Statement from Gladys Berejiklian and Brad Hazzard
Given the current situation on the Northern Beaches and increasing concern about transmission of COVID-19 in other parts of Greater Sydney (which includes Wollongong) new restrictions will be in place on New Year’s Eve.
This decision has been made taking into account updated health advice from Chief Health Officer, Dr Kerry Chant.
For New Year’s Eve in Greater Sydney (including Wollongong, Central Coast and Blue Mountains) the following will apply;
Household gatherings will be limited to 5 visitors (including children).
The limit for outdoor gatherings will be reduced from 50 to 30.
Restrictions for the northern zone of the Northern Beaches remain the same but for the southern zone of the Northern Beaches the following will now apply;
Household gatherings will be limited to 5 visitors from within your zone (including children).
These changes come into effect from midnight tonight (Wednesday 30 December) and will be in place until further notice.
People are encouraged to limit non-essential gatherings over the New Year period where possible to further minimise the risk of transmission in the community.
We thank the community for their patience.
Our priority is always to keep the community safe.
We are watching the emerging situation closely and will update the community accordingly should any further changes be required.
Media Statement: New South Wales Government – The Premier & Health and Medical Research Minister
The NSW Government has today outlined arrangements for a COVID-Safe New Year’s Eve fireworks and updated its advice on COVID-Safe restrictions for the Northern Beaches and Greater Sydney.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said today’s decision was necessary based on the latest health advice and the evolving Northern Beaches cluster.
“My strong message to everyone in Greater Sydney this year is to watch the fireworks on TV,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“We are also asking for a little more time from residents to help us stamp out this outbreak, especially if they live on the Northern Beaches.”
The following arrangements will be introduced from midnight tonight (Monday, December 28):
For New Year’s Eve Celebrations:
The CBD frontline worker fireworks vantage point offering is cancelled. Frontline workers will be offered another opportunity in 2021.
For the Northern Beaches peninsula zone (North of Narrabeen Bridge, and east of the Baha’i Temple), the following rules apply until January 9:
The health situation remains volatile and the current restrictions will remain in place to supress community transmission.
However, indoor and outdoor gatherings will be allowed for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day but will be restricted to five visitors in total from within your zone (and includes at homes).
Current arrangements allowing five people to gather outdoors (not at homes) for exercise and recreation, from within the same zone, continues.
No restaurants, cafes, pubs or clubs (except for takeaway) will be permitted to open, including for New Year’s Eve.
For the remainder (southern zone) of the Northern Beaches, the following rules apply until January 2:
The health situation remains volatile and the current restrictions will remain in place to supress community transmission.
However, indoor and outdoor gatherings will be allowed for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day but will be restricted to 10 visitors in total from within your zone (and includes at homes).
Current arrangements allowing 10 people to gather outdoors (not at homes) for exercise and recreation, from within the same zone, continues.
No restaurants, cafes, pubs or clubs (except for takeaway) will be permitted to open, including for New Year’s Eve.
For Greater Sydney, Central Coast and Wollongong the following rules apply:
Gatherings in the home remain at 10 visitors in total (including children).
Outside gatherings (such as picnics) will be restricted to 50 people in total (down from 100).
For regional NSW there is no change to current arrangements.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the efforts of residents, particularly those in the Northern Beaches, are paying off.
“This hasn’t been an easy Christmas period, but our contact tracers have been able to get on top of this outbreak and the number of new cases remains low,” Mr Hazzard said.
People with confirmed bookings in the CBD for the NYE fireworks should contact their respective restaurants and bars for further information now that venues will need to adhere to the one person per four square metre rule.
Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said the NSW Government recognised that many businesses around Circular Quay relied on NYE customers as one of the biggest nights of the year.
“New Year’s Eve is the chance for Sydney and NSW to shine on the world stage. Despite being a smaller celebration to normal, this New Year’s demonstrates NSW will bring in 2021 with confidence,” said Mr Ayres.
Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said NSW Health has worked hard to make COVID-Safe celebrations possible but it is important that the community continues to follow COVID-Safe practices, stay at home if unwell and get tested, wear a mask and follow good hand hygiene and physical distancing.
“Everyone needs to continue to be alert to the ongoing risk of transmission and to keep practising physical distancing and good hand hygiene, and most importantly to get tested and isolate if they feel unwell,” Dr Chant said.
Media Release: New South Wales Government – The Premier
Vivid Sydney – the Harbour City’s iconic celebration of lights, music and ideas – will return in August 2021.
The popular and award-winning event will bring creativity, innovation and excitement to Sydney in a COVID-safe manner for locals, visitors and global fans to enjoy, near or afar.
Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said Vivid Sydney was an important cultural, social and economic beacon for NSW.
“Major events will play a critical role in stimulating the visitor economy and NSW’s broader COVID-19 recovery strategy,” Minister Ayres said.
“We’re cautiously optimistic that with a slight delay to regular scheduling, Vivid Sydney will be able to proceed as the bright, dynamic event we all know and love in August next year.
“There’s no doubt that all future events will need to make adjustments to be COVID – safe in line with NSW Health advice and reflect the changes we are experiencing in day-to-day life.
“Vivid Sydney has always celebrated and explored innovation and creativity, but more importantly brought joy to people who visit in person or who follow the media and social media coverage.
“We look forward to reigniting that excitement and passion within the artistic
community and our supporters, and creating tangible opportunities for the tourism industry by driving visitors to Sydney and NSW in a safe way.”
In 2019, a record 2.4 million people attended Vivid Sydney, generating $172 million in tourism expenditure.
Further details about Vivid Sydney 2021 will be shared later in 2020.
It is Australia’s largest & most attended event, surpassing even the more iconic ‘Sydney New Year’s Eve’. Vivid Sydney begun in 2009 while Sydney New Year’s Eve begun in 1976, cancelled in 1987 & 1988 and became world famous at the turn of the Millennium.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports Tourism Minister, Stuart Ayres, said the NSW Government had not taken the decision to shut down Vivid Sydney lightly (pun we assume is not intended).
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the Tourism Minister said:
We have taken the decision early in consideration of those planning to travel to Sydney for the festival
The Australian Government will later today clarify COVID-19 advice (particularly regarding events) that was given on Friday the 13th of March 2020.
Vivid Sydney was due to have it’s media launch on Tuesday. With the event no longer beginning on May 22, until late May 2021, it is then.
Also, expect potentially a formal announcement later today from the Tourism Minister and Vivid Sydney regarding the cancellation.
The NSW Government today announced the cancellation of Vivid Sydney 2020 following recommendations by the Federal Government and health authorities to limit non-essential organised gatherings to less than 500 people to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said that while the cancellation of the event is disappointing and another major setback for the tourism industry, it is the right thing to do to control the spread of infection and keep people safe.
“Vivid Sydney is a bright star of Sydney’s event calendar so the decision to cancel was not taken lightly. As the event owner, we must follow the advice of health officials to ensure the health and safety of our citizens and everyone involved with Vivid Sydney,” Mr Ayres said.
“We have taken the decision early in consideration of those planning to travel to Sydney for the festival, our commercial partners, artists, and volunteers so as to minimise the disruption and impact on them.
“We are currently working through the full implications of the cancellation and will provide further information and advice as soon as it’s available,” Mr Ayres said.
“It’s been an incredibly tough time for the tourism industry and this is yet another body blow, but NSW will bounce back and Vivid Sydney will shine brighter than ever in 2021.”
Vivid Sydney, the largest festival of light, music and ideas in the Southern Hemisphere, was scheduled to run from 22 May – 13 June 2020. The cancellation means that all elements of ‘Vivid Sydney – Lights, Music and Ideas’ will not proceed in 2020.
Vivid Sydney debuted in 2009 and is owned, managed and produced by Destination NSW, the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency. In 2019 a record 2.4 million people attended Vivid Sydney, generating $172 million for the NSW economy.
Media Release: New South Wales Government Minister For Jobs, Investment, Tourism & Western Sydney, Stuart Ayres
Vivid Sydney is inviting Expressions Of Interest (EOI) from individuals & organisations across the creative industries spectrum to participate in the world’s largest festival of light, music & ideas in 2018.
Minister For Tourism & Major Events, Adam Marshall, said “Vivid Sydney brings together leading global creative innovators for 23 days & this year, attracted a record 2.33 million attendees from around the world”
“The festival celebrates its 9th anniversary in 2018 & is set to be another spectacular display of art, technology & innovation. It is undoubtedly a grand platform for artists, musicians, creative professionals, educators and businesses to showcase their expertise to local and international audiences & I encourage everyone to submit their EOI and be part of this exceptional event” he said.
The Vivid Sydney EOI invites submissions across the festival’s 3 program pillars – Light, Music & Ideas.
Vivid Light transforms the city into a kaleidoscope of colour with awe-inspiring light sculptures & large-scale architectural projections onto iconic landmarks. Artists, designers, creative industry practitioners, equipment suppliers, businesses & educational institutions are invited to present their ideas, designs, concepts & interest for inclusion in Vivid Light.
Vivid Music features an extensive program of performance, multi-genre musical collaborations, contemporary and experimental music at venues across Sydney & includes the Vivid X|CELERATE program, a partnership with the City Of Sydney which is devoted to celebrating Sydney’s blossoming musical talent by awarding grants & marketing support to venues, artists & promoters with good ideas. Submissions are being sought from across the industry including music venues, producers, promoters, industry associations & innovators interested in being part of Vivid Music.
Vivid Ideas celebrates & champions creativity & innovation; connecting audiences & creative professionals with world-class creators, makers & thinkers, to share cutting-edge insights, market and industry updates & building tools and skills for the future. Events which ignite a national conversation, bring professional practitioners to Sydney for training and development & which actively build networks throughout the Asia-Pacific region are sought for Vivid Ideas.
Applications close at 5pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time on Tuesday the 7th of November 2017.
Vivid Sydney is owned, managed & produced by Destination New South Wales (NSW), the NSW Government’s tourism & major events agency. Vivid Sydney will be held from Friday the 25th of May to Saturday the 16th of June 2018.
On Tuesday, Vivid Sydney revealed this year’s attendance figures – a record 2.33 million people over the event’s 23 days but this also represented the slowest growth in the event’s history at 1% up on the previous year. In other words, just an extra 20,000 visitors.
Attendance growth has been declining since after 2014 – the year after the Sydney Harbour Bridge was introduced into the event – and by this trend, should mean future editions of the event would have smaller crowds than in previous editions which has never happened before. This is because next year could see Vivid entering negative growth for the 1st time.
Graph showing the growth of attendance year on year since the 2010 edition (2nd ever edition)
The only good news is that interstate & international visitation, at 247,712 visitors, is still growing at 35% up on last year. This should signal that the Sydney/New South Wales (NSW) market for Vivid has reached it’s peak. In regards to Sydneysiders and NSW residents, this means the number of first-time visitors to Vivid Sydney is now being outweighed by the number of visitors who think the event is no longer worth visiting.
This could be the result of several effects:
Crowd Levels
The crowds have been increasing year on year particularly in the ‘iconic’ area of Vivid Sydney – Circular Quay. Due to a combination of a rare East Coast Low & poor crowd control for the increased attendance after that weather event, last year’s event saw near-crowd crushes occur. Organisers have since improved their crowd management arrangements and had the fortune of no significant weather events this year too. On weekends, crowds around Circular Quay have reached uncomfortable levels resulting in the weekend visitors not returning as regularly as they should due to the experience, particularly as their availability to visit on other nights is more limited due to work and school etc. even if they are local. This is no doubt a contributing factor.
Terrorism Fears
Whilst the least likeliest of the reasons to be contributing, the pedestrian nature of Vivid Sydney combined with the road closures & very high crowd levels, in today’s environment, may be enough to put people off particularly once they have visited the event for the 1st time, knowing they have experienced it once in their lives, they don’t have to risk it again.
Innovation Perception
Vivid Sydney consists of 3 parts – Light, Music & Ideas. The latter two only make up approximately 14% of the event’s visitation. This is partly because they are ticketed niche events in limited capacity venues. Vivid Light, therefore, is the main attraction. It is a free mainstream event & in venues without capacity limits (though if crowds do increase any further, capacity limits may be needed. Good thing they already implement crowd controls on the busy nights!). No wonder it makes up 86% of Vivid’s visitation!
Vivid Music & Ideas are easy to give people reasons to return to. A new, rather than repeating, line-up of musicians & talkers always allows new audiences to experience these parts of the festival as long as the line-up participants are popular enough to sell significant amounts of tickets. They also increase the possibility of returning visitors as they already know the event’s standard.
Vivid Light, though, is more difficult. To most people, it is just lights & patterns. This is despite new narratives being told via light each year & organisers giving new artists the opportunity to shine. After all, lighting artists aren’t exactly the most well-known type of artists.
This is probably Vivid Sydney‘s biggest problem particularly when combined with the crowd levels. Why return, to suffer in the crowds, when it looks the same as last year? If they want NSW visitors to return, they need to revitalize Vivid Light. Organisers have done this in previous years with the introduction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Darling Harbour in 2013 (to great effect) & Taronga Zoo and the Royal Botanic Gardens in 2016 (both proving popular).
But once introduced though, they don’t visually innovate which sees audiences leaving as they ‘have seen it all before’. For example, the Lighting Of The Sails (Sydney Opera House projection show) was introduced when the event started in 2009 as a projection show of patterns. 8 years later, despite incorporating new narratives, themes & artists to the show annually, still ‘looks the same’ to the everyday person.
Making things look different would help but it will be a great challenge. If this is not solved, Sydney/NSW visitation to Vivid will decline. So let’s assume they don’t visually innovate as the case has been since 2009…
The usual strategy of expanding the event by making ‘major-mini Vivids‘ (complete with their own projection show) in new locations to solve this problem won’t work (though it will solve crowd problems to an extent if they are to iconic locations such as Bondi Beach & Manly) as, unless they visually innovate regularly, it will lead them back to where they are. It would give a brief one-off attendance boost though.
Given the event is a government event (run by the NSW Government), governments are mainly focused on:
Publicity (e.g. social media) – this allows them to promote Sydney to future visitors of Sydney.
Revenue (e.g. Music/Ideas ticketing & NSW Government-run public transport) – this goes towards event costs as well as other NSW Government expenditure.
Economic Benefits (e.g. gross domestic product growth etc.) – visitors to Vivid increase revenue of businesses such as accommodation, restaurants, airlines etc. which, in turn, raises revenue for other businesses along the supply chain that, again in turn, helps pay their employees & lastly in turn, raises revenue for the NSW Government through taxes etc. to spend on community services (such as Vivid & public transport), which brings the economic cycle back to full circle.
Vivid Sydney currently brings AUD$143 million to the NSW economy.
If organisers decide to focus on interstate/international visitation from now on, given it’s continued growth & increasing economic impact, a reasonable strategy would be to reduce the Vivid Light Walk to it’s 7 ‘must-sees’:
The Lighting Of The Sails (Sydney Opera House projection show)
32 Hundred Lighting’s annual Sydney Harbour Bridge & city buildings interactive light display
Bangarra Dance Theatre’s annual projection show on the south-eastern pylon of the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Plus the other 2 ‘must-sees’:
A Light For The Wild (Taronga Zoo)
Darling Harbour’s multimedia show
This means all the smaller light exhibits (about 50 in total) along the Vivid Light Walk would disappear, allowing more focus on the internationally iconic light displays & more space for crowds to flow. These smaller light exhibits are targeted more towards Sydneysiders so if organisers want Sydney/NSW visitation to be stable in the short term, another reasonable strategy would be to give these smaller light exhibits new homes in the Sydney suburbs. Chatswood would be a great place to start to test this out but it could be expanded to include certain ferry wharves along Sydney Harbour with it’s nearby parks/public spaces:
Manly
Parramatta
Watsons Bay
Cockatoo Island
Milsons Point
North Sydney
Mosman Bay
Birchgrove
Cabarita
Kissing Point
Having them near ferry wharves allows them to be linked to the central Vivid hub of Circular Quay by Harbour Lights. In the end, it depends which Sydneysiders like Vivid the most – is it the ones who live on the Sydney Harbour foreshore, the ones who live in the eastern suburbs or the ones who live in the western suburbs? If they are in places far away from Sydney Harbour like in Campbelltown, maybe they can incorporate Vivid into the rail services with a Light Express or Light Rail (pun intended)? Connecting railway stations could be decorated with lights & maybe some train carriages could be spruced up with special lights for the occasion. Other locations that could accommodate the small light exhibits could include:
Fort Denison
Other Sydney Harbour Islands
Barangaroo Reserve, Barangaroo
We said earlier that moving to new locations would not work but just to emphasize what we said earlier, that is only if they do not visually innovate those locations each year so if they move the smaller light exhibits to the above locations, it should work as long as new small light exhibits that look completely different from previous years’ exhibits are put on display each year.
Given it is a NSW Government event, smaller crowds can provide incredible political ammunition particularly when the event is spectacular, extravagant & expensive (Vivid costs nearly AUD$8 million – slightly more expensive than Sydney New Year’s Eve). It also does not help when climate change, electricity prices & economic downturns are political issues as they increase the motivation for political opponents to attack the NSW Government for producing an event that less and less people attend.
As long as Vivid Sydney attracts sufficient positive publicity & produces a profit or economic growth that outweighs the event’s costs, the NSW Government is going to support it even if attendance declines. If Vivid does not do one of them or crowds begin to decline, political opponents will begin to argue that:
The NSW Government mismanages events or;
People have forgotten or are going to forgot it’s existence hence argument 4 (below) or;
People do not care about it anymore hence argument 4 (below) or;
It is a waste of taxpayers money.
If crowds begin to decline next year, political debate could begin. Of course, like I said earlier, visual innovation is key here & could allow all that to be avoided. But if the status quo remains unchanged, crowds will decline, likely to result in major changes that do not help the event regrow (such as less lights) especially if interstate/international visitation declines too. The latter would guarantee all the arguments to be thrown at the NSW Government as it allows the failure of all key factors for government events. The NSW Government, unless they visually innovate the event, would, as a result of growing pressure, withdraw Vivid‘s funds resulting in it’s obvious cancellation.
Graph showing Vivid Sydney’s attendance to date, our predicted attendance rates & what the attendance trend would have been had attendances not grow even further in 2013 when the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Darling Harbour were incorporated into the event for the 1st time
At the current rate, Vivid may cease to exist in 4 years. We hope not. So if you are not from Australia or from interstate & wish to experience Vivid Sydney in all it’s glory, it’s probably time for you to check it out. Just in case the lights switch off…permanently.
And if you are from Sydney or NSW, try & support Vivid by attending next year (particularly if you have never been) or encourage your friends/family members who haven’t been before to go & see it for the 1st time. It is a truly iconic Australian event, a Sydney Spectacular. Otherwise, you must be over Vivid so prepare for a eventual return to Sydney’s dim & empty winters unless, of course, organisers revitalize the event beyond our wildest dreams leaving us no choice but to visit again!
So Sydney, are you really over Vivid? It seems like you are.
If you are from Sydney or NSW, tell us what would bring you back to Vivid. Is it more security, better crowd management or just something new and worthy of seeing? Tell us in the feedback form below:
New South Wales (NSW) Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, has invited the largest ever Japanese travel trade delegation to visit Vivid Sydney 2018 in a bid to build on the record number of tourists who took part in this year’s festival.
Japan is the 6th largest market for international visitors to the state. In the year ending in March 2017, NSW welcomed 165,000 Japanese visitors who stayed 3.1 million nights & contributed an estimated AUD$339 million to the NSW visitor economy.
Ms Berejiklian made the announcement in Tokyo overnight at the global launch of the Vivid Sydney 2018 dates.
“We are seeing a resurgence of Japanese visitors to our shores & we want to see that grow even further” Ms Berejiklian said.
“Not only is this great for forging closer ties with Japan but more tourists coming to NSW is vitally important for our local economy”
Ms Berejiklian announced that the NSW Government’s tourism & major events agency, Destination NSW, had invited a record 50 Japanese travel agents & wholesalers to experience Vivid Sydney 2018.
“This will be the largest ever Japanese travel trade delegation to be invited to come & experience Vivid Sydney first hand & then return home to sell Vivid Sydney packages for 2019” the Premier said.
In 2017, 5,062 Vivid Sydney packages were sold to visitors from Japan, up from 4,710 packages in 2016 (a 7.5% increase).
Ms Berejiklian revealed a record 2.33 million people attended this year’s Vivid festival.
Vivid Sydney 2017 attracted 247,712 national & international visitors, an increase of around 35% on 2016. These visitors stayed a total of 804,399 nights (up 30%) & contributed over AUD$143 million (up 30%) to the NSW economy.
Vivid Sydney 2018 will be held from May 25th to June 16th.
Walls of water, fantastical fountains, fireworks & family fun
Vivid Sydney has turned Darling Harbour into a night time playground featuring spectacular light shows that include projections, water fountains, lasers, fireballs & fireworks.
Destination New South Wales (NSW) Chief Executive Officer & Executive Producer Of Vivid Sydney, Sandra Chipchase, said “As a Vivid Sydney precinct, Darling Harbour is much loved by families who enjoy its wide-open spaces, easy accessibility and proximity to public transport & a huge array of restaurants and cafes. The precinct’s large scale projections & interactive installations cater for families of all ages”
Visitors who work up an appetite taking in the lights & sights will not leave the entertainment hub hungry with plenty of food options to choose from at Cockle Bay Wharf, Harbourside, Darling Quarter & King Street Wharf.
Darling Harbour is walking distance to the nearby Barangaroo (South) light precinct where Vivid Sydney’s magic continues until the 17th of June.
Darling Harbour highlights include:
Tumbalong Lights: Take open space, the night sky & add 32 extraordinary dazzling beams of moving light. The result? A stunning exhibit where spotlights create patterns over visitors as they walk between the suspended lights within Tumbalong Park. Visitors to Tumbalong Lights can check in at the Huawei Phone Booth to capture & share a souvenir GIF featuring the light beams shooting into the night sky as the backdrop.
Magicians Of The Mist: This extraordinary showcase of art & technology features huge projections of mystical beings shone onto walls of water 60 metres wide & 40 metres high while 12 massive pumps throw 28 tonnes of water into the air every minute. The spectacle is enhanced with lasers, searchlights, jets of flame, music & fireworks. The Magicians Of The Mist show plays every half an hour from 6pm-11pm AEST nightly with fireworks added to the 7pm & 8:30pm shows each Friday & Saturday. An extra fireworks display has now been added at 7pm on Sunday the 11th of June 2017.
The Gift Of Sight: Journey into the darkness armed with a special ultraviolet (UV) flashlight to discover incredible artworks created with invisible UV ink in this spellbinding installation from The Fred Hollows Foundation as it celebrates 25 years of saving sight.
The Light Playground at Darling Quarter: Bring the kids & explore this dazzling interactive installation featuring 3 different play spaces in modified shipping containers. Enjoy Giant Light Bright’s over-sized interactive black pegboard, Light Bubble Forest, where illuminated 1.5 metre high columns are filled with thousands of colour changing bubbles & Glow In The Dark Illumination, showcasing black light luminescence. Disc jockeys entertain the crowd from 6pm to 10pm AEST Thursday to Sunday.
Inspired By The Sea: The wave-like roof of the Australian National Maritime Museum is the canvas for a spectacular projection that showcases the sea’s majesty, mystery & its power to influence artists, writers and collections. This stunning projection is a collaboration with University Of Technology Sydney animation students.
Expressive mobile technology: Visit the Huawei Hub for an interactive multimedia experience of sound, light & art featuring animated faces on the new Huawei P10 phone.
Revolutions by Shepard Fairey: A free, outdoor exhibition of the 16 large-scale, music-themed artworks of iconic American artist, Shepard Fairey, known around the world for his iconic imagery including the Barack Obama HOPE poster campaign & album cover art for bands from Led Zeppelin to The Smashing Pumpkins. Each artwork is printed on wood panels & showcases his signature style and passion for music culture. (26th of May – 17th of June, 1-25 Harbour Street, Darling Quarter)
Vivid Sydney is the world’s largest festival of light, music & ideas, which for 23 days – from the 26th of May to the 17th of June 2017 – transforms the ‘Harbour City’ with its unique, colourful, creative canvas. In 2016, Vivid Sydney attracted a record 2.31 million attendees. Vivid Sydney is owned, managed & produced by Destination NSW, the NSW Government’s tourism & major events agency. Vivid Sydney features large scale light installations & projections – Vivid Light; music performances & collaborations – Vivid Music (including Vivid LIVE At The Sydney Opera House) & creative ideas, discussion and debate – Vivid Ideas, all celebrating Sydney as the creative hub of the Asia-Pacific. Vivid Sydney is in its 9th year. For more information, visit www.vividsydney.com.
124,128 lights send ‘Vivid Sydney’ installation into the ‘Guinness World Records’™ books
Vivid Sydney, the world’s largest festival of light, music & ideas, has once again cemented itself as a record-breaking international event. Guinness World Records, the global authority on record breaking, has awarded Vivid Sydney installation, Dreamscape, with the title for the ‘Largest interactive lighting display’.
Made of 124,128 lights, Dreamscape, created by Vivid Sydney veteran, 32 Hundred Lighting, links the entire Circular Quay precinct from the iconic Sydney Opera House to the Sydney Harbour Bridge into 1 cohesive canvas of light. It allows participants to decide the colour, texture & pattern of the lighting across the cityscape via 3-dimensional interactive modelling in a control room in Circular Quay. With the simple touch of a button, Vivid Sydney guests of any age have the power to create their own masterpiece, using the ‘Harbour City’ as their muse.
In achieving the Guinness World Records title, Dreamscape trumped its own Vivid Sydney 2016 predecessor, Dress Circle, which was also a 32 Hundred Lighting creation that illuminated Circular Quay. This year, the addition of the Cahill Expressway to the installation adds an additional 1 kilometre of lights to the record.
Sandra Chipchase, Chief Executive Officer Of Destination New South Wales & Executive Producer Of Vivid Sydney, said “Each year when we produce Vivid Sydney, we want interstate and international visitors to be awed by what they see & we want locals to be proud of what our city brings to the world. Breaking a Guinness World Records title shows the global calibre of our festival & breaking our own title shows that we will never rest on our laurels”
Iain Reed, Managing Director Of 32 Hundred Lighting, said “We are beyond thrilled to break our own Guinness World Records title & be internationally recognised for our work. Our team is so passionate about what we do & it is a pleasure to be part of Vivid Sydney once again, illuminating this great city!”
Those wanting the opportunity to experience & interact with the record-breaking installation have until the 17th of June to head down to Vivid Sydney & join in the action.
Sydney Spectaculars 
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