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Subscribe Vivid Sydney 2025: Your Guide to the Epic Events Lighting Up Sydney this Winter
When it's cold outside, Vivid is the hottest ticket in town. Here are events not to miss this year.
It may be getting cold outside but Vivid is set to be the hottest ticket in town, lighting up Sydney’s chilly nights with its epic line-up of events.
Running from Friday 32rd May until Saturday 14th June, you can expect hundreds of amazing events embracing this year’s theme: Where Do Ideas Come From? Undoubtedly the best thing to do this winter in Sydney, Vivid is a tribute to our iconic harbour city with events themed around light, music and ideas.
So, grab your winter woolies, pop on your comfiest walking shoes and start mapping out your Vivid Sydney 2025 game plan as we wrap up the very best things to do, see and eat at Vivid this year.
Vivid Sydney 2025 Events: Newly Added
Vivid Chef Series
One of Vivid’s most highly anticipated events, this year’s Vivid Chef Series sees two leading Sydney restaurants and two cutting-edge international names brought together to deliver a truly memorable experience and create a never-to-be-repeated menu featuring the state’s best produce, beverage and suppliers.
For three nights only, London’s James Lowe (of London’s Michelin-starred Lyle’s) will join Mat Lindsay at Ester for an exclusive collaboration. Having once described Ester as his “spirit animal restaurant”, Lowe will team up with Lindsay to create a one-off, eight-course menu set in the intimate space, with dishes heavily influenced by Australian ingredients like local fish and shellfish.
Expect clean and bold flavours, with the menu reflecting both chefs’ passion for cooking over fire. With only limited seats each night, you better get in quick—tickets are $250 per person, with an optional wine pairing for $150.
In another exciting collaboration, celebrated chef Claude Bosi (of 2 Michelin-starred restaurant Brooklands, 2 Michelin-starred Bibendum Restaurant, and Josephine Bistro in London) teams up with Brent Savage of Eleven Barrack for two nights in June. Combing Claude’s contemporary approach to nostalgic delicacies with Brent’s innovative and produce-driven style, diners can expect a menu that showcases precision, elegance and bold flavours.
The six-course menu and dining experience will be both evocative and intimate, and will feature some of Claude’s signature dishes like camembert soufflé with winter black truffle. The indulgent experience includes lunch and dinner services across two days, with wine pairings also available.
Ester x James Lowe
Tickets from $250
Tuesday 27th May – Thursday 29th May, 6:30pm – 11pm
46-52 Meagher Street, Chippendale
Eleven Barrack x Claude Bosi
Tickets from $185
Tuesday 10th June – Wednesday 11th June, 12pm – 2:30pm and 5:30pm – 9:30pm
11 Barrack Street, Sydney
Martha Stewart: In Conversation
You heard correctly. Homemaking extraordinaire, author of 101 books and lifestyle icon Martha Stewart will be popping up at Vivid for a one-off In Conversation event. She’ll be chatting all about being an OG influencer, her thoughts on the evolution of food culture and highlights from her extraordinary career.
From $65, tickets available here
Wednesday 28th May
International Convention Centre
Vivid Sydney 2025 Events: Light
The Lighting of the Sails: Kiss of Light
One of Sydney’s most iconic events lighting up perhaps our most iconic building, this is one not to be missed. Each year, an artist is commissioned to create an original artwork for projection onto the Sydney Opera House.
This year, the Sydney Opera House’s sails will be illuminated by the artwork of David McDiarmid, known for fusing art, fashion and nightlife with bold activism and unapologetic self-expression. 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the artist’s death, with his life’s work to be turned into a projected animation on Sydney’s most well-known and most visible canvas.
The artwork will trace McDiarmid’s punk, queer sensibility, with the seven minute piece revealing how he used irony, humour and fierce intimacy to celebrate diverse gender and sexual identities. Consider this display a rallying cry for equality, inclusion and freedom, with a reminder that joy, curiosity and creative rebellion can help build a better world.
Friday 23rd May to Saturday 14th June
Sydney Opera House
King Dingo
Take a journey through Australia’s colonial history through the eyes of the dingo, in a dream-like alternate world. The projection by acclaimed artist Vincent Namatjira will premiere on the façade of the Museum of Contemporary Art, accompanied by an original score by Jeremy Whiskey.
Fusing humour, striking imagery and music to create a powerful assertion of First Nations strength, unity and cultural reclamation, this is the artist’s most ambitious multimedia work to date and follows the dingo from the halls of Buckingham Palace to a rock concert and a defiant return home to Dingo Country.
Friday 23rd May to Saturday 14th June
Museum of Contemporary Art, Circular Quay
Starscape Tunnel
A 40-metre tunnel illuminated by a galaxy of more than 700 glowing stars? This may just be the perfect Vivid 2025 photo-op.
A stunning homage to the glow-in-the-dark bedroom decorations of our childhoods, as well as the mesmerising night sky, Starscape Tunnel is an immersive installation that invites visitors to relive the awe of gazing upward and get lost in the space between wakefulness and the galaxy of dreams.
Friday 23rd May to Saturday 14th June
Hay Street, Darling Harbour
The Cloud Swing
Cloud-like structures will appear in Darling Quarter Village Green in The Cloud Swing, offering Vivid visitors a moment of escapism and delight.
First seen at Burning Man in 2019, guests are invited to take a seat and swing below the large, fantastical and illuminated puffs of colour. Consider this your simple yet magical invitation to pause, play and lose your heads in the clouds, even if just for a fleeting moment.
Friday 23rd May to Saturday 14th June
Darling Harbour Village Green
House of Romance: Dreams Collide
Iconic Australian fashion duo Romance Was Born makes its Vivid Sydney debut with a stunning projection on the façade of Customs House. Part of a vibrant celebration of the brand’s 20th anniversary, the design duo’s magical work bursts beyond the runway and turns the iconic Sydney building into a universe of whimsy and fanciful fashion.
Drawing on iconic looks and memorable collaborations, expect a multi-coloured crochet collage, a neon-underwater reef bursting to life and Iced Vovo-inspired frocks in this exlosion of style and playfulness, all set to a bespoke soundtrack composed by Heckler Sound.
Friday 23rd May to Saturday 14th June
Customs House, 31 Alfred Street Sydney
Vivid Sydney 2024: Food
Neon Dreams
A homage to the 1950s diner is always a good time, and Neon Dreams‘ iteration will be bringing Sydney a 23-night program of events. Shannon Martinez of Smith & Daughters fame will be serving up all-American classics, from burgers to mac and cheese to jelly donuts — all plant-based. Drinks are equally considered with lemon myrtle margaritas, Illawarra plum sours and retro milkshakes up for grabs. And the backdrop? None other than the Pier Street underpass in Darling Harbour, where a roller rink will be set up for festival-goers.
Entry is free but tickets must be purchased for roller skating
Friday 23rd May to Saturday 14th June
Pier Street Underpass, Darling Harbour
Luke’s Vivid Table at the Pylon Lookout
An extraordinary dining experience in an extraordinary location, renowned chef Luke Mangan hosts a hidden and intimate dinner within the South-East Pylon of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
The 20-person communal dining table—87 metres above the harbour— offers unparalleled views of Vivid Sydney’s dazzling Light Walk as Luke Mangan serves up an elevated three-course menu crafted from seasonal and locally sourced ingredients (all perfectly paired with premium wines, too).
The evening also features a tour of the Museum as part of the 200 step walk to the Lookout, where you’ll enjoy pre-dinner canapes and a glass of champagne.
Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays during Vivid Sydney, 5:30 PM
Tickets from $395. Bookings essential.
BridgeClimb Pylon Lookout & Museum
Vivid Fire Kitchen
A Vivid fan favourite, Fire Kitchen is back for another year, and the flames are bigger, bolder and hotter than ever.
A sensory feast of fire and flavour, Vivid Fire Kitchen turns up the heat with “Fire & Spice”, a bold new twist that celebrates the world’s most vibrant, spice-driven cuisines alongside flame-seared favourites. Expect live demonstrations and an array of fire-cooked cuisine from some of the world’s best pitmasters, chefs and barbecue legends.
This year, live fire cook Jess Pryles returns, alongside American chef and TV personality Nyesha Arrington, Oscar Solomon of The Apollo Group, Lennox Hastie of Firedoor, Paul Farag of Aalia restaurant and more.
There’ll be offerings from BBQ restaurants Ogni and Brazilian Flame, as well as vegetarian Indian eatery Flyover Fritterie, and a dedicated seafood BBQ stand will serve up flame-grilled favourites (hello, freshly seared prawns) that celebrate the best of Australia’s coastal produce. A range of food trucks will also be pulling up and serving delicious treats like Filipino skewers, South American-style BBQ and sweet delights like churros, Korean donuts and gelato.
A highlight of Vivid Fire Kitchen this year, First Nations Nights sees Indigenous chefs demonstrating traditional cooking techniques over fire pits, as they share their knowledge of native ingredients and the cultural significance of fire in their culture.
The best part? Vivid Fire Kitchen events are free for all to attend every night of Vivid Sydney.
Friday 23rd May to Saturday 14th June
The Goods Line, Ultimo Pedestrian Network
Dreaming Skies: A Culinary Journey with Dwayne Bannon-Harrison
Take in the the impressive view of the city skyline and Vivid light show at Infinity at Sydney Tower, as you indulge in a unique culinary experience where ancient Dreamtime stories meet contemporary fine dining.
A deeply immersive experienced led by Trippas White Group Indigenous Ambassador Dwayne Bannon-Harrison, Dreaming Skies takes diners on a journey through storytelling, culture and native-inspired cuisine. Each course uses locally sourced Indigenous ingredients tied to dreamtime myths, paying homage to the land, sky and sea, bringing Australia’s rich cultural heritage to life in a way that encourages all of the senses.
Thursday May 29th and Friday 30th May, 6:30 PM
Tickets $299. Bookings essential.
Infinity at Sydney Tower, 108 Market Street, Sydney
Saltbush & Starlight Dining
One of the Sydney Opera House’s most exclusive hidden spaces will be transformed by captivating light projections for Vivid Sydney, and will play host to an intimate and unmissable communal dining experience.
Saltbush & Starlight Dining invites you to slow down and savour a three-course First Nations-inspired meal from Midden by Mark Olive, expertly paired with wines from New South Wales and craft beer.
Enjoy a guided tour of the Sydney Opera House and discover other hidden spaces and histories before being whisked away to the secret dining location where a truly unforgettable meal awaits.
Thursdays and Fridays during Vivid 2025.
Tickets from $290. Bookings essential.
Sydney Opera House
Dance of Dreams with Danielle Alvarez
A multi-sensory event blending fine dining with contemporary dance, Dance of Dreams with Danielle Alvarez is a Vivid 2025 event not to be missed.
Acclaimed chef Danielle Alvarez offers up a curated menu that reflects on the ethereal nature of dreams—delicate, fluid and ever-evolving—while accompanying choreography brings the emotional vision to life through movement. Guests will be treated to three dynamic 5-minute performances throughout the evening, mirroring the flow and emotion of the dishes.
Friday June 13th and Saturday June 14th, 6:30 PM
Tickets $329. Bookings essential.
Yallamundi Rooms, Sydney Opera House
Dream Mist at Botanic House
An evocative event led by celebrated chef Luke Nguyen, the culinary director at Botanic House, Dream Mist explores the power of dreams through flavours, personal storytelling and immersive installations.
Inspired by his own journey of following his dreams, the menu blends the bold flavours of Vietnamese cuisine with modern influences, with guests invited to reflect and set their own dreams for the future with an interactive wishing tree installation. As they tie red ribbons inscribed with their dreams to the tree—an homage to Vietnamese tradition—a gentle mist will envelop guests in a dreamscape, with more special surprises throughout the evening.
Thursday 5th June and Friday 6th June, 6:30 PM
Tickets $269. Bookings essential.
Botanic House, 1 Mrs Macquaries Road, Sydney
Vivid Sydney 2025: Ideas
Where Do Ideas Come From?
Join TIME magazine’s Creative Director D.W. Pine for an insight into the iconic publication’s creative process, as he reveals how the covers are designed to reflect, provoke and challenge.
From the words “Is God Dead?” in bold red on black to a mother breastfeeding her three-year-old, TIME has captured the defining moments of the modern era, and has made visual storytelling as impactful as the headlines, reporting and subjects themselves.
The lecture will be followed by a short Q&A session.
Thursday 29th May, 6:30 PM
Tickets from $55
Sydney Town Hall
Firetalk
Curated by Wiradjuri poet and artist Jazz Money, Firetalk honours the living tradition of gathering around a fire to share stories, knowledge and wisdom.
Set against the flickering glow of the Bon(d)fire Vivid Light installation, this series of evenings brings together contemporary First Nations writers, poets and songwriters, who will share stories that reflect on the past, speak to the present and dream bold futures into being.
Every Wednesday night during Vivid Sydney, 6:30PM
Barangaroo Reserve
Stranger Things: The Experience
Ready to head to Hawkins circa 1986? Be swept up in a thrilling, fully immersive and interactive experience that transports you to the heart of the Netflix phenomenon.
Straight from sell-out runs in the US and Europe, Stranger Things: The Experience features live actors, cutting-edge special effects and surprises at every turn. Participants will unlock secret powers, face supernatural challenges and help Eleven (and her friends) save Hawkins from the terrors of the Upside Down as part of a brand-new storyline developed in collaboration with the show’s creators.
After your mission is complete, step into the 80s paradise that is Mix-tape, where you can play arcade games, enjoy a good old-fashioned banana split (or themed cocktail for the adults) and take a selfie with Vecna himself.
Friday 23rd May to Saturday 14th June
Tickets from $60, bookings are essential
Luna Park Sydney, 1 Olympic Drive, Milsons Point
Loved this edit of must-attend events at Vivid Sydney 2025 and already planning your next adventure? Check out our round-up of the best things to do in Sydney on a rainy day. Or if the weather is playing ball, have a squiz at our round-up of Sydney’s best secret beaches.
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