Ignatius Jones AM, the creative director of Sydney New Year’s Eve (NYE) between 1996 and 2001 & Vivid Sydney between 2011 and 2019, has died suddenly aged 67, following a short illness.
He was also the creative director of the G’Day Opening Ceremony segment & the Closing Night Harbour Spectacular of The Games Of The XXVIIth Olympiad: Sydney 2000.
The iconic artistic direction he did for the Olympics & the Millennium propelled Sydney’s events into global popular culture.
In 2001, he was also artistic director of the Centenary Of Federation celebrations, which had a parade throughout Sydney as its’ centrepiece.
Between 2011 & 2015, he also artistic director of the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade.
In 2017, he was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2017 Australian Event Awards, which was followed a year later with him becoming a full member of the Order Of Australia, General Division, for his “significant service to entertainment”, by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Whilst he made most of his event achievements in Sydney, he also worked internationally:
Ceremonies of XXIst Olympic Winter Games: Vancouver 2010
Opening Ceremony of Expo 2010 Shanghai China
Ceremonies of XV Asiad: Doha 2006
Independence Of East Timor ceremony
Dolly Parton’s productions in the United States Of America
Before his iconic career in events, he was a musician, being a singer with the shock rock band Jimmy & The Boys, which introduced shock theatrics to Australia, before forming a swing band, Pardon Me Boys, with his sister, Monica Trapaga. His sister also performed the John Paul Young classic, Love Is In The Air, at the Millennium celebrations as well as doing sets at the Sydney NYE segments: 4 Kids (1997-2001), Carnaval (1999-2001) & Hot Jazz In The City (2001).
Ignatius Jones retired in 2022 & passed away in his birth country, the Philippines, in Iloilo City on May 7 at 9:30pm Sydney time.
He will be remembered for an Eternity.
Below the below quote, you can find highlights from his 3 most iconic Sydney events: the Midnight Fireworks of Sydney NYE1999: Sydney’s Millennium, the G’Day Opening Ceremony segment & the Closing Night Harbour Spectacular of The Games Of The XXVIIth Olympiad: Sydney 2000 & Vivid Sydney 2019.
We are absolutely devastated to announce the passing of my brother, Juan Ignacio Trapaga, the formidable Ignatius Jones.
On Monday the 13th of November last year, all the State Of Origin 2024 dates were confirmed with the extra announcement that the women’s version will equal the men’s version in terms of number of games in a series with both versions now featuring 3 games, which is the historic standard for a State Of Origin series since the inaugural men’s edition in 1982. Women’s State Of Origin had an inaugural 2-game series last year after 5 years as a single match.
State Of Origin (men’s version) 2024 will have all matches on a Wednesday night with kick-off at 8:05pm local time with the matches dates’ & venues being:
Game I – 5th of June, Stadium Australia, Sydney
Game II – 26th of June, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Game III – 17th of July, Lang Park, Brisbane
Starting just under 3 weeks earlier, the Women’s State Of Origin will take place on:
Game I – 16th May, Lang Park, Brisbane
Game II – 6th of June, Hunter Stadium, Newcastle
Game III – 27th of June, North Queensland Stadium, Townsville.
All Women’s State Of Origin matches will be on a Thursday night with kick-off at 7:45pm local time.
Despite now being a 3-game series, Women’s State Of Origin will not be classified as a ‘flagship’ Sydney Spectacular yet. The minimal ‘official celebration’ of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023: Australia & New Zealand last year has hampered Women’s State Of Origin‘s short-term chances of being recognised as a ‘flagship’ Sydney Spectacular. Most importantly, this year’s edition is also not being held in Sydney at all. The closest venue is Newcastle, 160 kilometres north of Sydney, which has never hosted a State Of Origin match before. The attendance is also still too low compared to the men’s version (15,000 per event day vs 59,000 per event day). Sydney Spectaculars will continue to monitor Women’s State Of Origin‘s development for possible future recognition.
After a successful debut last year, the ticketed experience, Dark Spectrum, returns to Vivid Sydney in 2024.
This year’s theme for Dark Spectrum, which is also its’ 1st, is A New Journey.
Located in the abandoned tram tunnels near Sydney’s Wynyard Railway Station, Dark Spectrum will feature 8 themed chambers, each with a monochromatic colour scheme, video effects & flashing, flickering and patterned lights.
1 chamber will feature a maze with 700 illuminated arrows.
The entire experience consists of a 1-hour, 1-way, 1 kilometre walk (limited exits along the way) & features 500 handmade hanging lanterns, 300 lasers and strobe lights, 250 searchlights as well as smoke and haze effects & a high-volume backing dark, atmospheric electronic dance soundscape and favourite club hits of the past night-club generation.
The entrance is via Wynyard Park Rooftop above Wynyard Train Station & the main/final exit is in The Rocks just south of the intersection of Essex & Cumberland Street. Head down the length of Essex Street then turn left into George Street (a 300 metre/5 minute approx. walk) to join the iconic free Vivid Light Walk at 1st Fleet Park at Circular Quay.
Dark Spectrum: A New Journey can be experienced as early as 12pm* & as late as 9:15pm, every 15 minutes. People with sensory needs who prefer smaller crowds are advised to purchase a session before 2pm on weekdays. The Vivid Light Walk does not begin until 6pm & concludes at 11pm each night.
*Except Friday the 24th of May, the 1st day of Vivid Sydney, where sessions begin at 6pm, at the time of the Lights On! Moment.
To experience Dark Spectrum: A New Journey, you must be aged minimum 6 years old. People aged between 6 & 12 years must be accompanied by an adult.
For people who used a wheelchair or mobility scooter, their wheelchair/mobility scooters’ width must be no larger than 1.1 metres & note the experience is on difficult terrain with gradients up to 6.7 degrees downhill & 7.8 degrees uphill.
Tickets for Dark Spectrum: A New Journey are on sale now! Depending on choice of time slot, tickets cost AUD$36-46 per adult, AUD$24-35 per child (6-12) & AUD$98-$154 per family (2 adults & 2 children). Group tickets cost AUD$31.50-$41,40. If your group contains more than 21 people, you can receive a 10% discount by contacting Ticketek here.
All tickets cost $5 more if purchased on the day regardless of purchasing method. A cashless ticket booth will be positioned between York Street & Carrington Street.
You are advised to dress warmly as temperatures inside the experience are similar to those outside.
It is recommended to arrive 15 minutes before your designated session start time, though you will be allowed to be admitted to the experience no later than 10 minutes after the designated session start time. All tickets, pre-purchased or not, are scanned in Wynyard Park before a steward guides you to the entrance as stated above.
Dark Spectrum: A New Journey is presented by Sony Music Entertainment and developed in partnership with Mandylights & Culture Creative. Mandylights also develop Our Connected City, the iconic light show utilising the Sydney Harbour Bridge & city buildings.
Vivid Sydney 2024 – Humanity is held between Friday the 24th of May & Saturday the 15th of June.
Vivid Sydney 2024 is exploring what makes us uniquely human, with a diverse program designed to foster connections, spark imagination & showcase the multitude of ways creativity enriches our lives. We are so excited to welcome back Dark Spectrum: A New Journey to Vivid Sydney 2024 to bring the festival theme to life with a brand-new wholly immersive experience.
Gill Minervini, ‘Vivid Sydney’ 2024 Director
We are so pumped to bring an all-new Dark Spectrum: A New Journey to Vivid Sydney in 2024. We’ve taken the latest in laser and lighting technology, the intensity of a music festival & the originality of an art exhibition & packed it all into Sydney’s historic Wynyard Tunnels in an unforgettable spectacle.
Richard Neville, Mandylights Managing Director
Dark Spectrum intrigued visitors last year with its unique underground location transformed into an immersive playground of light & sound. This year, we’re taking it to another level, returning with new themes with an epic soundscape to ignite emotions that make you feel alive!
Dark Spectrum: A New Journey is a great opportunity to bring together a talented, creative team to deliver an intense, vibrant “underworld” for all to experience. It’s the closest you can come to immersing yourself in the soul of the city.
Vanessa Picken, Sony Music Australia & New Zealand Chair & Chief Executive Officer
Every illuminated experience that Culture Creative designs and builds is unique & we are excited to once again work alongside Mandylights to create a labyrinth of light in such an unusual and thrilling location.
Gold Or No Alcohol: AUD$149 per adult, AUD$139 per junior/concession & AUD$428.95 per family*
Silver: AUD$89 per adult, AUD$79 per junior/concession & AUD$249 per family*
Bronze: AUD$59 per adult, AUD $49 per junior/concession & AUD$159 per family*
Restricted View: AUD$25 per adult & AUD$70 per family*
*2 adults & 2 juniors
Hospitality packages including dining & cocktail functions are also available here.
Australia’s biggest rugby league match will be played in Australia’s biggest stadium, as the MCG hosts the decisive 2nd game of the 2024 State of Origin series. We’re proud to bring this iconic contest back to the MCG & welcoming fans from near and far to enjoy Melbourne’s vibrant hospitality, retail and hotel sectors.
Steve Dimopoulos, Victorian Minister For Tourism, Sport & Major Events
On 6th August last year, it was announced that Perth Stadium in Perth, Western Australia (WA) will host a State Of Origin match in both 2025 & 2028.
This is in line with the event’s policy of 1 neutral venue & 1 home venue for each of the States (New South Wales (NSW) & Queensland) in the 3-match series.
The sponsored name of the venue is Optus Stadium.
Perth Stadium, the Swan River & Matagarup Bridge Photograph: Grant Trouville/State Of Origin
Later this year, Melbourne in Victoria will host the neutral round of State Of Origin, which it will also host in 2026.
Perth Stadium has hosted a State Of Origin match before in both 2019 & 2022, the only times Perth has hosted a State Of Origin match, with crowds of 59,721 & 59,358 respectively.
Australian Rugby League Commissioner, The Honourable Kate Jones said the Commission wanted to continue to provide a strong footing for the sport in WA:
State Of Origin in Perth has been an outstanding success & we’re delighted to be able to continue this partnership with the Western Australian Government.
There is already strong support for rugby league in Western Australia & our ongoing commitment to grow the game in areas outside of rugby league heartlands will ensure even more people are attracted to the game by the biggest sporting rivalry in the country.
We are privileged to bring State Of Origin back to Perth & I’d like to thank Premier, Roger Cook, Deputy Premier and Tourism Minister, Rita Saffioti & the Western Australian Government for their ongoing support of rugby league.
The Honourable Kate Jones, Australian Rugby League Commissioner
Being able to host 2 more State Of Origin clashes is another great win for tourism & sport within WA plus an awesome opportunity to showcase our state across Australia.
The WA Government continues to bring major sporting & tourism events to our shores with the award-winning Optus Stadium once again taking centre stage.
Rita Saffioti, WA Deputy Premier & Tourism Minister
It is a great endorsement for rugby league to secure the support of the WA Government to host the game’s showpiece in Perth in 2025 and 2028 & a strong indication of the appetite for the game in the west & while it is a neutral venue, the Blues, with the strong support of The Star Blatchys fans, are thrilled at the prospect of returning to Perth where we have great memories of this ground, experiencing success at the debut Perth game in 2019 and again in 2022.
Brad Fittler, NSW Blues Coach
State Of Origin 2025 & 2028 are supported by the WA Government through their tourism agency, Tourism WA.
About 20,000 people took in the newly renamed Airshows Downunder Shellharbour 2024, held just over 3 weeks ago.
This was the 1st edition, renamed from Wings Over Illawarra, to be organised by Aerospace, Maritime & Defence Australia Foundation after taking over from Bright Events.
Attendance was well down on last edition – by about 16,000 people. This is significant given they were expecting 40,000 – 4,000 more than last edition. This was probably as a result of a lack of brand awareness given the new name after 15 years of Wings Over Illawarra. This would be of concern particularly given the next edition is not for another 2 years!
It began on the Friday with the returning Schools & Careers Open Day (a non-general public day). It was headlined by a flypast of “Connie”, a Lockheed C-121C Super Constellation based at the nearby Historic Aircraft Restoration Society, at 11:21am, which was viewed by students and prospective aviators. It was accompanied by a TBM Grumman Avenger, North American P-51, CAC CA-18 Mustang & 2 P-40 Kittyhawks.
Saturday’s weather didn’t start out well. It caused an approximately 45-minute delay in proceedings with the YAK-110 eventually starting the flying program with its air show debut. This aircraft is nothing short of amazing. Aerobatics aside, it’s combination of radial & jet engines makes any flight of this aircraft one of immense skill. It concluded with a ground fireball effect.
Each day’s flying program was to start with a Flag Drop but on both days it didn’t occur. An extra wall of fire was added to Paul Bennet’s aerobatics with the Wolf Pitts Pro, when he did his signature ‘Knife Edge’ manoeuvre. However, unlike previous years where the Wall Of Fire was on both the northern & southern sides of the east-west runway, this year it was only on the northern side.
Around 1:30pm, the Hawker Sea Fury made its Australian air show debut with a handling display. 30 minutes later, there were a few adjustments – 3 P-40 Kittyhawks were to appear for a formation flypast but only 2 ended up flying. Paul Bennett’s was out of action. Shortly after, the Cessna A-37 Dragonfly were brought forward by 20 minutes & combined with the Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules’s display. This was due to the non-flying appearance of the CAC Sabre MK32, which was to be flown immediately before the Hercules. However, the earlier weather & the resulting wet state of the runway prevented its take-off.
In some good news, for the 1st time ever, The Sky Aces performed with 4 aircraft at the air show. In all previous editions, they have flown 3 aircraft. Meanwhile unfortunately news for the Simulated Ground Attack, only 1 Supermarine Spitfire took flight to give chase to the ‘attacking’ Focke-Wulf F-190.
Even though the Saturday ended 45 minutes late & the headline act – the F35 Lightning II – was understandably out of action due to a hailstorm at their air base near Newcastle (which also resulted in the Heritage Flight with the CAC CA-18 Mustang not occurring), the next major headline act, the Balbo, surprisingly didn’t occur despite all but 1 of the Balbo aircraft flying during & around its designated time slot. The Balbo‘s non-appearance is more perplexing when one of its planes, the CAC CA-18 Mustang, took the F-35 Lightning’s place for the day’s final Wall Of Fire, which closed Saturday’s flying program.
Sunday turned out, as forecasted, to be the better day of weather at the 2024 public air show days. However, it was not without its problems. A boost in attendance, due to the better weather, didn’t occur & as stated earlier, the Flag Drop didn’t go ahead again, though the weather was better. Paul Bennett in his Wolf Pitts Pro didn’t go ahead in its scheduled slot, most likely due to him making repairs on his P-40 Kittyhawk, though his Wall Of Fire did take place with his aeronautic partner, Glenn Graham, in the Edge 540, wowing the crowd with aerobatics in the Wolf Pitts Pro slot. This meant Glenn & the Edge 540’s slot was left vacant. The slot immediately & originally preceding Glenn Graham & the Edge 540’s slot, held by the Lockheed AP-3C Orion had its own issues with the Orion making a non-appearance on Sunday’s flying display program. It remained a static display on the ground though, which you could walk through.
A full complement of 3 P-40 Kittyhawks was hoped for on the Sunday with Paul Bennet making efforts to repair his but after the non-flying appearance of 1 P-40 Kittyhawk on the Saturday, instead, worse news was received: only 1 P-40 Kittyhawk would end up flying during its designated Sunday flying display program slot as another Kittyhawk became mechanically unfit for flight.
The CAC Sabre MK32 was anticipated to make it’s display after the Saturday’s wet runway stopped its appearance but on start-up, the ground power starter unit failed, resulting in the Cessna A-37 Dragonfly to repeat its Saturday duo with the Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules.
The Sky Aces appeared with a full complement of 4 aircraft again on the Sunday indicating repairs on Paul Bennetts’ P-40 Kittyhawk were on hold until the event finished at 5pm.
Whilst Paul Bennett’s Kittyhawk was still not fixed, the other was in time for 2 Kittyhawks to fly in the Balbo, replacing the Lockheed Hudson & Focke-Wulf 190 probably to make up for the reduction in the earlier Kittyhawk display. The 7-aircraft Balbo was thus reduced to 6 aircraft, due to the grounded Supermarine Spitfire but unlike Saturday, it went ahead. The Heritage Flight & the F-35 Lightning II (with Wall Of Fire) finale went ahead in their Sunday slots with the latter given an extra ground fireball effect to start its display.
Despite these flying program amendments, both days’ flying programs were relatively as advertised unlike the 2022 edition which saw the Sunday flying program completely rewritten. The Southern Cross replica made its air show return, aerobatic displays by Matt Hall and his aerobatic up & comer, new to this event, Emma MacDonald as well as a plethora of warbirds & historic aircraft, both in the air and on display on the tarmac. In the air, there was an English Electric Canberra and an AP-3C Orion among others while on the ground, there was an F-111 and of course, the iconic City Of Canberra Boeing 747. There were also static Australian Defence Force aircraft, exhibits and stalls including the Royal Australian Air Force Balloon.
Drone racing returned bigger and better than ever. It was once again, live streamed in full over the 3 days, hosted once again by Race Director, Tim “TimmyTron” Crofts with extra commentary by William “Bear” McCann. The tournament was won in the end by DimSim (Mason Grunsell) with last edition’s winner, Davey FPV (David Newman), finishing 6th. A new team classification was introduced this edition with Outer Heaven Drone Racing winning on 99 points. DimSim‘s team, Eastside FPV (1st-person-view), came 2nd on 91 points & Davey FPV‘s team, Canberra Multi-Rotor Racing Club finished 3rd on 47 points. On the Saturday, the drone racing tournament also acted as a qualifying tournament for Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel to represent the ADF at the Military International Drone Racing Tournament, to be hosted in London later this year.
A German World War II exhibit (complete with tanks) & the return of a full classic vehicle display rounded out the static exhibits which were accompanied by market stalls, general aviation exhibitors & scenic helicopter flights by Touchdown Helicopters. An amusement ride carnival provided some alternative entertainment.
While this is the 1st edition under the management of the AMDA Foundation, the year-long lead-in since the announcement of the event’s new management probably led the AMDA Foundation to, despite having more resources to put on a bigger air show as the announcement indicated, keep the event relatively similar to the previous Wings Over Illawarra edition. With a now 2-year lead-in until the next edition, which is unusual for this event, it is likely the 1st major changes will be made to make it a bigger air show than ever before in early March 2026. Crucially though, they will need to sort out the attendance drop, which was the 1st in the event’s history outside of weather-affected editions.
Remember, if you missed the air show, the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society Museum, which is based at Shellharbour Airport, is open nearly year-round and holds monthly Tarmac Days, which if you’re lucky, may feature their historic aircraft taking flight.
But the time to be at Shellharbour Airport is Airshows Downunder Shellharbour – now held biannually – so until early March 2026!
A 40 kilometre Global Rainbow, by United States artist Yvette Mattern, emanating from Sydney Tower Eye north to as far as Woy Woy on the Central Coast is the standout highlight of Vivid Sydney 2024.
Global Rainbow Artist Impression Artist Impression: Vivid Sydney
Yvette Mattern is a visual artist, based in Los Angeles & Berlin, whose work has an emphasis on video, film & public light installations. Her work has been internationally exhibited, with Global Rainbow already appearing in Berlin, London, Toronto & Northern Ireland & she has collaborated with many artists on film and theatre projects including Cindy Sherman’s Office Killer, Al Pacino, Diller+Scofidio and The Builder’s Association among others.
Global Rainbow Laser Path (Is there a pot of gold in Woy Woy?) Satellite Image: Google Maps
Vivid Sydney 2024, with its theme of Humanity, will spotlight our love, kindness, compassion & creativity. Vivid Sydney 2024 – Humanity Director, Gill Minervini, said this year will look at how our interconnected world is fuelled by creativity:
Humanity is at the core of everything we do & this year, Vivid Sydney is diving deep into what makes us uniquely human.
We have curated a diverse program that explores the human spirit, designed to foster connections, spark imagination & showcase the multitude of ways creativity enriches our lives. Everyone is invited to be part of this global event in the world’s most beautiful city to connect, create & celebrate.
Illuminating Sydney’s stunning harbourfront & CBD with vibrant bursts of colour, mesmerising artworks & dynamic 3D projections, Vivid Light beckons everyone to immerse themselves in a display of human creativity and experience. In 2024, we emphasise works of grand scale, interactivity & profound meaning, delving into the rich tapestry of human experience through exclusive artist collaborations only found at Vivid Sydney.
Gill Minervini, ‘Vivid Sydney’ 2024 – ‘Humanity’ Director
Made of laser beams, Yvetta Mattern is using her Global Rainbow to increase hope for a more inclusive world.
Over at the Sydney Opera House, the centrepiece of Vivid Sydney, the Lighting Of The Sails, will this year be themed Echo (pictured at top of article). Using the projection mapping technology of The Pleasant Company & a soundscape by Angus Mills, Echo sees reality being made of only fabric, a touchstone of the commissioned artist, the most recent Archibald Prize winner, Julia Gutman, who leads us into Narcissus’s shadowy water world, navigating rocky subsoils & dangerous rivers. to ask us ‘What it means to truly see yourself?’
Through puppetry, Echo tells a story of vulnerability & strength, weaving together the imagined and the real, the public and the private & the dark and the light, calling us to look inwards & meet our shadows head on.
My 1st ever animation, Echo is a digital translation of patchworks I’ve made to date alongside a suite of imagery created specifically from the work, all of which have been composed from worn clothing, sheets & blankets donated by my community. The lines between self and other blur.
The work is about the paradox of self-consciousness, the limitations of our own capacity to truly see ourselves & the way our own unconscious wounds spill out into our perceptions of one another. It’s a story about confronting your shadow.
Intimacy lives at the core of my practice. I truly believe that life is just one long conversation or at least that’s what makes it mean something. Echo brings together my interests in narrative, materiality and the psychological in a story that I hope can be simultaneously personal & universal.
I’m incredibly overwhelmed & grateful that this work will be projected on the sails of the Sydney Opera House as part of Vivid LIVE 2024.
Julia Gutman, ‘Lighting Of The Sails’ 2014 Commissioned Artist
The Sydney Harbour Bridge & city buildings will, once again, be illuminated by Mandylights in their non-interactive soundtracked installation, Our Connected City. The Vivid Light Walk is also the same length – 8 kilometres – stretching from the Sydney Opera House/Circular Quay to Central Station via the Sydney Harbour foreshore & The Goods Line.
In Cockle Bay at Darling Harbour, the annual water/light/laser/projection show returns, though for now without pyrotechnics & this year is called Hika Rakuyo, which is a Japanese concept that uses flowers & falling leaves as a metaphor for life’s transient beauty. Focusing on native Australian flowers, this 8-minute show, on loop & produced by ETERNAL Art Space of Japan, uses holograms as well with the last show concluding at approximately 10:53pm each night.
In a surprise move though, no drone shows were announced at the Vivid Sydney 2024 – Humanity media launch. In a response to Sydney Spectaculars’ request for comment, Vivid Sydney hinted that a future drone show announcement will be made.
Sydney New Year’s Eve (NYE) 2013 – Shine Creative Ambassador, Reg Mombassa, will be using his artwork from that event on Customs House this year in a projection mapping show, in collaboration with The Spinfix Group, titled Gumscape With Road & Creatures. Judging by the photo below, they have already done 1 projection of it!
Gumscape With Road & Creatures Photograph: Vivid Sydney
It’s a journey into a microscopic world of bacterial monsters (just what we need after COVID-19!) but leaving us questioning our collective identity & humanity’s meaning. The best night to visit it is Saturday 25th May as at 7:30pm, Reg Mombassa will be there in front of Customs House in person performing free live music as part of the band, Dog Trumpet. This may mean the projection show does not have an official soundtrack.
Vivid Music in 2024 elevates artist stories & connects audiences in a diverse range of spaces, from cultural institutions & theatres to free & accessible spaces across the Vivid Light Walk. Hear music in new parts of our city & gather to celebrate voices from all around the world, artists who remind us that songs vibrate at the centre of our shared humanity.
Talking of music, Vivid Music in 2024 will expand to a new ‘Machine Hall Precinct’ in old Electricity Substation Number 164 at 183 Clarence Street with headliners of Deerhoof, Jen Cloher and No Fixed Address while down at Tumbalong Park near Darling Harbour, Tumbalong Nights returns for 12 nights with artists including Budjerah, grentperez (who performed at the last Sydney NYE concert) and Mallrat. Curated once again by Sydney Opera House’s Contemporary Music Head, Ben Marshall, Vivid Live also returns at the Sydney Opera House, featuring more than 50 Australian and international artists including Air, Arca, Underworld, Fever Ray, Snoh Aalegra, Sky Ferreira, Devonté Hynes, Sydney Symphony Orchestra with United Kingdom conductor Matthew Lynch & many more plus another annual series of Studio Parties.
And what’s bigger than Vivid Music? Vivid Food! Returning after its successful inaugural edition last year, Vivid Food in 2024 will see the popular Fire Kitchen relocated to The Goods Line while the 2023 sell-out Residence will return but the 2024 chef & host restaurant is still a mystery. A new VividPlace Food Trail just south of Circular Quay will feature a short but tasty journey through the ‘market’ stalls of 20 restaurants/bars while a unique bar snack & cocktail experience titled Auroeae (not May 29) will feature at Bennelong Bar by award-winning chef, Peter Gilmore.
In its 2nd year, the festival’s newest pillar Vivid Food explores how food is often at the core of the human experience, acting as both a vibrant expression of diversity & a powerful connecter. Blending internationally celebrated cuisine with authentic local food experiences, Vivid Sydney 2024 presents renowned & culturally diverse food cultures in Sydney to the world.
Gill Minervini, ‘Vivid Sydney’ 2024 – ‘Humanity’ Director
Plates With Purpose – A Taste Of Ukraine (4 June), allows you to show your solidarity with Ukraine through the 10-course cooking by Ukrainian refugees while a showcase of women in Aussie gastronomy & winemaking will feature at A Culinary Canvas by Danielle Alvarez (from 7 June). The Sydney Harbour Bridge Pylon Lookout & renowned chef Luke Mangan will also again feature as Table on Tuesday-Thursday nights.
Carriageworks will also feature once again for 13 days & nights with both Vivid Music & Food events.
Lastly, Vivid Ideas will feature this year After The Fact, a nightly current affair discussion series (27 May-14 June except 5 June) featuring Sydney NYE2008-2010 Creative Director, Rhoda Roberts & The Games Of The XXVIIth Olympiad: Opening Ceremony – Awakening Co-Director, Stephen Page among others. You can also peek into someone else’s window and discover a universal human trait at Window Dressing (not on Mondays). Shifting Perspectives is another installation, featuring dancing & a mirror maze (29 May-1 June) to bend your mind in a perception deception. In our opinion, rhese latter 2 installations deserve to be a part of Vivid Light rather than Vivid Ideas.
The Vivid Ideas program of 2024 offers the panel discussions, conferences & talks for which it is renowned, but this year we’ve broadened the program to include events that express ideas in less traditional formats. Think performance, walking tours, a 1-on-1 experience with a stranger, meditations and cryptoscopophilia!
You can also foster connections with new people at the critically-acclaimed A THOUSAND WAYS: An Encounter (29 May-14 June except 4 June) or join a different influential Australian each night as they present a curated series of films at the Golden Age of Humanity (Tuesday, Thursdays & Saturdays).
Vivid Sydney 2024 – Humanity Director Gill Minervini, according to The Sydney Morning Herald, has also hinted there are still “stratospheric”“big”Vivid Ideas announcements to come!
Tickets for Vivid Sydney 2024 ticketed events went on sale on March 11.
We’re getting set for the 14th Vivid Sydney. It’s an important event every year that Sydneysiders & visitors alike have come to love. It’s not just a light show. It’s a celebration of light, music, ideas & food – a program full of rich cultural experiences that resonate with locals & visitors alike.
Vivid Sydney brings together important parts of Sydney’s culture – Light, Music, Ideas & Food. It celebrates what’s great and unique about our city and our state & creates a uniquely Sydney experience. That’s why it’s been so popular over so many years.
This year’s festival will have a variety of free & cost-effective events on offer to provide many opportunities for people to come together & celebrate.
Last year, the festival achieved the biggest attendance on record & the largest visitor expenditure in its history, with more than 3.48 million attendees generating more than $206 million in visitor expenditure.
We look forward to welcoming Sydneysiders & the world as they come & experience first-hand Sydney at its creative best at Vivid Sydney 2024.
John Graham, New South Wales Minister For Jobs, Tourism, The Arts, Music & The Night-Time Economy
Attention has also been drawn to the existence of multiple social media pages impersonating Airshows Downunder Shellharbour, who are direct messaging their “followers” offering “upgrades”. In order for you to receive your “upgrade”, you need to provide your information to them. If you receive a message like this, please be very aware that this is a scam. As always, please be cautious & if it sounds too good, it generally is.
The event does not send friend requests, group invitations, direct messages asking for your information nor are offering upgrades & they advise against accepting any such requests, invitations, messages & offers. Furthermore, they request users to report any pages that impersonate Airshows Downunder Shellharbour.
Apart from official main & merchandise websites, the event only uses Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn social media sites, the official links of which are below:
For ticket purchases, rely solely on the official ticket provider, LUP, which is linked to here.
Sydney Spectaculars is not part of the organisers of Airshows Downunder Shellharbour. However, we always provide the official links to the event’s websites & social media webpages.
Flying Program Changes
On the 28th of February, the flying program timings were significantly updated. The update also made 1 significant change: the addition of a 5-minute Heritage Flight formation flypast at 3:47pm featuring the CAC CA-18 Mustang & F-35A Lightning II.
You can find the latest flying program here with any future updates to the flying program, if any, to be posted there directly rather than through an article.
Event Map
There, you can find the event map, which was revealed last week:
‘Airshows Downunder Shellharbour’ 2024 Public Air Show Day Event Map Map: Airshows Downunder Shellharbour
From the 2024 event map, new features can be spotted including a new taxi/rideshare pick-up/drop-off area at the corner of the Princes Highway & Station Road. A new Veterans’ Retreat is located right next to the main air show runway in front of but a bit to the south of the main Historic Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) Hangar. The Aviator Bar, food and wine tasting & Wings Winery are no longer features with bars instead being dispersed throughout the event site. There are still food stalls dispersed throughout the event site.
Along the southern runway is a new shaded seating section. The general aviation exhibitor area, now called ‘general exhibitor area’, has expanded to the market stall area, of which has also been relocated itself to the west of the carnival rides/family zone (formerly The Captains’ Carnival). Classic vehicles also return south of the market stalls, while at the northern end of the site is a ‘Chalet‘, an organiser-only area for their VIPs (probably sponsors & local politicians). Defence Exhibits & Australian Defence Force (ADF) Careers have relocated from just south of the Gold Pass Grandstand to approximately north of the general exhibitor area & drone racing big top. To the north of the ADF Careers area are the ADF’s Flight Simulators. At the western end of the general aviation exhibitors is the Air Force Shop.
Live Streaming
Like last year, the drone racing tournament will be live streamed over all 3 days.
Weather
The event, for the 1st time since 2008, is being held in March – the 2nd time ever to be – but it is also the 1st edition to be held on this particular March weekend (back in 2008, it was held the following Saturday) so previous events’ weather cannot be compared.
Weather has plagued the event before – mainly in 2014 & 2015, when high crosswinds cancelled the flying program (except 3 morning displays) and when an East Coast Low cancelled the whole event respectively. There is no sign of similar weather this year.
A low-intensity heatwave warning has been issued for the event on Saturday. It’s advised to seek a place & if available, use fans or air-conditioners, to keep cool. It may take some days to recover from a heatwave.
Forecast
The below paragraph is for the Wollongong area.
Sunday is looking better than Saturday at this stage with less rain and no chance of a thunderstorm in the Wollongong area. Saturday has a chance of a thunderstorm while Sunday will be a mostly sunny day. Saturday has a high chance of showers, most likely during the afternoon & early evening while Sunday has a medium chance of showers late this afternoon & evening. Saturday is cloudy but Sunday is partly cloudy. Both days the winds start light. On Saturday morning, the wind becomes 20-30km/h southerlies while around midday on Sunday, the winds begin 15-20km/h north-northeasterlies before, during the late afternoon, they become southeasterlies at 20-30km/h.
The amount of rain forecast is not enough to cancel the entire event or most of the flying program. However, the chance of a thunderstorm on Saturday may ground the flying program for the duration of the storm, if any. Previous editions have seen the flying program run overtime until 5pm if conditions necessitate it.Safety is paramount so if there is a delay in the flying program, please be calm and patient.Organisers will try their best to ensure a great safe air show. If a severe thunderstorm does appear, a warning will be issued by the Bureau Of Meteorology, which can be found here.
The below details are for Albion Park:
General Forecast: (Late on Sunday) Shower Or Two
Minimum Temperature: 21 (Saturday) & 17 (Sunday)
Maximum Temperature: 25 (Saturday) & 30 (Sunday)
Possible Rainfall: Up to 3mm (Saturday) & Up to 1mm (Sunday)
Rain Chance: 70% (Saturday) & 50% (Sunday)
Sun Protection: Recommended 9:30am to 4:40pm
Maximum UV Index: 10 (Saturday) & 9 (Sunday) (Very High)
The Bureau Of Meteorology’s MetEye service predicts the following for Shellharbour Airport:
11am Saturday – Thunderstorm chance, 10-25% chance of any rain, 50% chance of 0mm, 10-20km/h winds heading north, feels like 24-27 degrees Celsius, 80-90% relative humidity, 7-8 (clear sky) UV Index
2pm Saturday – Thunderstorm chance, 25-50% chance of any rain, 50% chance of 0mm, 20-30km/h winds heading north-northwest, feels like 24-27 degrees Celsius, 70-80% relative humidity, 9-10 (clear sky) UV Index
5pm Saturday – Thunderstorm chance, 25-50% chance of any rain, 50% chance of 0mm, 10-20km/h winds heading north-northwest, feels like 18-21 degrees Celsius, 80-90% relative humidity, 2-3 (clear sky) UV Index
11am Sunday – 0-10% chance of any rain, 50% chance of 0mm, 0-10km/h winds heading south, feels like 24-27 degrees Celsius, 50-60% relative humidity, 6-7 (clear sky) UV Index
2pm Sunday – 0-10% chance of any rain, 50% chance of 0mm, 10-20km/h winds heading west, feels like 30-33 degrees Celsius, 40-50% relative humidity, 9-10 (clear sky) UV Index
5pm Sunday – Rain, 10-25% chance of any rain, 50% chance of 0mm, 10-20km/h winds heading northwest, feels like 24-27 degrees Celsius, 60-70% relative humidity, 2-3 (clear sky) UV Index
Sun protection is recommended when the UV Index is 3 or higher.
Transport
Ticketholders to the 2 main public event days are recommended to arrive by train.
Train
The air show is on the South Coast Line (Bondi Junction to Bomaderry via Central). This form of transport is ideal for locals, Sydneysiders and visitors & people from the Shoalhaven. Due to the current low-intensity heatwave on Saturday, if you feel unwell at the platform, see staff to assist you boarding the train. The station the air show is at is Albion Park, which is right across the road from Shellharbour Airport.
These are the last train times before gates open at 9am (arrival station in italics):
Bondi Junction – 6:15am
Town Hall/Bomaderry – 6:26am
Central – 6:29am
Redfern – 6:32am
Wolli Creek – 6:40am
Sutherland – 7:02am
Kiama – 7:50am (Saturday)
Kiama – 7:53am (Sunday)
Albion Park – 8:09am (from Kiama, 51 minutes before gates open & 2 hours, 33 minutes before flying program begins)
Albion Park – 8:11am (from Kiama, 49 minutes before gates open & 2 hours, 31 minutes before flying program begins)
Wollongong – 8:16am
Albion Park – 8:36am (from Bondi Junction, 24 minutes before gates open & 2 hours, 6 minutes before flying program begins) (Saturday)
Albion Park – 8:38am (from Bondi Junction, 22 minutes before gates open & 2 hours & 4 minutes before flying program begins) (Sunday)
These are the last train times before the flying program begins (arrival station in italics):
Bondi Junction – 8:13am
Town Hall – 8:24am
Central – 8:29am
Redfern – 8:31am
Bomaderry – 8:32am
Wolli Creek – 8:40am
Sutherland – 9:02am
Kiama – 9:56am (Saturday)
Kiama – 9:57am (Sunday)
Wollongong – 10:08am
Albion Park – 10:16am (from Kiama, 26 minutes before flying program begins)
Albion Park – 10:31am (from Bondi Junction, 11 minutes before flying program begins)
Airline
Link Airways is the only airline servicing Shellharbour Airport. These flights are currently only ideal for people travelling from Queensland or Victoria. All Brisbane flights immediately before 12:55pm Sunday still have seats available. Melbourne flights are all sold out.
Coach
The NSW Trainslink Southern NSW Coach Service 749 operates (Bundanoon to Wollongong via Albion Park). This form of transport is ideal for people travelling from the Southern Highlands or via a train from Albury, Griffith or Canberra. You cannot catch a coach from Wollongong to Albion Park. Bookings are required to be made on event day. The stop the air show is at is Albion Park Railway Station, which is right across the road from the air show. Below are the last available coach times to the air show (as of writing) (arrival stops in italics):
Bundanoon – 6:15am
Exeter – 6:20am
Moss Vale – 6:30am
Bowral – 6:45am
Burrawang – 7:03am
Robertson – 7:13am
Albion Park – 7:50am (from Bundanoon, 1 hour and 10 minutes until gates open & 2 hours and 52 minutes until the flying program begins)
Bus
Premier Illawarra operates 4 bus routes to the air show:
37 (Lake Illawarra Loop: Wollongong to Shellharbour anti-clockwise via Dapto & Albion Park Rail)
57 (Lake Illawarra Loop: Wollongong to Shellharbour clockwise via Warrawong & Albion Park Rail)
76 (Shellharbour Village to Albion Park via Albion Park Rail (Loop Service))
77 (Shellharbour to Albion Park via Albion Park Rail (Loop Service))
This form of transport is ideal for people travelling locally.However, they mainly operate on the Saturday. The stops the air show is at is Albion Park Railway Station, which is right across the road from the air show and the Princes Highway. There are 6 bus stops in the vicinity (1 at the Railway Station and 4 on the Princes Highway, three southbound, two northbound). All bus times below are for Saturday except where stated.
Below are the last available bus times at major bus interchanges before the gates open (arrival stops in italics) (bus route in brackets):
Warrawong Plaza, King Street – 7:29am (57)
Wollongong Entertainment Centre, Crown Street, Wollongong – 7:42am (37)
Warilla Grove Shops, Shellharbour Road – 7:44am (57)
Wollongong Central, Stand C – 7:45am (37)
Lake Entrance Road before Leewarra Avenue, Warilla – 7:47am (57)
Stockland Shellharbour, Shellharbour City Centre – 7:52am (57)
Figtree Grove, Princes Highway – 7:57am (37)
Princes Highway opposite Victoria Street, Unanderra – 7:59am (37)
Central Avenue after Fisher Street, Oak Flats – 8:02am (57)
All Saints Anglican Church, Tongarra Road, Albion Park – 8:08am (76)
Dapto Mall – 8:09am (37)
Princes Highway opposite Albion Park Railway Station/Princes Highway opposite Creamery Road, Albion Park Rail – 8:10am (57, 50 minutes until gates open & 2 hours, 32 minutes until the flying program begins)
Wollongong Entertainment Centre, Crown Street, Wollongong – 8:17am (37, Sunday)
Wollongong Central, Stand C – 8:20am (37, Sunday)
145 Princes Highway, Albion Park Rail – 8:23am (37, 37 minutes until gates open & 2 hours, 19 minutes until the flying program begins)
Princes Highway before Creamery Road, Albion Park Rail – 8:24am (37, 36 minutes until gates open & 2 hours and 18 minutes until the flying program begins)
Albion Park Railway Station, Princes Highway – 8:25am(37, 35 minutes until gates open & 2 hours and 17 minutes until the flying program begins)
Tongarra Road after Terry Street, Albion Park – 8:24am (76)
Figtree Grove, Princes Highway – 8:31am (37, Sunday)
Princes Highway opposite Albion Park Railway Station – 8:32am (76, 28 minutes until gates open & 2 hours and 10 minutes until the flying program begins)
Albion Park Railway Station/Albion Park Railway Station, Princes Highway – 8:33am (76, 27 minutes until gates open & 2 hours and 9 minutes until the flying program begins)
Princes Highway opposite Victoria Street, Unanderra – 8:37am (37, Sunday)
Dapto Mall – 8:47am (37, Sunday)
145 Princes Highway, Albion Park Rail/Princes Highway before Creamery Road, Albion Park Rail – 8:59am (37, Sunday, 1 minute until gates open)
Route 76 also stops in Woollybutt Drive at 7:58am but will travel, as shown in the list above, around Albion Park for 1 hour and 34 minutes before arriving at the air show at 8:32am/8:33am. Alternatively, you can walk the 15 minutes from that bus stop to the air show main gates or catch the 8-minute shuttle bus to the air show main gates from Albion Oval, which is next to Woollybutt Drive.
Below are the last available bus times before the flying program (arrival stops in italics):
Wollongong Entertainment Centre, Wollongong – 8:17am (37, Sunday)
Wollongong Central, Stand C – 8:20am (37, Sunday)
Crown Street opposite Fisher Street, West Wollongong – 8:28am (37, Sunday)
Figtree Grove, Princes Highway – 8:31am (37, Sunday)
Princes Highway opposite Victoria Street – 8:37am (37, Sunday)
Dapto Mall – 8:47am (37, Sunday)
145 Princes Highway, Albion Park Rail/Princes Highway before Creamery Road, Albion Park Rail – 8:59am (37, Sunday, 1 hour & 43 minutes until flying program begins)
Warrawong Plaza, King Street – 9:33am (57, Sunday)
Warrawong Plaza, King Street – 9:34am (57)
All Saints Anglican Church, Tongarra Road, Albion Park – 9:38am (77)
Wollongong Entertainment Centre, Crown Street, Wollongong – 9:41am (37)
Wollongong Central, Stand C – 9:44am (37)
Warilla Grove Shops, Shellharbour Road – 9:48am (57, Sunday)
Warilla Grove Shops, Shellharbour Road – 9:50am (57)
Lake Entrance Road before Leewarra Avenue, Warilla – 9:51am (57, Sunday)
Lake Entrance Road before Leewarra Avenue, Warilla – 9:53am (57)
Tongarra Road after Terry Street, Albion Park – 9:54am (77)
Figtree Grove – 9:55am (37)
Stockland Shellharbour, Shellharbour City Centre – 9:56am (57, Sunday)
Stockland Shellharbour, Shellharbour City Centre – 9:58am (57)
Princes Highway opposite Victoria Street – 9:59am (37)
Princes Highway opposite Albion Park Station – 10:01am (77, 41 minutes until flying program begins)
Central Avenue after Fisher Street, Oak Flats – 10:06am (57, Sunday)
Central Avenue after Fisher Street, Oak Flats – 10:08am (57)
Dapto Mall – 10:09am (37)
Princes Highway opposite Albion Park Station/Princes Highway opposite Creamery Road, Albion Park Rail – 10:14am (57, Sunday, 28 minutes until flying program begins)
Princes Highway opposite Albion Park Station/Princes Highway opposite Creamery Road, Albion Park Rail – 10:16am (57, 26 minutes until flying program begins)
145 Princes Highway, Albion Park Rail – 10:23am (37, 19 minutes until flying program begins)
Princes Highway before Creamery Road, Albion Park Rail – 10:24am (37, 18 minutes until flying program begins)
Albion Park Railway Station, Princes Highway – 10:25am (37, 17 minutes until flying program begins)
Route 77 also stops in Deakin Street, Bridge Avenue, Wentworth Street & Industrial Road (Oak Flats), Wooroo Street, Karoo Street, Koona Street & Windang Street (Albion Park Rail) for local residents to travel to the air show between 9:16am & 9:26am on Saturday, arriving at Albion Park Railway Station, Princes Highway at 9:28am, 1 hour and 14 minutes before the flying program begins.
UPDATE: A significant flying program update was made on the 28th of February with the Hawker Sea Fury doing a 5-minute handling display at 12:48pm.
A Hawker Sea Fury is to make its Australian air show debut at Airshows Downunder Shellharbour 2024!
It was recently acquired by Paul Bennets Airshows, who will also present a handling display of a TBM Grumman Avenger (which will also appear in the Balbo), a formation flypast with 3 P-40 Kittyhawks & 3 aerobatic displays one with a Wolf Pitts Pro, one with an Edge 540 and the last being, The Sky Aces.
The announcement was made on the 19th of February with Paul Bennets Airshows rebuilding the aircraft after delivery (see above photo) in time for the air show as of the date of the announcement.
On each public air show day, the Hawker Sea Fury will conduct a 11-minute handling display at 12:47pm.
This latest announcement completes the flying program for the public air show days on the 2nd & 3rd of March.
Airshows Downunder Shellharbour, now held every 2 years, is on 1-3 March 2024 at Shellharbour Airport. Tickets can be bought here & merchandise can be bought via click & collect (at the event) here. Day 1 is only open to students, minimum Year 9, teachers & careers advisors including parents while Day 2 & 3 are open to the general public.
UPDATE: A significant flying program update was made on 28th of Februarywith the YAK-110 flying at 10:46am& 3:33pm with a 7- & 14-minute aerobatic display respectively.
A YAK-110 has been announced to be part of the flying program at Airshows Downunder Shellharbour 2024!
It was announced on the 16th of February.
This aircraft has never appeared in any previous Wings Over Illawarra editions.
With its distinctive design including 1 extra-long wing, 2 tails, 3 engines & 2 cockpits, this unique aircraft will be making 2 11-minute aerobatic displays each public air show day.
On each public air show day, the YAK-110 will be the 1st display aircraft in flight at 10:41am, after the Skydive Australia Flag Drop & after the Balbo, will do a final aerobatic display at 3:37pm just before the day’s grand finale of the F-35 Lightning II military jet!
Airshows Downunder Shellharbour, now held every 2 years, is on 1-3 March 2024 at Shellharbour Airport. Tickets can be bought here & merchandise can be bought via click & collect (at the event) here. Day 1 is only open to students, minimum Year 9, teachers & careers advisors including parents while Day 2 & 3 are open to the general public.
Sydney Spectaculars 
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