City of Sydney provides significant funding to assist delivery of Vivid program

May 23, 2022

Arts / Attractions / Entertainment / Events / Venues /

The City of Sydney is providing significant funding and in-kind support to assist the delivery of Vivid Sydney’s program of large-scale light installations and projections, events and live music.

The partnership with Destination NSW, the owners and producers of Vivid Sydney, will see the City provide funding for the X/Celerate live music program and value-in-kind support to enable street closures, events and building façade lighting.

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the return of Vivid Sydney, which was cancelled in 2020 and 2021, demonstrates that Sydney is bounding back to life post-pandemic.

“We’re not entirely out of the woods yet, but it’s wonderful to see life returning to the city and people rediscovering all the CBD has to offer,” the Lord Mayor said.

“After two years of lock downs we all deserve to get out and have a bit of fun. Events like Vivid Sydney are a great reason to head back into town and support local bands, artists and businesses.

“With light displays, artworks, music performances and creative conferences, Vivid Sydney showcases some of our most famous buildings and creative talent, and there really is something for everyone.

“The live music and performing arts sectors were among the hardest hit by the pandemic, with curtains drawn and venues closed as soon as we experienced our first cases of Covid-19. The X/Celebrate live music program, which focusses on supporting diverse artists, venues and audiences, is another way the City is helping our creative community back onto its feet.

“I’m delighted that our partnership with Destination NSW will help celebrate our diverse creative industries and profile Sydney to the rest of the world as a major creative hub on the path to recovery.”

Some of the highlights of Vivid Sydney that the City of Sydney has assisted include:

Use of Customs House façade one of key buildings in the City of Sydney’s LGA, which will feature Ken Done’s For Sydney With Love projection artwork, and Central Station where Vivid Reflections – an interactive projection experience – transforms people’s movements into animated action and beams them onto the landmark clock tower
Light installations and activations as part of the Light Walk throughout the CBD and Circular Quay, and from Central Station to Walsh Bay
As part of the Vivid Music program, WAW (We Are Warriors) FEST at Oxford Arts Factory will showcase young and emerging First Nations talent. Yuin hip-hop artist and host of triple j’s Blakout radio show Nooky will bring together some of the country’s best live acts and DJs including Dallas Woods, Kobie Dee, Triple One, The Terrys, Latifa Tee, Jade Le Flay, Roman Jody and Scraps
A series of seven shows at the National Art School in Darlinghurst, featuring the ethereal electronic music sounds of contemporary harpist Jake Meadows, the psychedelic jazz of Godtet, to the cinematic pianos and synthetic sounds of Birds of Tokyo’s Adam Spark
A one-day music event in Sydney Tower Eye that will be headlined by three women from diverse cultural backgrounds. Picnic in the Sky will transform Bar 83 at the top of the tower into a magical space showcasing live performances by Milan Ring, Princi and a DJ set from C.FRIM
A weekly tribute to Sydney’s queer performance icons at The Bearded Tit in Redfern. Every Wednesday during Vivid Sydney renowned queer artists Nana Miss Koori and Frumpus to Cindy Pastel will perform alongside some of Sydney’s newest talent including Betty Grumble, Kilia Pahulu, and Stelly Gappasauress.

The City of Sydney has supported Vivid Sydney through funding partnerships since it was established in 2008, and 2022 is the fifth year it has supported local artists and venues to be featured in the Vivid Music program through a targeted funding program.

City of Sydney Council also this week approved support for Vivid Sydney 2023.

As well as direct funding towards the Vivid Sydney music program, the City of Sydney will provide support through fee waivers for outdoor spaces in key public domain locations including street closures, indoor venue hire, cleansing and waste services, marketing support and visitor information services.

For full details on Vivid Sydney visit vividsydney.com

Image:2019 Vivid Sydney’s program of large-scale light installations and projections

20th May 2022 - TDC provides insights into the technology behind Vivid Sydney

13th August 2021 - Vivid Sydney 2022 invites creative sector to submit an Expressions of Interest

6th August 2021 - Vivid Sydney 2021 cancelled with plans underway for next year’s event

15th July 2021 - Destination NSW reschedules Vivid Sydney 2021

26th May 2021 - Carriageworks presents dynamic music program as part of VIVID Sydney 2021

25th May 2021 - Program unveiled for VIVID Sydney 2021

13th April 2021 - Destination NSW appoints new Festival Director for Vivid Sydney 2021

15th October 2020 - Work commences on Vivid Light as dates announced for Vivid Sydney 2021

15th March 2020 - Destination NSW cancels Vivid Sydney 2020

18th June 2019 - Technical Direction Company helped thrill visitors during 2019 Vivid Sydney

12th June 2019 - Vivid Sydney attracts record long weekend attendances

17th May 2019 - Vivid Sydney 2019 venues to be transformed through curated music program

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