romance Was Born
• Interactive installations: Voice-activated animations, 3D projections, whimsical swings, and audience-generated art featured on The Rocks’ ASN Co. Building’s Clock Tower
• Expanded Vivid Light Walk: Featuring new illuminations at Museum of Sydney, The Bond (Barangaroo), and Challis House (Martin Place)

Vivid Ideas: Engaging and Inspiring Dialogues

This year’s Vivid Ideas program includes:

• D.W. Pine, Creative Director of TIME Magazine, presenting ‘Where Do Ideas Come From?’
• Professor Matthew Walker, renowned scientist, exploring ‘Why We Sleep’
• Free Firetalk series at Barangaroo Reserve, highlighting First Nations storytelling
• Endling, a major physical theatre production by Legs On The Wall
• Stranger Things: The Experience, an immersive adventure at Luna Park Sydney

Vivid Food: A Culinary Dreamscape

Vivid Food offers a diverse and unforgettable dining experience:

• Nigella Lawson’s Vivid Sydney Dinners at Muru Giligu, Martin Place, featuring NSW produce and immersive light and sound installations
• Vivid Fire Kitchen at The Goods Line, celebrating fire and spice
• Spice Lounge at Maryanne Street, a fireside retreat
• Hollywood Quarter activations, featuring exclusive food and music experiences in Surry Hills

Vivid Music: A Global Celebration of Sound

This year’s lineup includes:

• Tumbalong Nights: A free concert series featuring Winston Surfshirt, Ayesha Madon, Grammy-winner Dobet Gnahoré, and V-Pop stars Mỹ Anh and Chi Xê
• Exclusive performances at Metro Theatre, City Recital Hall, and Oxford Art Factory
• Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House, featuring Anohni and The Johnsons, Beth Gibbons, Sigur Rós with Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and Japanese Breakfast
• Carriageworks performances, including Mall Grab, Ngaiire, and Skegss
• Carriageworks’ Night Market, showcasing Sydney’s top culinary talents

Vivid Sydney Partners

• Samsung returns as a Major Partner, presenting a light and water show at Cockle Bay Wharf
• Estée Lauder and Ausgrid continue their partnership, powering Tumbalong Nights
• Airbnb remains the festival’s Community Partner, supporting the volunteer program
• Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation is the official Charity Partner for 2025

Tickets on sale now! For the full event schedule, visit www.vividsydney.com.

Victoria launches gig fund and festivals grants to support challenging live music sector

By Ian Rogers

As live music venues and festival organisers adapt to rising costs and lower spending on alcohol than previous generations, the Victorian Government has announced a $3.9 million funding package to support the sector and musicians who rely on playing gigs to hone their craft and build fan followings.

The first round of 10,000 Gigs: The Victorian Gig Fund will fund 144 venues across the state to stage paid gigs by local artists, while the Live Music Festivals Fund will see 22 festivals receive grants of up to $50,000 to help them stage new or existing events.

Live music venues awarded grants include iconic Melbourne venues such as The Tote, The Jazzlab, Mamma Chen’s and Laundry, with regional venues like Ballarat’s Volta, Barwon Heads Hotel and Theatre Royal in Castlemaine all part of the mix, along with suburban venues like District 14 in Narre Warren.

Festival recipients include fan favourites Port Fairy Folk Festival, Queenscliff Music Festival and Riverboats Festival, alongside the return of Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues, and new events including GROUNDED to be held at Dookie Quarry, and Yass Queens Park, a queer-focused festival in Moonee Ponds.

Also part of the package, $1 million of Music Works grants will support 92 music projects involving 600 music industry professionals, giving both emerging and established artists the opportunity to take the next step in their careers. Over the past nine years, the program has invested almost $13 million in more than 800 projects.

As part of the package, the GRID Series artist development program is back in Geelong for a second year helping local emerging musicians build and establish their careers, while The Push All Ages Grants will support live music venues, booking agents, artists, promoters and community organisations across Victoria to stage events for all ages.

Multicultural Arts Victoria will present its third iteration of its NEWPRINT program, offering professional development opportunities for artists and creative workers from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

“We’re continuing to back our state’s live music industry at all levels, with funding for festivals and venues to stage great events and live performances, support for established artists and industry workers, and to help emerging musicians get their start in the industry,” says Minister for Creative Industries Colin Brooks.

“While the live music sector continues to face challenges across the country, this investment will help strengthen our local industry – a vital creative sector for our state.”

Music Victoria CEO Simone Schinkel says it would be “hard to be in Victoria and not experience the direct benefits of such an investment”.

“It’s great to see the Victorian Government continuing to champion local musical talent, showcasing original contemporary music from Victoria in live music venues across the state, alongside international acts at festivals, and supporting Victorian artists as they tour nationally and internationally,” Schinkel says.

Everyone is invited to the CONVERGE Open Day

Step into the heart of Lismore’s creative scene at the CONVERGE Open Day on Saturday, 28 September 2024, and meet the artists bringing this vibrant residency space to life!

CONVERGE is a temporary artist-in-residence and professional development program, transforming a prominent vacant space in the CBD into a thriving hub of creativity, community connection, and cultural revival. As part of Lismore’s disaster recovery initiative, CONVERGE aims to reignite the city as a cultural hub, highlighting its unique character and supporting its world-class creative industry.

For the past three months, CONVERGE has breathed new life into the CBD with its burst of colour, textures, and artistic exploration. Now, you’re invited to immerse yourself in this energetic space and connect with local creators during the CONVERGE Studio Open Day.

What to Expect

• Time: 10am to 3pm
• Date: Saturday, 28 September 2024
• Location: 123 Woodlark St, Lismore

Join 11 talented local artists as they open their studios for a behind-the-scenes experience. Meet the makers, explore the creative process, and enjoy live performances, installations, and art in action.

Featured activities include:

• Paul Walker performing Dance and Draw
• Adrienne Kenafake presenting her latest performance piece, fresh from the Cementa Festival
• Chris Lego showcasing his screen-printing skills while spinning tunes
• Matt O’Brien offering a hands-on experience with mud mixing
• Antoinette O’Brien leading a clay play session
• Michelle Gilroy celebrating subtle textures in her work
• Karenza Ebejer sharing her digital dreaming as a filmmaker
• Stefanie Mirkilis creating vibrant mosaics

This Open Day is part of a broader weekend of cultural events, including the much-anticipated reopening of the Lismore Regional Gallery on Friday, 26 September 2024.

About CONVERGE

Located between Woodlark Street and Larkin Lane, CONVERGE sits at the core of Lismore’s “arts block,” nestled alongside the Lismore Regional Gallery, The Quad, Northern Rivers Conservatorium, Elevator ARI, and the brand-new Tinnie Army Mural on Larkin Lane.

This initiative is led by Lismore City Council and funded by the NSW Reconstruction Authority to support the arts sector in its recovery following the devastating floods of 2022.

Support and Celebrate Lismore’s Artistic Community

Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin praised the program, saying, “It’s exciting to see the results of CONVERGE. It’s important to support the artistic community in their flood recovery and watch them flourish again.”

Don’t Miss Out!

Come and be part of this celebration of art, creativity, and community at CONVERGE.

CONVERGE Studio Open Day

• Date: Saturday, 28 September 2024
• Time: 10am to 3pm
• Location: 123 Woodlark St, Lismore

See you there!

NSW Government Introduces Support Package for Music Festivals

By Robert Heyward

The NSW Government has announced a comprehensive relief package to support struggling music festivals, aimed at addressing rising costs and improving the sustainability of the sector. The package follows the government’s commitment to review the Music Festivals Act, which identified the need for a stronger focus on harm reduction, industry sustainability, and more balanced costs for festivals in NSW compared to other states.

As part of the reforms, the government has allocated an initial $3 million for emergency funding assistance to help music festivals navigate financial pressures. Over the next two years, music festivals will benefit from financial aid and broader sector reforms designed to ease the challenges that have contributed to numerous event cancellations in recent years.

In addition, the government will introduce amendments to the Music Festivals Act aimed at improving the regulatory framework for festivals, with changes set to be in place before the upcoming summer festival season. These amendments will prioritise the health and safety of festival-goers while also focusing on the economic sustainability of NSW’s festival scene.

Key Amendments to the Music Festivals Act

• Explicit objectives focused on government support for the festival sector.
• Removal of the ‘subject’ festival designation from the Act.
• Requirement for all festivals to have a Health and Medical Plan, with festivals that have had previous incidents needing to agree on their plan with NSW Health.
• Liquor & Gaming NSW will become the main decision-maker, with advice from NSW Health and NSW Police. The Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority will remain involved in appeals regarding health and medical plans.
• Appeal rights for festivals on costs and conditions, with a cross-government panel established to handle appeals if a festival’s economic viability is under threat.
• NSW Police will continue to have a role in recommending safety and enforcement measures for festivals where necessary.

The government has also introduced a two-year Contemporary Music Festival Viability Fund to enhance the short-term viability of major contemporary music festivals. The fund, established by Sound NSW, will offer up to $500,000 per festival for large-scale events with a capacity of 15,000 or more. This fund will address financial pressures brought on by factors like rising costs, inflation, and currency exchange rates. Applications will be open from September 2024 to June 2026 on a needs basis.

Statements from Key Ministers

John Graham, Minister for Music and the Night-Time Economy, acknowledged the struggles facing the festival sector, stating:
“NSW has had a strong music festival sector, but it has been under intense pressure. We have seen the chickens come home to roost after years of pressure, with major festivals failing. Festivals are an important place for music fans to experience the music they love together and form connections with artists and their community.”

He added, “We made a commitment to review the Music Festivals Act, and now that review is complete, we are introducing these reforms to strengthen our support for these vital live music events.”

Ryan Park, Minister for Health, emphasised the importance of safety, saying:

“We want people to be able to enjoy festivals safely. These reforms will ensure that health and safety become even more of a central focus in event planning. NSW Health continues to work closely with music festivals to implement harm reduction measures, including deploying NSW Ambulance personnel, peer-based harm reduction service providers, private medical providers onsite, as well as running awareness campaigns.”

The NSW Government’s reforms aim to revitalize the music festival sector, making it safer and more economically viable while promoting a thriving live music culture across the state.

Byron Bay Film Festival Celebrates Aussie Surfing History

Surfing, which captivated Australia’s youth in the 1960s, became a cultural movement for teenagers seeking freedom from the restrictive norms of post-war life. This exhilarating lifestyle, centred on the surf culture of the east coast, is captured in You Should Have Been Here Yesterday, a documentary that will be featured at the Byron Bay Film Festival this October.

Directed by Jolyon Hoff, a filmmaker known for his acclaimed work Searching for Michael Peterson, this documentary is a nostalgic journey through the rise of surfing in Australia, drawing from hours of archival footage. Hoff’s creation taps into his Surf Film Archive, featuring 8mm and 16mm reels from the 1960s, including content from legends such as Ma and Pa Bendall, Bob Evans, and Midget Farrelly, among others. The film showcases early surfing legends and pioneers, bringing to life the era when surfing was more a way of life than a sport, and the cultural revolution it inspired.

Padang Padang 1975. Credit Dick Hoole

You Should Have Been Here Yesterday goes beyond celebrating surfing’s thrill. It explores the challenges of female surfers, notably Marjorie ‘Ma’ Bendall, who broke barriers in her 50s. The documentary also dives into the dark side of the surfing era, discussing the influence of drugs and commercialisation on the sport, while highlighting the creative passion that emerged in board-shaping and surf filmmaking.

The film promises a visual feast of historic surfing cinematography, backed by a powerful soundtrack from Headland, an Australian music collective led by Murray Paterson. It is a must-watch for surf enthusiasts and those who appreciate the cultural impact of surfing on Australian society.

Also featured at the festival is Aquarius, directed by Byron Bay filmmaker Wendy Champagne. The documentary explores the 1973 Aquarius Festival, which helped transform Nimbin into a vibrant community known for its activism and counterculture, mirroring the surf culture’s spirit of rebellion and free thinking.

Both films highlight the Northern Rivers region’s historical role in shaping alternative lifestyles and thinking, making the 18th Byron Bay Film Festival a celebration of surf culture, activism, and the region’s unique place in Australian history. The festival runs from October 18-27 at Byron Palace Cinemas and other venues.

For more details, visit here.