Light Opera: After a two-year hiatus Sydney will be turning the lights on as part of the Vivid Sydney festival. Photo / Supplied
Light Opera: After a two-year hiatus Sydney will be turning the lights on as part of the Vivid Sydney festival. Photo / Supplied
Sydney's biggest arts festival is about to turn its lights back on after two years in the dark.
Vivid Sydney, Australia's largest light festival, begins this Friday at dusk.
From projections on the Opera House sails and Circular Quay ferries on the waterfront to mini events and exhibitions throughout the city, for the next 23 days the city will host musicians and artists from around the world.
In spite of two years of Covid-19 cancellations the light show is back for a 12 time with never-seen-before displays.
In a first for the festival of ideas, Sydney will be welcoming a display team of 600 flying drones that are set to illuminate the sky over Sydney Harbour.
Ephemeral Oceanic: Lights on the Rocks at Walsh Bay. Photo / Supplied
SKYMAGIC working with Paramount+ will be delivering the largest drone show ever deployed in Australia. It has taken a lot of coordination.
Chiew Soon Hooi worked with Australia's Civil Aviation Safety to cordon off the aerial display space by Harbour Bridge. However the result will be worth it.
"To have the chance to fly our drone light show offering within such an iconic setting is a real honour," he says.
Minister for Tourism and Western Sydney, Stuart Ayres said the display will help kick off the festival this weekend:
"Vivid Sydney is an open invitation for Sydneysiders and visitors from Australia and the world to come and experience Sydney at its creative best after dark."
Here's what else to look out for on the Sydney skyline From 27 May to 18 June.
On June 5, as part of the Vivid Ideas programme, he will be introducing a premiere of new film Elvis with a talk at the State Theatre.
Australian director Baz Luhrmann will be headlining the Vivid festival of ideas with the premiere of Elvis. Photo / Supplied
The Rocks to Barangaroo
Walsh Bay is between Sydney's newest and oldest post codes. By the Rocks under the Harbour bridge and the newly landscaped Barangaroo Reserve which opened in 2015. The Reserve park holds The Cutaway museum and gallery which is currently hosting the Sydney Biennial.
There's plenty of open air art on the waterfront from Circular Quay, with a pathway of six light installations.
To Sydney with Love, Ken Done's artwork will be projected on the Sydney Custom's house. Photo / Supplied
Light Opera
The Sydney Opera House is New South Wales' natural home of the arts. During Vivid, the sails are transformed into a canvas for projections and film work.
What happens inside the theatres and performance space inside is equally as eye catching. A bumper programme of artists are booked in to play the famous Aussie venue. This includes Kiwi artist TEEKS. The Māori soul singer from Tai Tokerau is set to headline Vivid LIVE on June 13.
Mandlights lazer installation Convergence at the Goods Rail. Photo / Supplied
DJs at the end of the Line
The Goods Line is a revamped freight rail line turned urban walkway. It will be hosting a variety of events over the 23-day festival.
Vivid Sydney is hosting free DJ sets from the likes of Stereogamous and Kate Monroe in the Light Walk at the ends of the Sydney Goods Line. Nightly, from 6pm to 10.30pm. There will be a number of other light installations to explore including the
