Vivid Sydney, the largest festival of light, music and ideas in the Southern Hemisphere, celebrates its eleventh anniversary when the lights go on tonight at 6:00 p.m.
Under the Harbour, one of the displays projected on Customs House at Circular Quay © Destination NSW.
The epicentre of the action is at Circular Quay with highlights including a three-kilometre Light Walk that passes light shows projected on two of Sydney’s most iconic landmarks – the Museum of Contemporary Art and Customs House. The sails of the Opera House will also come alive with a display titled Austral Floral Ballet, which comes from Chinese-American artist Andrew Thomas Huang and animation design team Bemo. The Royal Botanic Garden is also set to make its reprise. Just around the corner from the Customs House is the Ocean Sentinels display that highlights the impact of climate change. Through a series of traditional totem poles, this installation focuses on how the Pacific Island nations are under threat from sea level rise due to human-induced climate change and the impacts of ocean plastic pollution.
Close by is a series of interactive installations that include the Regal Peacock, which playfully interacts with its audience through sound, movement and light animations. The Harp of the City display will have visitors producing a symphony of sound and light on the giant public instrument made up of 14 harps. Vivid Sydney’s charity partner this year is the Royal Flying Doctor Service which has mounted a display showing all the services it provides across regional, rural and remote Australia. Samsung Electronics Australia will present a technology-enabled sector in First Fleet Park featuring not one, but two large-scale activations including the Samsung Electric Playground and Samsung Galaxy Studio.
Displays will also be mounted at Luna Park Barangaroo, Darling Harbour, Taronga Zoo and in Chatswood. Click here for a comprehensive guide to all events in the Vivid Festival
