Vivid Sydney Once Again Lights Up Australia After a Two-Year Hiatus

Vivid Sydney 2022 - Sydney Opera House

After a two-year hiatus, Vivid Sydney finally came back. For over a decade, this annual art festival lights up the Australian city with a variety of light installations and music events. While it's always highly anticipated, Vivid Sydney felt like a reawakening as the city moved forward from the pandemic.

If the record-breaking attendance during the opening weekend is any indication, Australians have welcomed the reemergence of the festival. Nearly half a million people drank in the colorful light installations scattered throughout The Rocks, Circular Quay, and Darling Habour.

“Sydney is back and visitors are back. Over the weekend, thousands of families were taking in the captivating light displays along the 8km Light Walk, and importantly restaurants and bars were full of patrons enjoying themselves and supporting our local businesses,” shares Stuart Ayres, Minister for Tourism and Sport and Minister for Western Sydney.

Highlights include Australian painter Ken Done's work at the Customs House. Inspired by the colors he finds in Sydney, For Sydney with Love is his love letter to his home. And, as always, the Sydney Opera House is also in on the action. This year, Aboriginal Martu artists were charged with transforming its white exterior into something colorful and dynamic. Lighting the Sails sees a stunning Martumili collective painting projected onto the opera house, allowing Martu artists' stories to move beyond gallery walls.

After a two-year break, Vivid Sydney was finally  back with light projections and musical events.

Opening Weekend of Vivid Sydney 2022

Opening Weekend of Vivid Sydney 2022

Highlights included Australian artist Ken Done's love letter to Sydney on the Customs House.

Customs House During Vivid Sydney 2022

Customs House During Vivid Sydney 2022

The event—which ran through June 18, 2022–is a clear sign that Australia is back after two years of severe lockdowns.

Earth Deities Installation for Vivid Sydney 2022

Light Installation for Vivid Sydney 2022

Vivid Sydney: Website | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok

Images by DestinationNSW. My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Vivid Sydney.

Related Articles:

Interactive Mangrove Forest Installation Lights Up Sydney Harbor

Flowers and Trees Bloom in New Projection on Sydney’s Customs House

Vivid Sydney’s Colorful Light Installations Are Bigger and Brighter Than Ever

“Vivid Sydney” Cloaks the Australian City in a Spectacular Display of Vibrant Lights

Jessica Stewart

Jessica Stewart is a Staff Editor and Digital Media Specialist for My Modern Met, as well as a curator and art historian. Since 2020, she is also one of the co-hosts of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. She earned her MA in Renaissance Studies from University College London and now lives in Rome, Italy. She cultivated expertise in street art which led to the purchase of her photographic archive by the Treccani Italian Encyclopedia in 2014. When she’s not spending time with her three dogs, she also manages the studio of a successful street artist. In 2013, she authored the book "Street Art Stories Roma" and most recently contributed to "Crossroads: A Glimpse Into the Life of Alice Pasquini." You can follow her adventures online at @romephotoblog.
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