Vivid Sydney – Sydney Spectaculars

Vivid Sydney 2015: Biggest Ever Program Announced

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 Shines For Record 270,000 Visitors During Opening Weekend

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.

Vivid Lights Up Sydney For Another 18 Days

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.

1 Week Until Sydney Goes Vivid

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.

More Than 3,500 Extra Public Transport Services Light The Way For Vivid Sydney

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.

North Sydney Shines Bright For Families This Vivid Sydney

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

Creative Minds Meet In Sydney For Vivid Ideas – New Programming For 2014

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

30 Days Until Vivid Sydney 2014 Lights Up The Dark Winter Nights

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

Vivid Music 2014

With music a favourite feature during Vivid Sydney, Destination NSW announced today a contemporary line-up of performances and talent for the expanded Vivid Music 2014 program. New venues and more acts will take Vivid Music into Carriageworks, Seymour Centre, The Basement, Spice Cellar, Home Nightclub at Darling Harbour, The Argyle and of course The Sydney Opera House with Vivid Live.

Vivid Sydney, last year visited by over 800,000 people, is an 18 day festival of light, music and ideas. In 2013 it was named Australia’s Event of the Year.

Minister for Tourism, Major Events and the Arts, and acting Trade and Investment Minister, George Souris, congratulated organisers on the new Vivid Music line-up and encouraged fans to make the most of the entire Vivid Sydney experience, on from 23 May to 9 June.

“Boasting world leading artists and creative collectives, Vivid Music continues to wow audiences, expanding this year into new venues and favourite Sydney haunts,” Mr Souris said.

“With Sydney set to be transformed by stunning 3D light projections and installations, Vivid Music gives visitors another unique and creative Vivid Sydney experience,” he said.

Vivid Music Program

Brand new event Modulations at Carriageworks (6-9 June), curated by Stephen Pavlovic, welcomes headliners Pet Shop Boys plus the additions of experimental musicians Liars, iconic Sydney restaurateurs Porteño, and artists from LA indie label Wild Records.

Three performances by multi-award winning electronic pop legends Pet Shop Boys offer a rare opportunity to experience a spectacular multi-media production in an intimate and immersive environment, and their only Australian performances of their 2013/14 Electric World Tour.

Cutting edge Brooklyn artists, Liars, have been pursuing the art of music and performance for over 15 years, and have just released their seventh studio album, Mess. The Quietus describe Liars shows as “beautiful, bizarre and brilliant”, and they’ll be performing at Modulations on Friday 6 June.

Porteño is collaborating with their favorite LA based record label Wild Records to present an unforgettable experience at Wild Porteño, a pop up restaurant / bar open each night of the long weekend. On Monday 9 June, they present the ultimate Porteño live experience with performances from Wild artists The Delta Bombers , Gizzelle and Luis & The Wildfires.

One of Vivid Music’s exciting new venues, The Basement at Circular Quay, boasts a full performance schedule, featuring shows from incredible local talent such as Fishing, one of Australia’s most exhilarating electronic acts, who will exclusively launch their debut album during Vivid Music. Laneous & The Family Yah, The Big Village and the rap-obsessed Halfway Crooks will all make their Vivid Sydney debuts, alongside Australia’s future-soul beacon Ngaiire, whose first Vivid Sydney show will introduce keen new audiences to a wild, deeply moving and renowned live performance featuring some special guests.

In a first for Vivid Music, Spice Spektrum, hosted at The Spice Cellar, will treat audiences to a fusion of food, music and mood. A visual twist on The Spice Cellar will light up each night of the week with different colours, with each colour interpreted through music, food and visuals to stimulate the senses, giving visitors a unique emotional, culinary and entertainment experience.

Other newly announced talent for Vivid Music includes Holeandcorner, featuring at Home Nightclub during the Queen’s Birthday long weekend, in an event which will see the club host its most varied electronic music line-up ever, including DJs’ Hot Chip and Matthew Dear, Guy J, Henry Sais and Cosmin TRG.

Further additions to the Vivid Music 2014 program will be announced shortly including Spectrum at The Argyle.

The centrepiece of Vivid Music, Vivid LIVE At The Sydney Opera House,features a stellar 2014 line-up, curated by Fergus Linehan, including indie-rock band Pixies, Ms. Lauryn Hill, disco legend Giorgio Moroder in his Australian debut, James Vincent McMorrow, and Sydney’s Goodgod Small Club presenting South African Penny Penny as well as Sydney Opera House debutants St. Vincent and Anna Calvi. Unique performance Timeline will see a special collaboration between the Australian Chamber Orchestra, led by Richard Tognetti and electro-pop duo The Presets – in which they present the history of music in two hours.

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

Unannounced: Two Sydney Harbour Bridge Light Shows For Vivid Sydney 2014 & More!

Second Sydney Harbour Bridge Light Show For Vivid Sydney 2014 – ‘The Vivid Climb’

For the first time in 2014, turn the ‘climb of your life’ into your very own light show thanks to BridgeClimb Sydney. By wearing a special ‘Vivid Climb’ vest, your heartbeat brightens up the summit of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in your own personal light show. As your heart beats, the Bridge beats. Be at one with the structure as your heartbeat brightens up the summit in a vibrant light show. Your display will be as unique as you – the lights will react based on your exhilaration. The ‘Vivid Climb’ will only be available during all climbs departing at night during Vivid Sydney (23 May – 9 June 2014). A ‘Vivid Climb’ in Mandarin departs at 5pm each night during Vivid Sydney.

The Star Features In Vivid Sydney For The First Time In 2014

For the first time in 2014, The Star joins Vivid Sydney as the entire façade of the Astral Tower, The Darling hotel and Sky Terrace rooftop is transformed into a massive light show. The spectacular show will be visible from many vantage points across the city including the Barangaroo-Darling Harbour-Pyrmont precinct. And exclusively at The Star, highlights of Vivid from across the city will be show at the Vivid Bar while guests soak up the ambiance. Sip on a Vivid-inspired cocktail, enjoy great accommodation and dining packages, as well as the entertainment on offer at The Star. The Astral Tower is lit by The Electric Canvas every night from 6pm to midnight, 23 May to 9 June 2014.

Artist Impression By The Electric Canvas

Vivid Photography

Looking for helpful hints to capture the colours of Vivid Sydney 2014? Representatives from Canon Australia will be in the Light Walk precinct to help you get the best results. For useful camera tips, go to canon.com.au/imagespectrum. Vantage points for photographers are located around the Harbour from North Sydney and Luna Park to the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Dawes Point, Cockle Bay and Pyrmont Bridge. Share your Vivid photos with #vividsydney.

Sydney in Winter: Love Every Second Magazine

A 40-page full colour magazine titled ‘Sydney in Winter: Love Every Second’ , has been inserted into more than 2 million newspapers across Australia and New Zealand from Sunday 30 March 2014. It features over 20 dedicated pages to Vivid Sydney 2014 and will also be available on the Apple Newsstand from early May 2014. Distribution of the magazine will cease around late July 2014.

MIDLAKE Play Vivid LIVE At The Sydney Opera House

Rewiring fan favourites and their cult hits with a freewheeling honesty on stage, MIDLAKE return in adventurous form for a startling new chapter – a band re-born for a heart-rending opening to Vivid LIVE At The Sydney Opera House on Friday May 23rd May 2014 at 8:30pm. Tickets went on sale at 9am on Monday 31st March 2014.

MIDLAKE Photograph: Vivid Sydney 2014 — MIDLAKE
Photograph: Vivid Sydney 2014

Second James Vincent McMorrow Performance For Vivid LIVE At The Sydney Opera House 2014

Miss out on tickets to James Vincent McMorrow at Vivid LIVE At The Sydney Opera House? Never fear! They have announced a second performance for Saturday May 31! Tickets went on sale at 9am on April 9.

James Vincent McMorrow Photograph: Vivid LIVE — James Vincent McMorrow
Photograph: Vivid LIVE 2014

Stand Up, Stand Out: Call For Applications

Here’s your chance to win $3,000! As part of Vivid Ideas 2014, Pozible presents ‘Stand Up, Stand Out’, a one night only live pitching event to take place at the Museum of Contemporary Art. 4 selected participants will be asked to deliver a 5 minute pitch of their creative crowdfunding campaign to a live audience as well as a 5-10 minute performance of what they do – be that a film screening, music performance, fashion show or anything else! The event will be hosted by Sydney comedian, filmmaker, writer and successful Pozible crowdfunder Dan Ilic, who raised more than $50,000 to create a 10 week satirical comedy, A Rational Fear. On the night every member of the audience will have $30 to pledge to their favourite pitch. All projects must have a $30 reward to offer in return for pledges. All support received by projects on the night will go towards their campaigns. Once all pitches have been made the number of pledges for each project will be tallied and the one with the most will receive a further $3000 thanks to Foxtel’s arts & entertainment channel STUDIO. Pozible is accepting submissions from creatives for ‘Stand Up, Stand Out‘ until April 20.

Sydney Film Festival Preview

Here are 26 films to feature at the 2014 Sydney Film Festival:

Altman on Altman (On Sale Now)
Black Coal, Thin Ice
Cold in July
E-Team
Frank
Gabrielle
God Help the Girl
Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy?
Joe
Killers
Love Is Strange
The Lunchbox
Nelson Mandela: The Myth and Me
Omar
Particle Fever
Pulp
The Redfern Story
Rosebud Exhibition at the Hub
Ruin
Sepideh: Reaching for the Stars
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (On Sale Now)
Tom at the Farm
Ukraine Is Not a Brothel
The Unknown Known
Watermark
We Are the Best!

Sydney Film Festival 2014 Flexipasses are also now on sale. If you buy a Flexipass before April 24th, you will automatically go into the draw to win a VIP Opening Night Gala experience for two. Sydney Film Festival runs June 4 – 15 2014.

'God Help The Girl' Photograph: Vivid Sydney 2014 — ‘God Help The Girl’
Photograph: Vivid Sydney 2014

New Wave: Sound at Vivid Sydney 2014

Collarbones Meets Synergy Percussion

Premiere Performance: Best of Collarbones, all original sound-design remix like never before. Live percussion and digital wizardry thrash it out on stage in this coming-together of two musical powerhouses. Synergy’s raw, delicate and brutal percussion soundscape is the perfect prism for re-imagining Collarbones’ catchy rhythmic asymmetries, mesmeric harmonies and intricately layered detail. Acoustic percussion textures are manipulated live, Marcus’ hefty soulful voice rises out of the chaos, beats drop and then recede against a spare but cinematic musical backdrop. Tickets went on sale on 12th April.

'Collarbones' Image courtesy of 'Collarbones' — ‘Collarbones’
Image courtesy of ‘Collarbones’

The Adventures of Prince Achmed

The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926) is a silent silhouette animation by Lotte Reineger, considered by many to be the first feature-length animated film. The story, taken from The Arabian Nights, takes you on a fantastical journey, where you encounter a wicked sorcerer, a magical flying horse, an army of monsters and demons, a beautiful princess, and, of course, Aladdin and his magic lamp. The music combines both a live band and a pre-recorded electronic soundtrack, in a boundary-crossing style that includes jazz, blues, rock, classical, electronica and new music. Composer Phillip Johnston has been creating new scores for silent films for 25 years, and has performed his work in the United States, Europe and Australia, at venues that include the New York Film Festival, The Philadelphia Festival of World Cinema, the Roma Jazz & Image Festival (ITALY), Rote Fabrik (Switzerland), as well as the Melbourne International Festival of the Arts, the Sydney Film Festival, and the Sydney Opera House. The Adventures of Prince Achmed is a cutting-edge work of new music and silent film that is fun for the whole family! Tickets went on sale on the 21st April 2014.

The Sydney Opera House Tour – Celebrating VIVID LIVE

Concerts and lights aren’t the only things to see at Vivid LIVE At The Sydney Opera House 2014 – step behind the scenes and experience their state-of-the-art recording studio, where the artists warm-up, and much more with The Sydney Opera House Tour – Celebrating VIVID LIVE!

The Loop’s Portfolio Masterclasses

Hosted by The Loop at Vivid Sydney 2014, get feedback from the professionals on your portfolio (advertising, graphic design, fashion, photography plus more!).

Industry Insight – Graphic Design In 2020

Want to know what trends we will be navigating in the next 6 years? Experts give their top 3 picks at Industry Insight – Graphic Design In 2020 at Vivid Sydney 2014.

The Internet Of Things – From Electric Dreams to Reality

Tickets are now on sale to get schooled on the emerging ‘Internet of Things – From Electric Dreams to Reality’ at Vivid Sydney 2014. You can get an early bird discount plus access to an IRL after-party with drinks & canapés.

The Big (Shift) To Smarter Working

9am to 5pm? Yawn! The Big (Shift) To Smarter Working will explain how work is changing and why that’s a good thing at Vivid Sydney 2014.

A Cheat’s Guide To Getting That Thing Off The Ground

Hindsight is 20/20 – Hear 4 self-starters tell what they’d do differently if starting-up from scratch at A Cheat’s Guide To Getting That Thing Off The Ground, hosted by Junkee at Vivid Sydney 2014.

‘Making Iconic Houses’ – Iconic Houses Talk Series

Grand Designs’ Peter Maddison and Karen McCartney explain once and for all what makes a house iconic at ‘Making Iconic Houses’ – Iconic Houses Talk Series held during Vivid Sydney 2014.

Appetite For Distraction

The findings from one of the most in-depth studies into how 16-30 year olds share information is revealed at Appetite For Distraction held during Vivid Sydney 2014.

Blog Society: The Retreat

From labour of love to full-time job – learn how to evolve your blog at this crash course titled Blog Society: The Retreat at Vivid Sydney 2014.

Designers’ Den

It all comes down to the survival of the best designs at Designers’ Den during Vivid Sydney 2014! Witness the design process in action as they throw emerging designers to the industry’s Design Dragons. At the event, a pre-selected number of contestants will be invited to present their designs to a panel of industry experts before a live audience in a suspense filled game-show format. At Designers’ Den contestants have a unique opportunity to present their ‘idea’ to our carefully curated panel to gather invaluable feedback in their quest for design survival. Our panel of experts represents various ways that success can be defined, through different facets and approaches of the ‘design to market’ process.

China Australia Millennial Project (CAMP) Workshop

Contribute to the first ever crowd-sourced China-Australia ideas jam on June 2 2014 via this international workshop at Vivid Sydney 2014. Within Vivid Ideas 2015, 100 young innovators from China will touch down in Sydney and collaborate with 100 peers from Australia. Together, participants will hack into the Australia-China relationship to create new solutions for issues common to both our countries. In order to shape this world-first event in 2015, this June 2014 workshop is inviting key influencers (you) in innovation, entrepreneurship, social change and investment and across sectors such as creative industries, education, science and technology, business, government and more. The workshop is an exciting opportunity to explore and learn about international relations in an increasingly globalised world, and a genuine opportunity to co-create a new way for two nations to craft the future.

Cinecity: Making

30 short film screenings about architecture selected by world-renowned experts at Vivid Sydney 2014.

Made For People: Wearable Tech & Healthcare

Wearable technology and healthcare trends and forecasts from market leaders Google, Samsung USA, Microsoft, Nike, and more as part of Made For People: Wearable Tech & Healthcare at Vivid Sydney 2014.

Sydney New Year’s Eve 2013 – ‘Shine’ Banners & Lanyards Sold Out!

The Sydney New Year’s Eve 2013 – ‘Shine’ banners & lanyards are now sold out.

NSW Lotteries Scratch eClub – Instant Scratch-Its National Treasure Second Chance Draw Promotion

Are you a member of NSW Lotteries’ Scratch eClub? Well if you purchase a ‘NSW Lotteries $2 National Treasure Instant Scratch-Its Ticket‘ and lose, log on to the NSW Lotteries Scratch eClub website and proceed to the entry page for the ‘NSW Lotteries Scratch eClub – Instant Scratch-Its National Treasure Second Chance Draw Promotion’. Enter the SYS code and you will go into the running to win a $12,000 Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 holiday package for you and 3 friends which include:

A return economy flight to Sydney from the main commercial airport nearest the winner’s residence in New South Wales, with flights to be scheduled between 30 December 2014 and 4 January 2015;
3 nights’ accommodation at a 4 star hotel in Sydney of the promoter’s choice consisting of a total of two rooms with each room being for two people twin share for three nights between 30 December 2014 and 4 January 2015;
Tickets to a New Year’s Eve event located in the vicinity of Circular Quay in Sydney to be held on 31 December 2014, which will include viewing of the Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 fireworks, general entertainment and limited food;
Travel transfers in Sydney consisting of a return transfer in a chauffeur driven black sedan car from Sydney Domestic Airport to a four star hotel in Sydney chosen by the promoter
$1,000 spending money for the winner

Competition runs from 12am AEST Monday 14th April 2014 until 11:59pm AEST Monday 12th May 2014. Terms and conditions apply. Gamble responsibly.