The Sydney Opera House’s annual Diwali Spectacular illumination, one of the few annual illuminations the World Heritage site holds outside of Vivid Sydney, has been cancelled for 2023 ‘out of respect’ for communities grieving over the Israel-Hamas War.
According to IndianLink, a New South Wales (NSW) Government spokesperson confirmed that they acknowledge that Diwali is an important & joyous cultural festival for many people in NSW & according to Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) Hindi, another or the same spokesperson said the Sydney Opera House illumination for the “festival of lights” has been cancelled for 2023 due to “current tensions in the world”:
The NSW Government consulted with key community groups and agreed that, out of respect for communities who are presently grieving over the human suffering unfolding in Gaza and Israel, we would not illuminate the Opera House for Diwali this year.
NSW Government spokesperson
IndianLink asked the NSW Government which “key community groups” were consulted – Indian or Israeli/Palestinian – but they received no response.
The message for the community is that we love Diwali & we love our multicultural communities so trust us, we will find many other ways to celebrate & gather for the festival,
Chris Minns, NSW Premier
Diwali means “a row of lamps”. For centuries, it has been commonly celebrated by lighting diyas (small oil lamps), which symbolises the lifting of spiritual darkness and the renewal of life & is a time to pray for health, knowledge and peace.
The event is of great significance to the Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Buddhist communities & has been celebrated by the NSW Government since 2011.
The Sydney Opera House has been illuminated in gold, yellow and orange for 1 night in late October/early November every year since 2014 for Diwali.
It would have been illuminated on Tuesday 7 November this year, which was the date of the annual private Diwali ceremony hosted by the NSW Government at the Museum Of Contemporary Art, which was still held despite no illumination of the Opera House on the other side of Circular Quay.
It is the culmination of month-long celebrations, when people from South & South-East Asian communities wear new colourful clothes, decorate their houses with festive lighting & exchange gifts and sweets with relatives and friends.
At the private Diwali ceremony, SBS Hindi spoke to the NSW Treasurer & Opposition Leader. The former agreed that the Opera House was an iconic site for the state but maintained that sensitivity towards other communities was important.
Photograph: SBS Hindi
We have to be mindful of the tensions in the other communities & we have had to take some difficult decisions on the basis of it but we are still gathering & still celebrating & we have gathered here at the Museum of Contemporary Arts just for that.
Daniel Mookhey, NSW Treasurer
Photograph: SBS Hindi
Hindus alone form around 4% of the population of New South Wales. I am disappointed with this decision.
It is an important festival for Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists & I do feel we could have lit up the Opera House for it. However, there are other ways to celebrate.
Mark Speakman, NSW Opposition Leader
We are disappointed with this decision, but, as a community, let us light so many diyas & spread such positivity that the entire city turns golden.
Vaibhavi Joshi
Sydney Spectaculars 
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