Ride the steampunk wave into a funky, retro-futuristic smart city
There will be something old & something new as retro & future worlds collide when Vivid Sydney morphs Chatswood into a steampunk-themed world where technology & light fuses with 19th century steam-powered machinery. Interactive light installations will transform the Chatswood central business district into a funky smart city complete with people-powered steam engines, a giant drumming octopus, underwater worlds & sustainable cities perched in the sky as the bustling precinct is reinvented.
New South Wales (NSW) Premier Gladys Berejiklian said: “As the Member for Willoughby, I am proud that Chatswood is part of Australia’s largest event which entertains locals & visitors alike, attracting a record 2.31 million visitors & injecting $110 million into NSW’s visitor economy last year alone”
“Since 2015, Chatswood has delighted visitors with thought-provoking creative works, bringing cultures, communities, artists & local businesses together while delivering these tremendous benefits to the NSW economy. This year is no exception & is set to amaze and delight with an explosion of light & colour.”
NSW Minister For Tourism & Major Events, Adam Marshall, said: “Chatswood is a vibrant, bustling destination that goes from strength to strength as a Vivid Sydney precinct. This year’s light installations will again amaze, inspire and engage visitors & get them thinking too, with projections shining a light on future worlds & sustainable communities. As a thriving retail & dining hotspot, visitors will be spoilt for choice with so many options on the menu to make their trip to Vivid a complete night out.”
Highlights include:
- Voxelscape: Cue the lights! Exit the Interchange & enter a 3-dimensional lightshow as more than 9,000 light-emitting diode spheres glow in the vast air space above you – all viewable from any level of the Chatswood Interchange.
- Gear Shift: Help create this amazing, pulsating, people-powered steam engine simply by moving. This extreme-resolution interactive projection uses intelligent motion tracking to shift, pump & turn in perpetual motion.
- Future City, Smart City: A fantastical future world is waiting to be discovered. You will see people take to the air in whimsical airships & an airborne, sustainable community emerge in the sky in this feature projection on the futuristic sails of The Concourse.
- Steampunk Waterworld: What lies beneath? Peer into the reflection pool on The Concourse to discover the magic of this submerged world that pays homage to the likes of Jules Verne through light, sound & special effects.
- Crossword: What will you say? All is revealed when you wander through a glimmering canopy of light in Chatswood Mall to the Victor Street intersection & discover this installation sending hidden messages mid-air & onto revellers.
- Light Bounce: Those who cannot wait for sundown to enjoy the lights can wander through an enchanting, sparkling forest of refractive light in a captivating daytime installation at Chatswood Chase Sydney.
- Go on a food adventure: Visitors can enjoy dozens of dining options throughout the precinct. Take a foodie journey around the world with international cuisines at The District at Chatswood Interchange, a stroll down Hawker Lane for authentic Asian street-food at Westfield Chatswood, see the light show while dining alfresco on The Concourse, or tuck into specially created Vivid dishes, from Orchard Tavern’s Vivid Burger to The Choc Pot’s decadent Chocolate Vivid Dessert.
Vivid Sydney will light up Chatswood from 5:30pm – 10:30pm every evening from Friday the 26th of May to Saturday the 17th of June. Light Bounce at Chatswood Chase Sydney will operate from 9am – 5:30pm daily & until 9pm on Thursdays.
About Vivid Sydney
Vivid Sydney is the world’s largest festival of light, music & ideas, which for 23 days – from 26 May to 17 June 2017 – transforms the ‘Harbour City’ with its unique colourful, creative canvas. In 2016, Vivid Sydney attracted a record 2.31 million attendees. Vivid Sydney is owned, managed & produced by Destination NSW, the NSW Government’s tourism & major events agency. Vivid Sydney features large scale light installations & projections – Vivid Light; music performances & collaborations – Vivid Music (including Vivid LIVE At The Sydney Opera House) & creative ideas, discussion & debate – Vivid Ideas, all celebrating Sydney as the creative hub of the Asia-Pacific. Vivid Sydney is in its 9th year. For more information, visit www.vividsydney.com.
Media Release: Vivid Sydney
Note: All times are AEST.
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