There is more family fun in store than ever before as Vivid Sydney returns for its 11th year with 23 days and nights of light, music and ideas packed with highlights to delight and entertain.
The fun-filled festival will transform the city from Friday 24 May to Saturday 15 June, with large-scale light installations and projections, free family events, and creative ideas and workshops for children, teens and families.
Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said, “Vivid Sydney ticks all the right boxes for parents – it’s family-friendly, fun, and mostly free. With this year’s festival set to run for 23 days, families will have more time to take in the growing number of attractions and locations for this much loved event, and to visit more than once for the ultimate Vivid Sydney experience.”
Destination NSW Chief Executive Officer and Vivid Sydney Executive Producer, Ms Sandra Chipchase said, “Vivid Sydney gives families the opportunity to discover the magic that can be created when art meets technology, surprising and delighting kids of all ages.”
“There are nine precincts with illuminations and projections that light up the city and the imagination, plus some fun, hands-on ideas sessions to inspire those inquisitive, growing minds. No matter where you are, Vivid Sydney is the ultimate family adventure,” she said.
Walk on the wild side
It’s not often you see tigers roaming free around Taronga Zoo, so don’t miss Lights for the Wild. Follow the illuminated trail which winds through the zoo’s stunning grounds and meet the giant multimedia light sculptures, from the magnificent Sumatran tiger and her new cubs to a swarm of tiny buzzing bees and the larger-than-life gorilla family.
Take a step into a tech-filled wonderland
Technology is a wonderful thing, opening up whole new worlds and endless possibilities. The Samsung Electric Playground at First Fleet Park is a giant illuminated wonderland inspired by the best features of the new Galaxy S10. With a spectrum of fun-packed activities guaranteed to keep the whole family entertained, kids – big and small – can choose their own adventure, from playing with light patterns to enjoying never-before-experienced views and other playground-like activities
Reminisce on the past 30 years of Pixar art and animation
The Argyle Cut in The Rocks is back in 2019 with an amazing new Pixar Animation Studios Installation that appeals to parents and children alike. The creative light projection is a visual retrospective of behind-the-scenes artwork and animation of the characters we all fell in love with. To infinity…and beyond!
Discover a new kind of playground
Darling Harbour’s Tumbalong Park has been transformed by Vivid Sydney’s Access and Inclusion Partner Cushman & Wakefield. Tumbalong Lights is an inclusive and interactive playSPACE with six space themed installations. By incorporating the principles of Universal Design, it allows people of all ages and abilities to enjoy a trip to outer space.
Get amongst the art
‘Look but don’t touch’ doesn’t apply here, as kids are encouraged to participate. Let it Snow is an immersive installation in Circular Quay that creates the sensation of standing under snowflakes, walk through it and feel the snow flurry around you. Beetopia is a touch-sensitive, giant glowing bee hotel which emits the smell of honey. KA3323, an interactive satellite dish overgrown with alien plant matter, reacts to the sounds of space.
Set up camp
Layers of light, sound and puppetry reflective of land and water will transform Exchange Place in Barangaroo into a Winter Camp. A magnificent, six-metre tall puppet Marri Dyin (Great Woman) is the embodiment of a contemporary spirit that recognises the influence of First Nations women, including Barangaroo, a Cammeraygal leader of the Eora Nation who lived in Sydney. You can find her every evening sitting and contemplating beside the fire at her campsite and on Thursday to Sunday evenings she hunts and gathers along Wulugul Walk.
Learn to play the harp
Children will be drawn to the Cascading Harp at the Chatswood precinct, it looks like a giant rope curtain adorned with clusters of traditional bells, LED lights and music that chime in time to the movement of the ropes. Watch them weave in and out of the ropes, running their fingers along the jangling bells to create a sound that extolls positivity and hope.
A place to call home
Parents will have very different memories of dancing at Home nightclub back in the day, as did house DJ Kate Monroe before she had kids. She created Kiddo Disco so parents could boogie on down with their kids under the disco ball. The little ones can participate in disco dancing lessons and play games to positive, kid-focused tunes, while mum and dad relax in a safe, kid-friendly environment.
I believe I can fly
Volaré, which means ‘to fly’ in Italian, is the newest ride at Luna Park and claims to be Australia’s largest and highest wave swinger. So strap in and enjoy the ride, because really, an amusement park is the perfect setting to enjoy a multi-coloured, fun-filled light festival.
Discover what lies beneath
We regularly take in the beauty of Sydney Harbour, but there’s so much more to it than what we see above the surface. This year, Customs House will be transformed into an underwater wonderland with Under the Harbour. It’s a deep-dive underwater encounter that draws you in to a watery wonderland of neon sea creatures.
Vivid Sydney 2019 program video content and images are available at: www.vividsydney.com/mediacentre
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