One week until Vivid Sydney lights up the city

Next Friday evening at 6:00pm, the lighting of the Sydney Opera House sails will herald the start of Vivid Sydney 2013, the annual festival of light, music and ideas, making the city a canvas of creativity, from 6pm to midnight every night, 24 May - 10 June.

Owned and managed by Destination NSW on behalf of the NSW Government, Vivid Sydney is the city’s biggest winter festival, with free and ticketed events including the event’s longest light walk, running for 18 days across Circular Quay, The Rocks, Walsh Bay, Darling Harbour, North Sydney and the Inner West.

From families looking for an entertaining night out and city locals and visitors wanting a new way to explore the city after dark, to music lovers and those with a passion for extending their creative minds through discussion and collaboration, Vivid Sydney has something for everyone.

For the first time, there will be a free mobile app to help visitors plan their trip, as well as the free Vivid Sydney Harbour Shuttle, operating between Kirribilli, Walsh Bay and Darling Harbour from 6pm-midnight every night.

Not to be missed highlights of Vivid Sydney 2013 include:

• Vivid Aquatique and Darling Harbour -Vivid Aquatique is a dazzling water theatre show with fountains, pyramids and projections amazing audiences on the hour, every hour, spectacularly choreographed to music. The Australian National Maritime Museum, Pyrmont Bridge and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia Headquarters will also feature light displays.

• Colour the Bridge - Visitors are invited to light the Sydney Harbour Bridge from an interactive touchscreen at Luna Park in a collaboration between Intel Australia and 32 Hundred Lighting, and the bustling night markets at Bradfield Park every Friday and Saturday evening will ensure that North Sydney has plenty on offer.

• Lighting the Sails - The world famous lighting of the Sydney Opera House sails have this year been designed by Australian creative innovators The Spinifex Group, who will transport audiences through a playfully projected journey celebrating Vivid Sydney in an immersive new way.

• Vivid Light - More than 60 interactive and immersive light sculptures and installations across Circular Quay, The Rocks, Walsh Bay, Darling Harbour and North Sydney. City skyscrapers will light up along with 3D mapped projections on Customs House, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, and Cadman’s Cottage.

• Vivid Ideas - With over 120 creative industry and public events exploring fashion, design, theatre, film, photography, publishing, gaming, animation, music, technology, lighting, architecture, education and even gastronomy, Vivid Ideas will connect Australia’s creative thinkers with global leaders and industry talents.

• The Vivid Ideas Exchange - Back again at the Museum of Contemporary Art, it features talks by renowned comedic visual artist and cult icon David Shrigley (UK) and Lucky Peach editor Chris Ying (USA), as well as two signature programs, 10 Commandments of Creative Practice and The Making Of…

• Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House - Featuring over 25 events, this year’s line up includes the world premiere of Australian outfit, Empire of the Sun’s much-anticipated second album Ice On The Dune, and several Sydney exclusive performances by international and local artists including German electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk and r’n’b soul legend Bobby Womack.

• Vivid Music takes the baton from Vivid LIVE for the final week of Vivid Sydney, with Terminal Projekt at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, Illuminati at the Argyle in The Rocks, Vivid at Seymour’s two-day program of arts-based experimental and improvised music at The Seymour Centre, and a program of sound art performances at ISEA2013 at Carriageworks

• Event collaborations with Australian International Design Festival, The Digital Playground by IDEA Australia, International Symposium on Electronic Art (ISEA) 2013, Semi-Permanent, Sydney Writers’ Festival, Reportage Photography Festival, SPARC International Lighting Event, Sydney Film Festival, X|Media|Lab, Mumbrella360, AMPlify, Head On Photography Festival and CeBIT Australia

The full Vivid Sydney program is available at www.vividsydney.com

Media Events:

PHOTO CALL - preview of SELECT Vivid Sydney light installations:
6:00pm Thursday 23 May.

Lights On, Vivid Sydney:
6.00pm Friday 24 May. See over 60 light installations and projections for Vivid Sydney, including lighting the sails of Sydney Opera House, the Aquatique Darling Harbour Show and painting the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Register for media exclusive access viewing locations.

IMAGES AND INTERVIEWS WITH THE ARTISTS AND FESTIVAL DIRECTORS ARE AVAILABLE.

For details of the media events or for more information about Vivid Sydney or to request an interview, please contact one of our Vivid Sydney media team - details are below.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Olivia Deskoski, Destination NSW                 Emily Walkerden, Avviso PR
02 8114 2407 or 0400 225 751                      02 9368 7277 or 0450 084 511
olivia.deskoski@dnsw.com.au                       emilyw@avviso.com.au