‘Flagship’ Sydney Spectaculars – Page 10

Love Is In The Air This Vivid Sydney

On the 5th of April, Vivid Sydney announced their drone shows for the current ongoing 2024 edition which this year is overall themed Humanity.

The 2024 drone show is titled Love Is In The Air, a cross between a pun on the love-themed drone usage & the reference to the iconic 1977 John Paul Young song of the same name, which was remixed for the iconic 1992 Australian film, Strictly Ballroom.

Unlike last year when drone shows featured on 7 of the 23 nights, this year the number of shows is halved with the drone shows only be held on 3 nights in June – the 8th, the 9th & the 15th. These dates are the final night of Vivid Sydney 2024 and the main weekend nights of the King’s Birthday long weekend.

It should be noted that last year, only 6 nights were originally announced for drone shows. The 7th and final night were unannounced & unplanned but added due to the extraordinary demand for it. There is every chance additional nights will be added for 2024 but if they are added, they will only be on/announced around the 10th-14th June as an idea of 2024 drone show crowd numbers wouldn’t be confirmed until the 1st drone show on the 8th but if last year is any indication, there should be a drone show on at least all of these nights.

We’ve contacted Vivid Sydney‘s publicity agency, Ogilvy, as to why the drone shows have been halved & we received a response, but it didn’t answer our query, so we have placed it at the end of the article. Last year, we speculated that the 2024 drone shows would be on every night & twice a night (at 8pm & 10pm) on the peak nights of Fridays, weekends & the King’s Birthday public holiday.

Given the halving of drone shows, Vivid runs the risk of making what is already the most popular nights of the event – the weekend nights of the King’s Birthday long weekend – too popular as spectators may hold off on their visit until these drone show nights, which are very few in number, given the extraordinary crowds received for them last year. This is because people like to have the most complete experience in the shortest amount of time possible, particularly given the only time most people can allow themselves to have a holiday is that long weekend due to the public holiday on the Monday for the King’s Birthday.

Last year, 71,428 people attended each Written In The Stars drone show on average (including the surprise 7th drone show) – an at-capacity crowd for the drone show. 500,000 in total. Crowds seemed to peak around the drone show as it was an ‘event within an event’. It was not something that ran all night for 3 weeks. It happened only for 10 minutes per night or 3% of each Vivid Light night, for only 6 nights. It is literally blink-and-you-will-miss-it compared to the scale of the night, but it was a noticeable feature of the Vivid Light program/of the 23-day event, even though it was only advertised for just 6 nights. Being an unticketed event didn’t help to gauge likely crowd numbers pre-event but Circular Quay’s capacity was likely monitored and just within safe limits, even though the crowd may have been inconvenienced by having to wait to access Circular Quay’s transport hub due to the amount of people trying to get there all at once post-drone show.

Vivid Sydney has cautiously avoided promoting the drone show this year. They left it off the media launch announcement most likely to avoid it receiving maximum publicity, leaving it 3-4 weeks before adding it to their website and announcing it via social media.

Whilst we cannot be 100% sure when predicting crowd numbers, Sydney Spectaculars is expecting 194,000 people to attend per long weekend drone show in 2024, about a 270% increase on last year, due to the limited number of drone shows. Circular Quay cannot handle this amount of people at once. As implied earlier, Circular Quay’s capacity for a drone show is around 70,000 people. To have nearly 3 times that amount is dangerous, especially with a Harbour on 1 side. People falling into the water, crowd crushes & impatience leading to violence is all very possible if this situation plays out.

The full cancellation of most of Vivid Light on the just recent Saturday didn’t help. That meant about 174,000 people missed out their night and may return, most likely, on the drone show nights. That would add an extra 58,000 people per drone show to the numbers above. In other words, 252,000 people per drone show – nearly 4 times the amount of the average drone show audience of last year.

Vivid Sydney seems to have realised the possibility of chaos as they are suddenly promoting the fact that the drone show will be live streamed in Tumbalong Park, Darling Harbour but who goes out of the way to watch a drone show live stream in a park? That live stream will make no difference. In the end, this is just a warning to be cautious for now. Vivid Sydney has capacity limits, which we expect will be enforced but how would 66% of the 252,000 people react to missing the drone show? When Sydney NYE returned after the COVID-19 pandemic, latecomers to the Midnight Fireworks caused a crowd crush to occur in The Rocks and some even tried to watch from a pyro-laded Sydney Harbour Bridge. We expect the crowd to shift around The Rocks as this is the only potential vantage point left due to its uphill incline. Some may resort to watching from the Cahill Expressway & Sydney Harbour Bridge southern on-ramp walkways or even from a window of a tall building. Some may be clever enough to watch from Fleet Steps or in that vincinity.The crowd will likely then build up around Dawes Point, following the Vivid Light Walk if they are coming from that direction or throughout the CBD if they are showing up just for the drone show. This potential scenario we are predicting is significantly larger than the NYE2022 late crowd build-up, crush and security breaches. Notably, Vivid Sydney once had an even more serious but heavily under-reported crowd crush. Has Vivid Sydney learnt the lesson? Are they now underestimating the popularity of drone shows over Sydney Harbour? In any case, whether chaos ensues, or crowds are managed well, to spread the crowd out, Vivid Sydney should have been of the opinion – either more drone shows than last year or none at all.

As no extra drone shows were added before the opening weekend, which was another record-breaker in attendance, a couple of weeks ago, we would likely not find out how big the audience for the drone show is until the most popular Vivid Sydney night – the Saturday of the King’s Birthday long weekend – and by then, it is too late as there is only a week left of the event & whatever chaos would ensue the worst has already happened. People would have made plans for those 3 specific drone show nights and most people would likely be unable to change their plans to attend new dates. Drone shows are very difficult to book due to high demand so this may be the reason for only 3 drone shows this year (particularly as there was no Lights On! moment drone show like last year) but as we said before – either more than last year or none at all.

Anyway, back to the drone show itself, Love Is In The Air is a 10-minute drone show held at 9:10pm, assuming the weather is allowable for it to go ahead. The creative team behind the show is the same as last year’s Written In The Stars drone show with the technology provided by Australian Traffic Network, concept & direction by Vivid Sydney 2024 – Humanity Director, Gill Minervini & the soundtrack by Pee Wee Ferris (aka Pipi Le Oui). However, the show will be smaller than last year’s by 300 drones. In 2024, it will be a 700-drone show. While the theme of love is obvious, it will focus specifically on romantic love, telling a love story through drones with the creation of universal love symbols along the way.

After the drone show, we expect all but 2% of the crowd to leave Vivid Sydney. The remaining 98% will head home. Out of those heading home, 4% will walk to Martin Place to catch a bus, 9% to walk to Town Hall for the light rail while 87% will head to Circular Quay to catch a ferry or train. Out of those heading to Circular Quay, 6% will catch a ferry while 94% will catch a train. I don’t need to explain what happens next regarding trains but here are some tips for those heading to Circular Quay ferry wharves & train station.

For ferries, instead of waiting at Circular Quay, if you want to ultimately head to Pyrmont Bay, or a wharf west of Barangaroo, walk the direct route (20 minutes) or the Vivid Light Walk (46 minutes) to Barangaroo Wharf to catch the ferry. If it is urgent, remember there are private water taxi services available if they are not already booked.

For trains, instead of waiting at Circular Quay for a connecting train: If your station is on the Northern/North Shore/Western lines, walk the 10 minutes to Wynyard to catch a direct train home. If your station is on the Eastern Suburbs/Illawarra/South Coast line, walk the 13 minutes to Martin Place to catch a direct train home instead. If your station is on the Blue Mountains/Central Coast/Newcastle line, walk the direct route (35 minutes) or pass the time by walking the Vivid Light Walk (1 hour & 25 minutes) to Central for a direct train home.

Remember, the Vivid Light Walk switches off at 11pm so try & enjoy the lights before heading home to help spread out the ferry & train usage.

For more details on Love Is In The Air, click here.

The 2024 drone shows remain an exciting highlight as part of this year’s Vivid Sydney program & we are confident that everyone will be amazed by the artistry and innovation on display.

Each year, Vivid Sydney reviews and refreshes the program across Light, Music, Ideas & Food, with the focus on delivering a more impactful & refreshed experience for our audiences.

Although the number of shows has decreased, the duration & complexity of each performance are just as incredible. We encourage you to attend one of the drone show nights & enjoy the amazing view firsthand.

For more information on the 2024 drone shows & Vivid Sydney, please visit our website www.vividsydney.com.
‘Vivid Sydney’ 2024 – ‘Humanity’ Spokesperson

Forecasted Thunderstorm With Possible Heavy Falls Cancels Tonight’s ‘Fire Kitchen’, ‘Lightscape’ & 7 ‘Light Walk’ Installations

Due to a forecast of a thunderstorm with possible heavy falls, tonight’s Fire Kitchen & Lightscape are cancelled along with 7 Vivid Light Walk installations. The 7 installations are:

For Lightscape ticketholders, you will receive an email shortly from the event owner with further details, including how to rebook this experience or request a refund.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused and remind those visiting Vivid Sydney this evening to keep an eye on our digital screens on the footprint for further updates.
Vivid Sydney

A thunderstorm is forecast for tomorrow, but no cancellations have been announced yet for tomorrow.

QLD Dominate To Claim Origin I 2024 After NSW Penalised To 12 Men Following Dangerous Tackle 7 Minutes In

Queensland 38-10 New South Wales

A send off for New South Wales in the 8th minute following a dangerous tackle on Queensland’s Reece Walsh by New South Wales’s Joseph-Aukuso Sua’ali’i ensured Queensland dominated Game 1 of State Of Origin 2024 to lead the series 1-0.

State Of Origin 2024 begun with Brisbane’s Story and Victoria Bridges, City Hall, the Tropical Dome & Reddacliff Place sculptures all lit up maroon from sunset at 5:01pm. The Sydney Harbour Bridge was also illuminated blue but for only 15 minutes from 5:45pm, before ‘flagship’ Sydney Spectacular, Vivid Sydney, started at 6pm. Also at that time, at Sydney’s Stadium Australia, the venue for Game 1 of State Of Origin 2024, an Under-15’s New South Wales RISE Boys exhibition rugby league match between Sky Blues & Navy Blues was held. Navy Blues won 40-4. At 7:15pm, the coin toss for the main match was held. New South Wales called it correctly & chose to kick off. Then, at 7:30pm, a New South Wales Blues flag display & marching band performed on the field before a light & pyrotechnic show got the main game ball brought out by 7-time surfing World Champion, Layne Beachley, who was greeted by a Blue Heeler. New South Wales Origin greats, Paul Gallen, Trent Hodkinson & Josh Reynolds, then brought the State Of Origin shield out onto the ground. The Final Countdown by Europe then played to a light show before the team line-ups were introduced to the crowd via the screens around the stadium.

The New South Wales side then walked from their Centre Of Excellence across the road through the former athlete transfer tunnel from The Games of the XXVIIth Olympiad: Sydney 2000 to Stadium Australia where they ran past flame signs saying ‘NSW’ & through a banner, where they met the Queensland side on the field, who came from the stadium’s changing rooms. The customary Welcome To Country, conducted this match by Savannah Flynn, and performance of the National Anthem, performed this match with guitar by Australian Idol 2024 winner, Dylan Wright, then followed before a countdown on the big screens signalled the approach to kick-off.

Anyway, to the game. It started just under 4 minutes late. Queensland opened the scoring with a converted try in the 4th minute by Ben Hunt. 3 minutes later, Joseph-Aukuso Sua’ali’i dangerously tackled Reece Walsh, knocking him clean out. Reece Walsh didn’t have the ball at the time of the tackle, having just passed it after been in possession of it only momentarily. Reece Walsh was immediately found by sideline doctors to be suffering from Category 1 symptoms of a head injury, resulting in him being immediately ruled out from the rest of the match. Once his condition improved, he was later formally interchanged & Queensland’s brought into the interchange their 18th man. The referee had significant decisions to make too, producing a shock, though unsurprisingly given how the tackle was played even if the outcome was accidental. He sent off Joseph-Aukuso Sua’ali’i for the entire match, only the 6th time to ever happen in a State Of Origin match, the 3rd in a year & the fastest ever in State Of Origin history, beating the previous record by just over 50 minutes. New South Wales was now down a man. Queensland were also awarded a penalty goal as a result, which was kicked by Valentine Holmes, expanding Queensland’s lead by 2 points.

5 minutes later, a kick from Jerome Luai across the field under the Queensland defence allowed James Tedesco to find a gap to ground the unpossessed ball over the tryline to open New South Wales’s account in the 2024 series. His try was converted, narrowing Queensland’s lead to just 2 points. There was hope for New South Wales but over the next 10 minutes, every 5 minutes, Queensland easily found massive holes in New South Wales’s defence (being a man down doesn’t help) allowing Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to score 2 easy tries, expanding the lead to 14 points. The rest of the half was uneventful apart from the announcement that Reece Walsh had passed a head injury assessment but as he was initially suffering Category 1 symptoms, renewed play on the field is not risked so he stayed in the dressing rooms. At half-time, the score was 20-6 in favour of Queensland.

During half-time, a Little Origin match was held.

New South Wales went in the 2nd half putting the send-off behind them. This attitude initially paid dividends when Zac Lomax reached for the heavens to score an unconverted try just 3 minutes into the half. Despite the missed conversion, New South Wales had renewed hope, with their deficit reduced to 10 points. They were now in total commitment for 23 minutes despite being unable to find the tryline & Queensland having 2 try attempts being ruled ‘No Try’ during that time period. Then the straw that broke the camel’s back: New South Wales’ defence barely held onto Ben Hunt, who ran the final 20 metres to score a converted try for Queensland in the 66th minute. This was followed in the next 13 minutes with 2 more converted tries, 1 from Xavier Coates, who leaped for the boundary, after Daly Cherry-Evans kicked the ball 25 metres out, to score before the ball went dead and a 3rd from Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, running 20 metres from the tryline after Queensland broke through theoretically a 1-man defence from New South Wales, giving him a hat-trick & Queensland the win in Game 1 of the 3-game series.

All successful conversions were kicked by Valentine Holmes for Queensland & Nicholas Hynes for New South Wales.

The final score was Queensland 38-10 New South Wales, in front of a crowd of 77,214. It was Queensland’s biggest victory ever in Sydney. Player of the match was Daly Cherry-Evans. Queensland is now just 1 win away from a 2024 series victory. The Story Bridge in Brisbane shone maroon the rest of the night.

Yeah, (pretty had to recover from that) playing at this level, uhm, playing with 12.

I thought ‘You know, we put ourselves actually in positions at times where, you know, we were quite dominant but, um, I guess, you know, fatigue comes in at some stage but, uh, you know, playing along the game then, you know, when you’re playing sort of with a man down, it’s, uh, you got to sort of really try and bury the opposition into the corners and, you know, fatigue finds you at some stage, um, but, you know, I am actually really super proud of their efforts if I say’. Look, individuals are out on their feet, um, yeah, so, it, it made it a bit tough but, you know, 1 thing I do know about this, this group: They’ve really shifted the dime on where they see & how hard they want to work, uh, for the jersey so that’s something there that we will, you know, continue to push going forward.
Michael Maguire, New South Wales Blues coach

The team’s adapted to adversity the last 3 years. Um, you know you think back to last year, you know, Adelaide. We, we had both our wingers go off the field. We had centres playing in on, on the wing. We had, you know, David Fifita playing in the centres. Ben Hunt was playing in the centres. The team’s been accustomed to adapt to adversity & um, that’s no different to tonight. Um, you know, I thought ‘Hammer’ (Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow) was great just slipping back into that fullback position & everyone else. Felise Kaufusi came on the field and done a great job, you know.

His (Daly Cherry-Evans) preparation for his team was great & uh, we have got so much room. We have got so much to go with our footy. Uh, I thought we were so far off with our footy tonight, um, but that’s, that’s all to come.
Billy Slater, Queensland Maroons coach

Game 2 will be held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Wednesday, June 26 at 8:05pm AEST & Game 2 of an expanded 3-game Women’s State Of Origin, which New South Wales is leading, is tomorrow (Thursday 6th June) at 7:45pm at Hunter Stadium.

High Chance Of Rain Cancels Most Of Tonight’s ‘Vivid Light’, ‘Tumbalong Nights’ & ‘Fire Kitchen’

Updated 9:30am Sunday the 2nd of June

Due to a very high chance of rain, tonight’s Vivid Light Walk, Tumbalong Nights, Fire Kitchen & Lightscape are cancelled.

For Lightscape ticketholders, you will receive an email shortly from the event owner with further details, including how to rebook this experience.

Since our initial post, the forecast for Sunday the 2nd of June has improved. As a result, Sydney Spectaculars no longer expects a cancellation for that date.

All Dates, Times & Venues Of 2024 ‘State Of Origin’ Confirmed As Women’s Version Equalises To 3-Game Series

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.

Tickets for State Of Origin (men’s version) Game II went on sale on the 9th of November last year & you can still buy them from Ticketek here.

‘Dark Spectrum’ Returns To ‘Vivid Sydney’

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.
Ian Bone, Culture Creative Director

‘State Of Origin’ 2024: Game 2 – Melbourne Tickets On Sale

On the 9th of November last year, tickets were released for State Of Origin 2024: Game 2 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Victoria.

The match will be held on Wednesday the 26th of June at 8:05pm AEST.

Tickets can be purchased via Ticketek and cost:

Diamond: Allocation Exhausted
Tryzone: Allocation Exhausted
Playmaker: Allocation Exhausted
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

Perth To Host ‘State Of Origin’ Matches In 2025 & 2028

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.

A New Era Begins At Shellharbour Airport!

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!

40 Kilometre ‘Global Rainbow’ To Shine Over Sydney Harbour This Vivid Sydney

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.
Julian Ramundi, ‘Vivid Music’ 2024 – ‘Humanity’ Curator

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!
Rachel Healy, ‘Vivid Ideas’ 2024 – ‘Humanity’ Curator

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