Dark Spectrum in Wynyard Tunnels
A network of abandoned railway tunnels below Wynyard Station is opening to the public for the first time for a world-premiere multi-sensory experience channelling the otherworldly exhilaration of underground dancefloors. Eight rooms are each soaked in a different colour,with each designed to provoke a different mood.
May 26 to June 17
Lightscape at The Royal Botanic Garden
The lush Royal Botanic Garden is the backdrop for Lightscape,a bewitching immersive experience arriving in Sydney after stints in the US,UK and Melbourne. Wander for 2.1 kilometres beneath tree canopies beaming colour,around oversized flowers and through luminous tunnels for a multi-sensory after-dark adventure.
May 26 to July 16
Vivid House at The Cutaway
Four 360-degree artworks will be projected throughout the yawning chambers of The Cutaway at Barangaroo,transporting viewers to Australia’s natural wonders. Trace the secret coves of Sydney,dive beneath Australia’s oceans with their magnificent wildlife,brush across snow-capped mountains and get up close to incredible corals via projections that stretch from the ceiling to the floor.
May 26 to June 17
Written in the Stars
The biggest drone show to ever take to the skies in the southern hemisphere will soar above The Rocks and Circular Quay in a celebration of the planets,galaxies and constellations that have mesmerised,guided and inspired humanity for thousands of years. Download the Cinewav app before arrival for an accompanying reworking of English composer Gustav Holt’s The Planets by Peewee Ferris.
May 28,31,June 4,7,12,14
A Bend in the River:A Tribute to Archie Roach at Sydney Town Hall
The powerful legacy of venerable songwriter,activist and Stolen Generations survivor Archie Roach,who died in 2022,will be celebrated at a one-off event packed with his closest friends,longtime collaborators and contemporaries. Paul Kelly,Dan Sultan,Emma Donovan,Kutcha Edwards and more are on the lineup for a night of power,love and healing.
June 9
Vivid Sydney Supper Club at Mary’s Underground
On Friday and Saturday nights during Vivid,live-music spot Mary’s Underground will transform into the Vivid Sydney Supper Club,a late-night cabaret lounge hosted by drag artist Trevor Ashley designed to cap off an evening checking out the light walk or other gigs. Settle in till 1am for a genre-leaping lineup of acts including crooner David Campbell,comedian Rhys Nicholson,singer-songwriter Paulini,controversy-courting comedian Reuben Kaye and more.
Various dates
Mike White and Jennifer Coolidge in Conversation at the Aware Super Theatre,ICC
Long-time pals and White Lotus collaborators Mike White and Jennifer Coolidge – one of Time’s 100 most influential people of 2023 – will take to the stage in Sydney to chat satire,“eating the rich” and storytelling. In a wide-ranging conversation led by writer Benjamin Law,expect stories from the decades both have spent in Hollywood and insight into the highs and lows of their respective multi-faceted careers.
June 10
Jeanette Winterson| Life and Mars:The Future of Human at Sydney Town Hall
English writer Jeanette Winterson is known for authoring books about queer and gender identities. More recently,she’s turned her mind to questioning how we got here,our relationship with tech and what’s next for humanity. At Vivid she’ll address these ideas,followed by a conversation with presenter and writer Richard Fidler to further nut them out.
June 3
Nocturne at The Rocks
The backstreets and laneways of The Rocks set the stage for this audio-driven journey created by Melbourne artist collective one step at a time like this. Evocative soundscapes exploring the darkness are mixed in with Indigenous thoughts on Country and nature,guiding visitors on the hour-long walk that culminates in a star-gazing session.
Various dates