If you’ve ever dreamt of turning Sydney Harbour into your canvas—or lighting up the Opera House with more than just applause—polish your pitch and mark your diary. Vivid Sydney is back, calling all creatives, culinary stars, and visionary minds to help shape its 2026 edition.
Returning from Friday 22 May to Saturday 13 June 2026, Vivid Sydney promises to once again bathe the Harbour City in a symphony of light, music, ideas, and, increasingly, something scrumptious on a plate. But this isn’t just about art installations and glowing facades—it’s an open invitation to the world’s most imaginative souls to leave their mark on Australia’s cultural capital.
Destination NSW, the steely engine room behind the Southern Hemisphere’s largest multi-artform festival, welcomes Expressions of Interest (EOIs) from local and global talent eager to participate in what’s fast becoming a wintertime rite of passage.
And with Vivid Sydney 2025 having now officially wrapped up—leaving in its wake not only mesmerised audiences but also some rather healthy economic figures—the bar for 2026 is set even higher.
A Festival That’s Anything But Dim
Let’s begin with a few figures worthy of their own light show. Since its 2009 inception, Vivid Sydney has welcomed over 25 million visitors and generated more than $1.3 billion in visitor spending. That’s not so much a festival as it is a national economic stimulus with disco lights.
This year’s 2025 edition drew crowds, making Bondi on Boxing Day look quiet. On each of the festival’s four peak Saturdays, nearly 200,000 visitors braved the brisk evenings to join the spectacle.
In a city where winter is traditionally more about doona days than art displays, Vivid Sydney has transformed Sydney’s colder months into a season of warmth, colour, and community. Hotel occupancy hit almost 90% on peak nights—figures not usually seen outside the frenzy of New Year’s Eve.
And let’s not overlook the 110,000 smoky-mouthed punters drawn to the Vivid Fire Kitchen, the 25,000 brains tickled by Vivid Ideas, or the staggering 830 million global views of the #vividsydney hashtag.
EOI Now Open: What Are They Looking For?
So, who’s invited to the creative table for 2026? In short, everyone who dares to dream big.
Vivid Sydney 2025 Opening Night. Image credit: Destination NSW
Through Destination NSW, the NSW Government has officially opened EOIs across all pillars: Light, Music, Ideas, Food, and Cross-Art Form collaborations.
Key deadlines:
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Vivid Light EOIs close: 28 July 2025
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Ideas, Music, Food and Cross-Art Form EOIs close: 26 September 2025
Eligible applicants include artists, engineers, performers, curators, chefs, restaurateurs, academic institutions, and even those mysterious “creative organisations” (yes, we see you, projection mapping collectives of Marrickville).
Full details and submission portals are available at: 👉 www.vividsydney.com.
Ministerial Enthusiasm and the Big Picture
NSW Minister for Jobs and Tourism Steve Kamper couldn’t have put it more definitively: “The overwhelming response to Vivid Sydney 2025 sends a clear message that this festival remains a powerful driver of creativity, culture and economic impact.
“Vivid Sydney doesn’t just light up our streets – it solidifies Sydney’s standing as a leading global cultural capital and a must-experience destination in the Asia-Pacific.”
Well said, Minister. Sydney may not have the Eiffel Tower or Broadway, but it outshines the lot once a year.
Business, Booms and Boats
Vivid Sydney 2025, Circular Quay. Image credit: Destination NSW (PRNewsfoto/Destination New South Wales)
Stacey McBride, General Manager of Accommodation Australia NSW, praised the impact on the hospitality sector. “Vivid Sydney continues to deliver for Sydney accommodation hotels. What was once a quiet winter stretch has become a boom period.”
Over at Sydney Harbour Kayaks, owner Shannon O’Brien was positively glowing: “We achieved an 80 per cent sell-through rate. We even took guests out to Balmain East by kayak for a Vivid view like no other!”
That’s right—Vivid now glistens on land and water.
Meanwhile, over at OzHarvest, founder and social good powerhouse Ronni Kahn AO beamed about the success of the Our Shared Dream dinner series: “We introduced thousands to the ‘Pay It Forward’ philosophy and the joy of shared meals.”
The Magic of Moments
From high-end performances to heartfelt experiences, Vivid Sydney isn’t just a visual spectacle—it’s a tapestry of human stories.
Cass Eiper, co-director of Bangarra’s poignant “An Act of Being”, reflected: “It was such a special project and we’re grateful for the chance to connect so deeply with audiences.”
And let’s not forget the small voices with the biggest hearts. Musician Winston Surfshirt, who played to an adoring crowd at Tumbalong Nights, shared this gem: “My four-year-old woke up and said, ‘I loved your singing last night, Daddy.’ Honestly, it might’ve been the best gig I’ve ever played.”
Even the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation found itself centre-stage in 2025. As Charity Partner, they helped raise $8.1 million for life-changing care.
CMO Kate Ferguson said, “Vivid Sydney helped us tell the stories of sick kids and connect with audiences in ways we never imagined.”
A Final Word to the Creatives
So, what’s next? For aspiring contributors, Vivid Sydney 2026 is more than a slot on your calendar—it’s a cultural legacy in the making—a chance to cast long shadows and lasting memories on Australia’s most iconic stage.
As the festival’s global stature grows, so does the opportunity to be part of something spectacular.
To all the bold, the brave and the brilliantly bonkers out there: the lights are waiting, and so is Sydney.
