The Newsroom | Macleay College

What attracts 1.7 million people from all over the world to downtown Sydney at the traditionally quiet start of winter?

The answer is Vivid – the festival of light, music and ideas that dominates Sydney and grows in scope and popularity each successive year.

Vivid, known as the largest festival of light in the world, brings together more than one hundred artists from 23 countries to create over 80 light installations. It started as a showcase for lighting manufacturers to demonstrate innovative products and has developed into a major tourist attraction, now owned and operated by Destination NSW.

Paula Lay from Destination NSW told The Newsroom it’s Sydney’s “biggest event of the year”.

AMP Building lit for Vivid 2016.

Visitors flock to the numerous precincts scattered around the city, including Martin Place, Central Park, Taronga Zoo, the Botanical Gardens, Chatswood, Walsh Bay and the centre piece – Circular Quay.

The Opera House is lit with a visual and musical story celebrating Australian indigenous art and culture featuring work from six artists of different clans. The Museum of Contemporary Art, Customs House and Cadman’s Cottage also have their own stories.
Darling Harbour hosts the Laser-Dragon Water-Theatre, a light and sound display created with 56 fountains,10 lasers and four video projected water screens portraying dragons, clowns and human forms all appearing three-dimensional, high above the water.
Now in its eighth year, the festival has been extended to 23 nights and concludes June 18, 2016. – Story and Images by Noel Fisher