Category: Vivid Sydney

Vivid Sydney, Carriageworks, and Modular Music are thrilled to announce that fashion and music icon Grace Jones will perform a third and final concert as part of Vivid Sydney on Tuesday 2 June. With the first two concerts close to selling out, organisers have confirmed the internationally lauded music superstar will perform a third night exclusively for Vivid Sydney, the world’s largest festival of light, music and ideas, owned and managed by Destination NSW, the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency.

The Tuesday 2 June concert at Carriageworks will follow concerts on Sunday 31 May and Monday 1 June. Tickets to the third concert go on sale today, Monday 18 May at 10am. This will be Jones’ only Australian appearances and her first visit to Sydney since her sell-out shows in 2011. Modulations has been delighted by the enthusiastic response from Sydney audiences as tickets have been in high demand to see the music superstar in this intimate setting for her Sydney-exclusive performances.

Carriageworks Director, Lisa Havilah said, “Grace Jones has a large and loyal following in Australia so we are thrilled to add a third concert to the Modulations program. One of the most influential artists of her generation, Jones is one of the original female music industry pioneers and a true cultural innovator of our time.”

Modulations Creative Director Stephen Pavlovic said Jones is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential music and fashion icons of the 20th century, and her reputation for electric on-stage performances makes this a must-see music event. “Grace Jones at Modulations will be a rare opportunity to experience a true music legend in the intimate and immersive spaces at Carriageworks. A truly iconic singer, songwriter, model, actor and all round enigma. Her live sets are duly renowned as nothing short of incredible, segueing from disco to funk, from pop to punk, all presented within a visual spectacular as stunning as the musical artistry. Grace’s performance promises to be unmissable.”

Modulations returns with an expanded program this year set across two jam-packed weekends promising six days of exclusive music performances, contemporary ideas and innovative food experiences as part of Vivid Sydney.

Vivid Sydney transforms the city into a colourful canvas of light, music and ideas for 18 nights from 22 May to 8 June.

For more information on Vivid Sydney visit www.vividsydney.com

To book tickets for Modulations visit www.carriageworks.com.au

IMPORTANT TICKETING INFORMATION

Tickets to Grace Jones third concert are on sale from 10:00am Monday 18 May. For bookings visit: www.carriageworks.com.au

GRACE JONES CONCERT DETAILS

• WHAT: Grace Jones in Concert
• WHEN: Sunday 31 May, Monday 1 June, Tuesday 2 June, 8pm
• WHERE: Carriageworks, Sydney
• TICKETS: $127*

Media Release: Vivid Sydney

In just one week, the city will sparkle, shimmer and shine even more brightly when the lights go on for Vivid Sydney. Organisers are sharing tips to help visitors make the most of the 18 night festival from 22 May – 8 June.

NSW Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events, Stuart Ayres said: “Sydney is about to light up our Harbour city and enthral visitors from around Australia and across the world who visit Sydney for this very special annual event.”

Vivid Sydney, the world’s largest festival of light, music and ideas, will feature more than 60 lighting installations, 70 music performances and 150 Ideas events. The festival will spread from Circular Quay to Walsh Bay and take in Martin Place, Darling Harbour, Pyrmont, Central Park, Chatswood and the University of Sydney.

Destination NSW CEO, Sandra Chipchase said: “Vivid Sydney is set to light up the city and visitors’ hearts with some of our most incredible light installation programs yet. With so much to see and do, we offer the following tips to help everyone get the most out of their Vivid Sydney experience.”

With a bigger light festival planned in 2015, here are some of the top picks:

1. See the Harbour illuminated

Be dazzled by a fleet of ferries and boats that will light up different colours which will change as they cruise through the Harbour and beyond. Ferries, jet boats, harbour cruise vessels will take part in the ‘Harbour City Lights’ moving art.

2. Give Dolly a Hug

Sure to be a crowd-pleaser, head to Campbell’s Cove to give a giant crocheted doll a hug. The illuminated Dolly is the perfect Vivid Sydney night light and is sure to be popular with young and old.

3. Re-live your childhood at First Fleet Park

Enjoy tributes to family favourite games at First Fleet Park’s interactive hub. Be the DJ with Beat Dice, a series of drum cubes that light up. Play Duck Duck Goose on the installation of the same name or spot the piggy in the middle at Entitle, a giant illuminated Rocco pig. The young, or young-at-heart can swing the night away on Swing Glow, a glowing swing set.

4. Don’t miss Enchanted Sydney

Be mesmerised by the flora and fauna of Sydney when it’s projected onto one of the city’s oldest sandstone buildings, Customs House, at Enchanted Sydney. The city will hum with gorgeous butterflies and soft mossy flora.

5. Make your way to Martin Place

Head to Martin Place for some refreshments at Transcendence and then get hands-on with ‘a game of drones’. Other installations included in the precinct include the giant Robotanics, Phase Frames, Spectra and Drum Circle.

6. Be wowed in Darling Harbour

Head to Darling Harbour for the Vivid Laser-Fountain Water Theatre to see a spectacular liquid-light show featuring dynamic jets and spirals of water, full-colour lighting, rainbow-coloured lasers and dancing flame effects, all to a soundtrack from Sydney electronic music gurus, the Presets.

7. Jump on the train and head out to new precincts of Chatswood and Central Park

Whether you love street art projections and silent discos at Central Park, or if you are more inclined to be drawn into the story of Norbet and the Nautilus at Chatswood, the new Vivid Sydney precincts this year will buzz with light installations and much more!

Vivid Sydney 2015 Tips

1. Go early in the week and early in the night!

Vivid Sydney is on for 18 days, so there’s plenty of time to see it all. Monday to Wednesday is less busy than weekends so those who want to stroll leisurely through Vivid Sydney should take advantage of these quieter periods by visiting on weeknights. Special tip for families – start your experience at Martin Place and Central Park where lights turn on at 5:30pm nightly, before the rest of the festival lights up at 6:00pm.

2. Leave the car at home

Plan your trip at www.vividsydney.com/transport, leave the car at home and catch public transport to and from the event.

3. Download the free Vivid Sydney smartphone app

Follow the Vivid Trail of your favourite sportsperson, media personality or photographer, and see what installations are near you with Near Me technology with the Vivid Sydney app. Available now to be downloaded at iTunes and Google Play, the app is sure to enhance your Vivid Sydney experience.

4. Take your camera and get social with #vividsydney

If you’re feeling social and sharing photos online, don’t forget to tag #vividsydney. Selfie lovers should also head to You Are Here on the Light Walk to get a snap with the iconic Sydney Opera House as the backdrop.

5. There’s no need to rush

Take your time. Vivid Sydney is open for 18 nights so you can plan to visit more than one precinct or return to a much loved installation.

Vivid Sydney is owned and managed by the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency Destination NSW. Visit www.vividsydney.com for more information.

Media Release: Vivid Sydney

Expansion into city suburbs Chatswood and Central Park

Over 60 Lighting Installations and Projections

Expanded Music Program and Australian exclusives including The Hoodoo Gurus and Daniel Johns

Award-winning, Australian-first global speakers at Vivid Ideas

Vivid Sydney is set to shine even more brightly in 2015 when the world’s largest festival of light, music and ideas delivers its biggest program yet. For 18 nights, from 22 May – 8 June, Vivid Sydney will again transform the city and harbour.The 2015 program includes expansion into new city precincts Chatswood and Central Park, its biggest ever music program including Australian exclusives such as The Hoodoo Gurus at the Powerhouse Museum and Daniel Johns’ international solo debut at the Sydney Opera House, and heavy-hitting speakers at Vivid Ideas.

Vivid Sydney, now in its seventh year, is owned and managed by the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency Destination NSW.

Destination NSW Chief Executive Officer Sandra Chipchase said: “Vivid Sydney is an incredible public event that has seen amazing growth, attracting a record 1.43 million attendees in 2014. It’s the largest festival of its kind in the world, and with our biggest program yet, there’s even more to love about Vivid Sydney this year.

“While the heart of Vivid Light is still beating strongly in and around Circular Quay, Vivid Sydney is spreading even further into the city suburbs, with Central Park and Chatswood joining the program this year,” Ms Chipchase said.

“Favourite locations Circular Quay, Walsh Bay, Martin Place, and Darling Harbour are back with over 60 light installations and projections with even more opportunity for visitors to get hands on, more water theatre shows – this time with lasers and fire – and new and expanded programming at Pyrmont & The Star and the University of Sydney. The sandstone canvases of Customs House and the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA) will also return with spectacular new 3D projections.

“With all eyes on the Sydney Opera House, Lighting Of The Sails will once again take its place as the centrepiece of the amazing light spectacular during Vivid Sydney, with Universal Everything promising awe-inspiring projections that will reimagine the architecture as a living mural, with a diverse series of vibrant, hand-drawn sequences.

“Vivid Music will introduce its most expansive program yet, featuring more shows and venues and an impressive line-up of local and international talent,” she said.

The Hoodoo Gurus will perform an exclusive one-off show at the Powerhouse Museum and a new line up of cutting edge, innovative performances will be held across the city at new venues Goodgod Small Club, Oxford Art Factory and Freda’s, with the Seymour Centre, The Basement, The Argyle and Barrio Cellar part of the line-up again in 2015.

Part of the Vivid Music program, Vivid LIVE at the Sydney Opera House features a 10-night run of exclusive Sydney-only performances and for the first time will also include two large scale outdoor events, internal light projections and an event for kids and families. Features include four exclusive performances from Morrissey, Daniel Johns in his international solo debut, Sufjan Stevens in his only Australian performances and FCX – 10 Years of Future Classics featuring Flume and Flight Facilities. With a line-up of heavy-hitting speakers, Vivid Ideas introduces The Game Changers, a new talk series this year headlined by three global influencers: multi Emmy-winning writer Matthew Weiner, series creator and executive producer of Mad Men and former executive producer and writer on The Sopranos; Grammy-winning designer Stefan Sagmeister, whose clients include the Rolling Stones, Lou Reed and the Guggenheim Museum; and entrepreneur and publisher Tyler Brûlé, founder of the world-famous magazines Wallpaper and Monocle.

“With such an amazing festival planned, Destination NSW will continue to work with the travel industry to encourage visitation to Sydney from across Australia and the globe for this incredible event. We aim to build on the results from last year when more than 20,000 international visitors travelled to Sydney on dedicated Vivid Sydney travel packages,” Ms Chipchase said.

“Vivid Sydney will also work with event partners, land owners and a new accessibility specialist to build on the positive initiatives undertaken last year.

“A new sustainability partnership with The Banksia Foundation will also further develop Vivid Sydney’s sustainability agenda which includes recycling assets, environmental waste management practises and improved energy efficiency,” she said.

Vivid Sydney welcomes the return of Intel, a world-leader in computing technology, as event partner for the fifth consecutive year. 2015 Supporters include Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority, City of Sydney, Sydney Opera house, The Star, Canon, Indeed, 32 Hundred Lighting, Oracle and TDC.

Some of the highlights of Vivid Sydney 2015 program:

Where	What	When
Sydney Opera House	Design collective Universal Everything will be Lighting the Sails with spectacular projections.	Nightly from 6pm
Customs House	Enchanted Sydney by Spinifex, a continually evolving and blossoming world with free-flowing images of Sydney’s flora and fauna.	Nightly from 6pm
MCA (sandstone original building)	Mechanised Colour Assemblage by Danny Rose and Rebecca Baumann transforms the MCA into a series of sound and colour machines.	Nightly from 6pm
Sydney Harbour, Circular Quay, The Rocks and Walsh Bay	Harbour Lights returns with boats lit up, floating on the Harbour in a symphony of colour, Paint the Town allows visitors to illuminate the city’s skyscrapers, plus more than 60 light installations adorn the harbour foreshore.	Nightly from 6pm
Martin Place	The daytime centre of the city is illuminated at night with installations including Transcendence, an impressive towering structure featuring mesmerising projection mapping, code-driven light shows and divine fare from Sydney’s hippest purveyors of food and beverage.	Nightly from 6pm
Darling Harbour	Vivid Laser-Fountain Water Theatre presented by Oracle-Liquid is a choreographed audio visual symphony featuring fountain jets and spirals, colour lighting, rainbow lasers and dancing flames.	Nightly from 6pm
Central Park	STREETS AHEAD featuring projections from contemporary artists Reko Rennie and Beastman onto the heritage Carlton & United Brewery façade, plus Silent Discos every Friday and Saturday.	Nightly from 6pm
University Of Sydney	Vivid Path to the Future, a week long program of light, music and ideas with spectacular 3D mapped projections and a light walk.	25-31 May
Pyrmont & The Star	Vivid Sydney Game Zone, a buzzing multisensory entertainment precinct with interactive installations at Pyrmont Bay Park and Sky Terrace at The Star.	Nightly from 6pm
Chatswood	Aquatic Wonderland, a mesmerising water world featuring giant sea creatures and an animated aquarium, culminating in a beautifully-illustrated 3D animation set over the façade of The Concourse.	Nightly from 6pm to 11pm
Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House	Morrissey, Daniel Johns, Sufjan Stevens and FCX – 10 Years of Future Classic featuring Flume and Flight Facilities.	22 May to 8 June
Vivid Music	Hoodoo Gurus at Powerhouse Museum, Modulations at Carriageworks, the Seymour Centre and new venues Oxford Art Factory, Freda’s and Goodgod Small Club.	22 May to 8 June
Vivid Ideas	The Game Changers talk series with Matthew Weiner, Stefan Sagmeister and Tyler Brûlé, plus the Vivid Ideas Exchange sessions at the MCA.	22 May to 8 June

For more information on Vivid Sydney, visit www.vividsydney.com.

Vivid Sydney is breaking all previous records with more than 270,000 visitors welcomed during its first weekend, Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism and Major Events Andrew Stoner announced today.

“Vivid Sydney is dazzling audiences once again, with opening weekend visitors up 170 per cent on last year,” Mr Stoner said.

“The festival of light, music and ideas just gets bigger and better every year, and visitors come to Sydney from across the state, Australia and around the world to see Sydney put on a show like no other.”

“Of course, the light installations and projections are always extremely popular, and in 2014 Vivid Light has increased its footprint dramatically, providing a unique perspective not only of favourites like the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Circular Quay, but of new Vivid Sydney areas such as Martin Place.”

“With just over two weeks of Vivid remaining, it certainly looks like the festival is on track to generate significant visitor spend.”

“Last year, more than 800,000 people came to Vivid Sydney, which contributed over $20 million in new money to NSW,” he said.

“Vivid Sydney is also a huge hit with retailers, with many reporting double and triple the takings of a normal night. Ice cream is again proving to be particularly popular, especially with Sydney’s recent run of warm weather.”

“In fact Gelato Messina at Martin Place sold an extra 1,000 gelato sundaes on Saturday night alone, and over the weekend went through around 900kgs of gelato. The Intel-flavoured ‘Silly Cone Chips’ outsold the other flavours by twice as many,” Mr Stoner said.

Mr Stoner said that with crowds to Vivid Sydney building on the weekends, families should consider coming early in the week, and early on in the evening, with many installations on from 5:30pm including all of the light installations and projections at Martin Place.

“People should also consider splitting their visit to Vivid over several nights so they can see everything,” Mr Stoner said.

“Crowds build on the weekend so coming earlier in the week will help those with young children, prams and those visitors with mobility issues.”

“With 3,500 extra transport services and road closures, visitors to Vivid Sydney should take public transport and plan their trip by visiting www.vividsydney.com.au/transport,” he said.

Vivid Sydney 2014 is on each night from 6pm, until Monday 9th June.

The full Vivid Sydney program is available at http://vividsydney.com.

NSW Premier Mike Baird tonight officially launched Vivid Sydney 2014, the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest festival of light, music and ideas.

Mr Baird hit the switch as part of the annual ‘Lights On’ moment to officially launch the sixth year of the festival, lighting up the iconic sails of the Sydney Opera House.

“Vivid Sydney has become one of the city’s most anticipated events, drawing massive crowds from Sydney, interstate and overseas,” Mr Baird said.

“This event showcases the state’s creative talent and transforms the way the city’s most famous landmarks are viewed using spectacular lighting displays and projections.”

“Last year, the family friendly festival attracted an impressive 800,000 visitors, which in turn delivered a major $20 million boost to the NSW economy.”

“This event provides a welcome boost to shops, restaurants, cafes and bars during the winter period and I’d encourage everyone to leave the car at home and take advantage of more than 3,500 additional public transport services on offer during the festival.”

NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism & Major Events Andrew Stoner said Vivid Sydney is made up of more than 200 events that showcase the state’s creative industries, including digital media, design, animation and music.

“With 40 per cent of Australia’s creative industries based in NSW, nurturing our state’s creative sector through major events like Vivid Sydney has a positive impact on our economy and the overall strength of our nation’s creative industries,” Mr Stoner said.

“This year’s festival has been expanded to five new precincts, including Martin Place, Carriageworks, The University of Sydney, The Star and Sydney Harbour.”

“The festival includes 50 free light installations and projections transforming Sydney’s architecture and open spaces through Vivid Light, 80 Vivid Music shows, and 300 speakers at 180 creative industry events as part of Vivid Ideas,” he said.

Anyone attending Vivid Sydney is encouraged to view the full Vivid Sydney 2014 program and plan their trip to and from the event at vividsydney.com.

In just seven days Sydney will sparkle, shimmer and shine as the sails of the Opera House are splashed with colour and the Harbour foreshore and surrounds crisscrossed with 3D-mapped projections for the sixth year of the winter festival of light, music and ideas, Vivid Sydney.

Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner said Vivid Sydney, the winner of the Australian Event of the Year, had last year enthralled more than 800,000 visitors, contributing more than $20 million in new money to the NSW economy.

“Vivid Sydney gets bigger and brighter every year, and 2014 is no different with a spectacular program of lights, music and ideas that is sure to please the crowds,” Mr Stoner said.

“This year’s Vivid Light Walk boasts over 50 new light installations, and magic water theatre will once again transform Darling Harbour, with giant fountains, four major water screens, lasers, projections and pyrotechnics from the French master fontaneers, Aquatique, whose Vivid show is twice the size of last year’s and is designed as a theatre in the round,” Mr Stoner said.

“Perhaps the most exciting development for Vivid Sydney 2014 is in the area of building projection, with three international and five Australian digital content houses, working with our three main projection technology companies, the Electric Canvas, TDC and NovaTek, on eight major lighting projects. “

“In another Vivid Sydney first, the light and laser installation, Filament Storm, will play out on the façades of five Circular Quay skyscrapers, and feature six high powered 10-watt lasers, plus the latest in giant theatrical lights from the world’s largest lighting company, the Production Resource Group,” he said.

“These lights, known as the Best Boy and the Bad Boy, are less than a metre tall, weigh as much as a person and can light an entire skyscraper with a single instrument.”

Produced by Sketch Evolution, with major partners PRG, Oracle, and Laser Tri-Point Rigging, Filament Storm will tower over the Light Walk and help tie the Harbour to the CBD lighting spectacular in Martin Place which is yet to be fully revealed.

The sails of the Sydney Opera House will come alive with spectacular 3D-mapped projections by English company 59 Productions and French projection gurus, Danny Rose, are turning Customs House into a sequence of amazing interactive musical instruments.

Sydney’s visual content masters Spinifex Group, whose credits include two Olympic Games and a World Expo, are working with Australian artist Jess Johnson to transform the original façade of the Museum of Contemporary Art, while up-and-coming multimedia artists, The Digital Shamans in collaboration with another Australian artist, Ross Manning, will turn the new façade into an interactive piece of musical meditation.

Other new projections include; German artist Heinz Caspar, is painting Cadman’s Cottage with the changing seasons and; the multi-award-winning The Electric Canvas are projecting on the façade of The Star for the first time.

Sandra Chipchase, Destination NSW Chief Executive Officer said: “Last year 800,000 festival-goers including 11,000 international tourists who came on Vivid Sydney travel packages came to experience Vivid Sydney and marvel at our city in lights and snapped up over 51,000 tickets for an impressive program of concerts, conferences, creative product launches and exhibitions at Vivid Ideas and Vivid Music (including Vivid Live).”

“This year, visitors can expect an even bigger and better Vivid Sydney experience, with exciting new light installations, an expanded line up of contemporary and cutting edge music, and world renowned creative industries events – it is simply a must attend event so don’t miss out ,” she said.

VIVID LIGHT

Martin Place will hit the lights for the first time this year, featuring new installations with a number of impressive technical innovations, transforming the bustling thoroughfare into a gallery of light like no other. Darling Harbour will again sparkle brightly with water shows spanning two thirds of the bay, doubling 2013’s Harbour spectacular. French company, Aquatique’s, water show draws upon water jets, fountains and laser displays to paint a creative canvas of beauty and movement on the water.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge will be the largest and most spectacular coat-hanger on earth, and the water below will sparkle with Harbour Lights, as vessels and ferries light up to join in the fun. Sandstone will shine like never before at Customs House and the MCA, and over 50 light installations will enthral along the Vivid Light Walk.

VIVID MUSIC

A favourite feature during Vivid Sydney, music fans will again be spoilt for choice with an expanded Vivid Music line-up in even more venues around the city. Including, the Sydney Opera House (with Vivid LIVE), Seymour Centre, The Basement, Spice Cellar, Home Night Club, The Argyle, and the brand new event Modulations at Carriageworks (6-9 June), curated by Stephen Pavlovic.

Across its venues, Vivid Music including Vivid LIVE will feature performances from a wide range of artists including Pixies, Ms Lauryn Hill, Pet Shop Boys, The Liars, Hot Chip, The Luis And The Wildfires, ACO and The Presets, Nicky Siano, Laneous & The Family Yah, The Big Village, Giorgio Moroder, James Vincent McMorrow, Goodgod Small Club, Penny Penny, St. Vincent and Anna Calvi.

VIVID IDEAS

Sydney’s annual celebration of innovation, creativity and community, Vivid Ideas, includes a world renowned program of conferences, workshops, panels, talks, showcases, exhibitions, creative product launches, award presentations and networking functions. Vivid Ideas has quickly become a globally recognised platform for the best and brightest creative minds from Australia and overseas to connect, collaborate and create, and this year’s Vivid Ideas will include 300 speakers at over 180 events showcasing the best creative talent in the market.

Fans of Vivid Sydney looking to attend the 18 day festival are encouraged to leave the car at home and travel via public transport as road closures and special event clearways will be in place.

The full Vivid Sydney 2014 program is available at http://vividsydney.com.

Visiting Vivid Sydney will be easier this year with more than 3,500 extra public transport services available to help people travel to and from festival precincts, including the new Martin Place venue, as well as festival favourites Circular Quay, Darling Harbour, Walsh Bay and North Sydney.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism and Major Events Andrew Stoner said public transport was the best way for people to get out and about in the Harbour City and enjoy Vivid Sydney.

“Last year 800,000 visitors experienced Vivid Sydney, and this festival is shaping up to be our biggest and brightest event ever,” Mr Stoner said.

“The NSW Government has been working hard to ensure that the best transport and traffic measures are in place for another huge year of Vivid Sydney, and to make sure that visitors can move around the city there will be road closures in effect at various times, as well as special event clearways.”

“We are also providing a one-stop shop for the latest information about trains, buses, ferries, taxis and light rail services at the vividsydney.com website.”

“This will include all the latest information about trains, buses, ferries, taxis and light rail services that connect the Vivid Sydney precincts right across Sydney,” he said.

Vivid Sydney begins with ‘Lights On’ on Friday 23rd May at 6pm and runs nightly, 6pm – midnight until Monday 9thJune.

Over the three weekends of the event, almost 3200 extra bus services will run in addition to the regular timetable services, moving an extra 160,000 passengers.

An extra 350 train services will also be running on top of the regular weekend services to move an extra 500,000 people.

And an additional 132 ferry services will also be running over the weekends however these are expected to be very crowded, so the extra train and bus services are the best way to get to and from Vivid.

Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian encouraged people to take advantage of the additional public transport services and suggested that they build travel time into their festival plans in order to make the most of everything Vivid Sydney has to offer.

“Vivid Sydney is a significant event for our city, so ensuring that our transport and roads network can contribute to a great event is critical,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“Just like planning ahead for New Year’s Eve and Australia Day, the message is clear – leave the car at home and catch public transport.”

“We encourage everyone to take public transport to and from the event, and those with young families and strollers should consider coming to Vivid Sydney earlier in the week, when visitor numbers are expected to be smaller than during weekends.”

For all the latest information about trains, buses, ferries, taxis and light rail services go to: vividsydney.com/transport.

 

The Vivid Sydney Festival is back in North Sydney this year with fantastic family friendly attractions including roving performers, interactive light installations and the opportunity to personally choose and customise the lighting effects on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, topped off by spectacular views across the Harbour.

Owned and managed by Destination NSW, Vivid Sydney, won Australian Event of the Year in 2013 and enthralled over 800,000 visitors (including 11,000 international visitors who came on Vivid Sydney travel packages), contributing more than $20 million in new money to the NSW economy.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism and Major Events, Andrew Stoner, encouraged families to make the most of the North Shore’s vantage points.

“Locals and visitors alike will be able to enjoy all the family friendly activities on offer in North Sydney as well as the opportunity to see Vivid from another angle at Milsons Point Foreshore which boasts the best views back across the Harbour to the Sydney Opera House,” Mr Stoner said.

Member for North Shore Jillian Skinner said the light installations at North Sydney would attract visitors to the area and provide a boost for local cafes, restaurants and bars.

“Colour the Bridge, an installation allowing people to choose stunning colours and sequences on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, was so popular last year that it is coming back to the North Sydney boardwalk near Luna Park,” Mrs Skinner said.

“Other North Sydney Vivid attractions include Sea of People, a group of silhouetted figures by sculptor John Wright on the Milsons Point Foreshore, and Sea of Lanterns, which will illuminate Bradfield Park South with 70 lanterns under the Sydney Harbour Bridge,” she said.

North Sydney Mayor, Jilly Gibson, encouraged everyone to kick off their Vivid Sydney experience in North Sydney which she said has been especially planned with families in mind.

“Around 800 school children from nine North Sydney schools have also been working hard to make their mark on Vivid by personalising the 70 supports for Sea of Lanterns with their own decorative touches and I know they are excited to see their handy work lit up in just under two weeks,” Ms Gibson said.

Destination NSW CEO Sandra Chipchase said: “Colour the Bridge, a collaboration between Intel and 32 Hundred Lighting, is a truly spectacular experience and certainly a highlight, but there are many other great things to do and see in North Sydney during Vivid, including local light installations and The Incredibly Short Film Festival at North Sydney Olympic Pool.”

“North Sydney is also the perfect vantage point to see the special and new Harbour Lights cruise vessels and harbour ferries lighting installations,” she said.

Vivid Sydney highlights in North Sydney

Where	What	When
Milsons Point Foreshore	Sea of People: A group of silhouetted figures by sculptor John Wright constructed from Perspex and lights. The installation is built on the concept of the community coming together to celebrate Vivid Sydney.	From sunset to sunrise
Bradfield Park South	Sea of Lanterns: Bradfield Park South will be illuminated with 70 lanterns under the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Children and community groups will decorate the poles holding the lanterns with an answer to the question “What lights up your life?”	Nightly 6pm-9pm
North Sydney Olympic Pool	Australian China Art Foundation Multimedia Exhibition: Features internationally recognised photographer John McRae, who exhibits his larger than life images of Australia’s greatest Olympic diver and sportsman of the year, Matt Mitcham.	Throughout Vivid
North Sydney Olympic Pool	The Incredibly Short Film Festival: Showcases the wonder of GIFs as short format films. Now in it’s 2nd year, The Incredibly Short Film Festival will be screened across four nights during Vivid Sydney. Opening night – Saturday 24 May: Featuring live music from supergroup “Ego“.	7pm-9pm on: Saturday 24 May Saturday 31 May Saturday 7 June Sunday 8 June
Boardwalk near Luna Park	Colour the Bridge: A collaboration between Intel and 32 Hundred Lighting returns giving people the opportunity to choose stunning colours and sequences on the Sydney Harbour Bridge.	Nightly 6pm-Midnight

The full Vivid Sydney 2014 program is available at http://vividsydney.com

With the Southern Hemisphere’s largest festival of light, music and ideas less than a month away, Destination NSW, the festival’s owners and managers, announced today the largest ever Vivid Ideas line-up of creative leaders and emerging talent, across a program of more than 200 events, spanning 14 creative industries.

New programing for Vivid Ideas by Jess Scully, Vivid Ideas Festival Director in 2014 includes an In Conversation series which brings together two creative minds to explore the motivations, challenges and learnings that underpin their creative careers; a new series of Masterclasses: in-depth workshops for small groups to collaborate with Vivid Ideas keynote speakers; Mini Conferences to provide in-depth insights into innovation in the creative industries, and an Awards Season with more than five award ceremonies celebrating the best of the creative industries in Australia.

NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism and Major Events, Andrew Stoner, welcomed the expanded Vivid Ideas 2014 program which he said was an important part of the NSW Government’s ongoing commitment to growing and developing the State’s creative economy.

“About 40 per cent of Australia’s creative industries are based in NSW, employing around 148,000 people, however there is scope to grow this area of our state economy, and bringing together the best and brightest creative minds from Australia and overseas through creative forums such as Vivid Ideas is vital.”

The new program elements to Vivid Ideas 2014 complements a strong line-up of keynotes from international and local luminaries, as well as deep-dive workshops.

Six new Vivid Ideas 2014 keynote speakers have been announced today including grandson of Ray and Charles, Eames Demetrios; renowned scholar, historian and founder of the Big History, David Christian; CEO and co-founder of EpiBone, the world’s first company growing living human bones for skeletal reconstruction, Nina Tandon; digital effects genius Hao Li, and guest speakers from Tomorrow’s Toys and Future Shock.

Vivid Ideas Festival Director Jess Scully said: “Whether your passion is design, film and animation, science and technology, gaming, music or photography, Vivid Ideas will have something to inform and inspire.”

Sandra Chipchase, Chief Executive Officer of Destination NSW,the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency and custodian of Vivid Sydney said: “Among the hundreds of thousands of festival goers from here and overseas will be some of the world’s best and brightest creative minds, who have come to experience Vivid Ideas and its most exciting program yet.”

Vivid Sydney Creative Director, Ignatius Jones said: “Creativity often blossoms from collaboration, and it is exciting to see so many of the world’s leading creative minds come together in Sydney for Vivid Ideas, where they can connect with other creative thinkers and lay the ground work for future collaboration.”

VIVID IDEAS NEW PROGRAM DETAILS

Note: Please check their website for latest details.

In Conversation

• Sofles and Selina Miles
• ARIA Presents How To Get To Number One With Flume, Nathan McLay, Eric Dubowsky & David Champion
• Battleroy & Damon Sharpe
• Karen Walker & Mikhail GhermanI

Masterclasses

• Offering Art to the City with Candy Chang
• Effective, Editorial Curation with Sara Critchfield
• Inspiring a Loyal Fan Base with Rebel 8
• Unlocking the Protein Databank with David Goodsell
• Engineering for Intelligence with Skylar Tibbits & Jeffery Koh
• Inventing an Icon with Gadi Amit
• Hijacking the Conversation with Ryan Holiday
• Brands that Transcend Categories with Karen Walker
• Capturing the World in 3D with Hao Li
• Storytelling to Generate Fresh Perspectives with Eames Demetrios

Mini-Conferences

• Australia’s Industrial Revolution: Manufacturing In 2030
• Australian Interiors: Objects, Furniture, Textiles
• Tertiary 3.0: Exploring Local Innovation In Higher Education
• Artists In Residence: Collaboration and Creative Innovation Between Artists and Organisations

Awards Season

• Good Design Awards Gala Night 
• Smart100 – Beyond Ideas: How To Get Your Innovation Recognised and Commercialised
• Mumbrella 360
• Stand Up, Stand Out
• Local Government Arts & Culture Awards 2014

Keynote

• Eames Demetrios
• David Christian
• Nina Tandon
• Hao Li

Signature Events

• Tomorrow’s Toys: Play and Learning Transformed
• Future Shock: Dramatic Disruptions and New Opportunties

Event Presenters

• Ubisoft Montreal presents Developing Games: From Indie To Blockbuster – Child Of Light & Watch Dogs
• The Internet of Things – From Electric Dreams To Reality
• PLAY presents The Future Media Experience
• The Future of Lighting Summit 2014

The full Vivid Ideas program is available at: http://vividsydney.com/ideas

The one-month countdown has begun, with only 30 days to go before the Lighting of the Sails marks the opening of Sydney’s spectacular winter festival, Vivid Sydney. Australian Event of the Year in 2013, this year’s Vivid is set to astound audiences once again, with the largest program of light, music and ideas the Harbour City has ever seen.

“In just under a month, the sails of the Opera House will be splashed with colour, and the harbour foreshore and surrounds crisscrossed with breathtaking 3D-mapped projections for this signature event in the NSW Events Calendar,” said Sandra Chipchase, Destination NSW Chief Executive Officer.

“In 2013 hundreds of thousands of festivalgoers from here and overseas flocked to Sydney for the award winning Vivid Sydney, marvelling at our city in lights and snapping up over 51,000 tickets for an impressive program which included concerts, creative product launches, conferences and exhibitions.”

“This year’s Vivid program will be even more impressive, with exciting new light installations, an expanded line up of contemporary and cutting edge music, and world renowned creative industries events celebrating innovation, creativity and community,” she said.

Owned and managed by Destination NSW, Vivid Sydney enthralled more than 800,000 visitors in 2013, generating more than $20 million in new money to the NSW economy. With even more lighting installations in new locations, an expanded musical line-up and 300 speakers at 200 creative events, this year’s Vivid will be by far, the biggest in the festival’s six year history.

VIVID LIGHT

Martin Place will hit the lights for the first time this year, featuring new installations with a number of impressive technical innovations, transforming the bustling thoroughfare into a gallery of light like no other. Darling Harbour will again sparkle brightly with water shows spanning two thirds of Cockle Bay, doubling the size of the 2013 Harbour spectacular. French company, Aquatique’s, water show draws upon water jets, fountains and laser displays to paint a creative canvas of beauty and movement on the water.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge will be the largest and most spectacular ‘coat-hanger’ on earth, and the water below will sparkle with Harbour Lights, as vessels and ferries light up to join in the fun. Sandstone will shine like never before on the facades of Customs House and the MCA, and more than 50 light installations will enthral along the Vivid Light Walk.

VIVID MUSIC

A favourite feature during Vivid Sydney, music fans will again be spoilt for choice with an expanded Vivid Music line-up in even more venues around the city including the Sydney Opera House (with Vivid Live), Seymour Centre, The Basement, Spice Cellar, Home Night Club, The Argyle, as well as the  brand new event Modulations at Carriageworks (6-9 June), curated by Stephen Pavlovic.

Across it’s venues, Vivid Music including Vivid LIVE will feature performances from a wide range of artists including ACO and The Presets, Anna Calvi, Giorgio Moroder, Halfway Crooks, Hot Chip, James Vincent McMorrow, Laneous & The Family Yah, Ms Lauryn Hill, Ngariie, Penny Penny, Pet Shop Boys, Pixies, The Big Village, The Liars, The Luis and The Wildfires and St. Vincent.

VIVID IDEAS

Sydney’s annual celebration of innovation, creativity and community, Vivid Ideas, includes a world renowned program of conferences, workshops, panels, talks, showcases, exhibitions, creative product launches, award presentations and networking functions. Vivid Ideas has quickly become a globally recognised platform for the best and brightest creative minds from Australia and overseas to connect, collaborate and create, and this year’s Vivid Ideas will include 15 signature events and 12 keynote talks showcasing the best creative talent in the market.

Vivid Sydney’s Creative Director, Ignatius Jones says, “Each year the excitement and enthusiasm generated by Vivid Sydney drives us to reach new heights and explore new creative avenues, and developing Vivid Sydney 2014 has been no different. With new precincts, installations, buildings and ideas, this year’s Vivid will be by far the biggest I have been involved in and I cannot wait to see the Harbour City up in lights.”

Fans of Vivid Sydney looking to attend the 18 day festival are encouraged to travel via public transport to avoid congestion on the road.

The full Vivid Sydney 2014 program is available at http://vividsydney.com