With the longest ever Light Walk in Vivid Sydney's five year history, a record 100,000-plus visitors headed to the city's harbour foreshore for the annual festival of light, music and ideas during its opening weekend (24-26 May).
31 May 2013Festivalgoers were mesmerised by the spectacular Lighting of the Sails on the Sydney Opera House, over 60 light installations and immersive 3D projections, including Customs House and the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA), the magical water theatre show Aquatique International at Darling Harbour, and the interactive touchscreen where the public can light up the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
German electronic music legends, Kraftwerk, kicked off Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House with the first of a series of eight sold out shows as the sails of the iconic building came to life with magical projections by Australian creative innovators, The Spinifex Group.
Turner Prize nominee David Shrigley brought his quirky brand of cartoonish humour to the premiere Vivid Ideas Exchange event, entertaining a full house, and Indie Magazine heroes Chris Ying of Lucky Peach and Mauro Bedoni of Colors Magazine, shared stories about their editorial adventures.
Sandra Chipchase, Destination NSW CEO, said: “The opening weekend is always thrilling - the ‘lights on’ moment is very special and even more so this year as the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Darling Harbour joined the Sydney Opera House, Customs House and the MCA in captivating visitors. We are delighted to have welcomed record crowds.
“Vivid LIVE at the Sydney Opera House and Vivid Ideas began the festival with packed events. The unique performances at the Opera House and a new Vivid Music program at Carriageworks, the Seymour Centre and the Overseas Passenger Terminal are bringing music lovers a fantastic spectrum of events, and the visiting thought leaders and creative industry and business innovators involved in Vivid Ideas will provide audiences with an unforgettable experience and new business connections.”
Vivid Sydney is on now, and every night the Vivid Light Walk lights up from 6pm until midnight. The Aquatique International shows at Darling Harbour also run nightly, on the hour every hour.
Festivalgoers this year have been treated to a free harbour shuttle service from Walsh Bay to Kirribilli and Darling Harbour every 40 minutes. There is also a new, free Vivid Sydney app to help visitors plan their trip. More than 11,500 people have so far downloaded the Vivid Sydney app, while the number of visits to www.vividsydney.com has reached over 400,000 for the month of May alone. Vivid Sydney Facebook fans have also increased by almost 50,000 this month, with more than 100,000 fans now experiencing Vivid Sydney through social media.
Doctor Who takes over Customs House - Saturday 1 June
On Saturday 1st June, Vivid Sydney will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who with a special 3D-mapped projection on Customs House in Circular Quay.
“Travelling through time as he is pursued by some of his greatest enemies, the Doctor Who projections will entertain audiences ranging from dedicated science-fiction fans through to every family who has ever enjoyed an episode together,” added Ms Chipchase.
The Dr Who projections will be displayed at six intervals throughout the evening of Saturday June 1, featuring music from the TV show including ‘I am the Doctor’ and the iconic theme tune. The first Doctor Who projection will be shown at 6.50pm, then 10 minutes to every hour until midnight.
Vivid Sydney is owned and managed by the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.
Images and video footage are available at vividsydney.com/media-centre
Interviews are available on request.
Media contacts
Olivia Deskoski, Destination NSW
02 8114 2407 or 0400 225 751
olivia.deskoski@dnsw.com.au
Katie Moine, Avviso PR
02 9368 7277 or 0432 047 568
katiem@avviso.com.au
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