Over the past few years Vivid has become a behemoth, drawing visitors from across the country and the world to check out light projections and installations, and big-name musical artists. But now, with Covid-19 continuing to rage and international borders shut (and state borders opening and closing as new outbreaks arise), the festival is returning to its roots – as a celebration for Sydneysiders. But that’s not to say its line-up, announced today, is in any way parochial. This year the festival will take over the CBD, with 50 light installations and projections, as well as 150-plus speakers across the festival’s Ideas program and 50 gigs.
The Vivid Ideas theme this year is Mavericks & Misfits. UK actor, presenter and body-positivity advocate Jameela Jamil (The Good Place) will chat via video link with Australian author and writer Jamila Rizvi about inclusivity and mental health. And the multi-talented rapper, author and actor Briggs is teaming up with Youtube cooking sensation Nat’s What I Reckon to chat about how music can support mental health and shape identity.
In addition to the headline performance by Sampa The Great, which was announced a couple of weeks ago, there’s much to love in this year’s Vivid Music line-up. Heaps Gay is taking over Luna Park for a “Kween’s Ball”, with two stages of live music and rides all night.
Lovers of kitsch should hit up Paddington RSL’s Rissole Rampage, which will feature performances by Donny Benet and Palms. Other artists include Betty Grumble, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard and Amyl & the Sniffers. While gigs will be held in classic Vivid venues such as the Opera House and Carriageworks, they’ll also get bums on chairs in some of the city’s best small venues: think Oxford Art Factory, Club 77 and the Bearded Tit. Gardening Australia legend Costa Georgiadis will even perform with his psychosexual funk band The More Please Orchestra at the National Art School, while Ngaiire will take to a stage at Parliament House – also (hilariously) the setting for an Ideas talk on whistleblowers in journalism.
Finally, as ever, Vivid Light returns to take over the CBD with light projections and installations. For the first time, light projections across buildings (including the Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge pylons and the MCA) will be thematically linked. Yarrkalpa (Hunting Ground) – a painting by Martu Artists and Curiious – has been animated by a group of local Indigenous artists and will be projected on the Opera House sails. There’ll also be a floating light walk on Darling Harbour, with platforms along the way encased in bubbles you can step into.
And this year you’ll have more time than ever before to check out live music, discussions and light projections: the festival is running for 23 nights, almost two weeks longer than in previous years. Visitors to the CBD to see the lights are encouraged to divide and conquer, visiting one precinct at a time (including the CBD, The Rocks, Darling Harbour, Barangaroo and Circular Quay) and lingering for a meal or drinks after they’ve checked out projections or gigs.
Vivid runs from August 6–28. Vivid Live tickets are on sale from 9am, Friday May 28.
