Also speaking on stage at Sydney Town Hall will be former YouTuber-turned-actor and singer Troye Sivan,who will discuss Sivan’s creative life and new models of masculinity,non-conformity,being young and queer.
Paul Kelly and his band will join Indigenous singer-songwriter Thelma Plum to headline the SydneyOpera House’s program of more than 70 artists,put together from two years of cancelled festivals. Curator Ben Marshall has honoured the Opera House’s commitments to its Australian artists.
“It’s clear that Sydney isn’t the same city it was in 2019,or 2020,or even last year,” Marshall said. “In 2022,we are all feeling the deep communal need to experience art and live concerts together.
“It’s an honour to be staging the world premiere of Nils Frahm’s new performance,and Hermitude will finally let rip outside on the harbour. Vivid LIVE will herald the Opera House debuts of sublime new artists like Masego,RVG and Miiesha,while we welcome back the mighty Moses Sumney and hand the Opera House over to Sydney’s multifaceted music communities.”
Marcia Hines will perform a series of gospel performances at St Stephen’s Uniting Church and Vivid will host its first dinner at the Ivy Ballroom.
Tumbalong Park at Darling Harbour will host evening family shows,and the Frank Gehry-designed Dr Chau Chak Wing Building at the University of Technology is to be lit from the inside.
Also new to the festival is Vivid House,near the Chinese Gardens,where visitors can experience a 360-degree immersive sound and video experience featuring six works,including one by Elliot Routledge – better known as the street artist Numskull.
The centrepiece of last year’s cancelled festival has been carried forward,with the sails of the Sydney Opera House to be lit with the art of eight female Indigenous artists from the Pilbara. The looped 15-minute Opera House projection is inspired by the iconic artwork and voices of the Martu artists of the Sandy and Gibson Deserts of Western Australia.
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A compilation of Ken Done’s signature colour-saturated postcard images will be projected onto Customs House showing a day in the life of Sydney and titledFor Sydney with Love.
The Harbour Bridge’s 90th birthday will be marked by projections on its pylons including those designed by the festival’s youngest-ever artist participant,Luca French.
Contingencies are in place in case of the reintroduction of pandemic-driven public health restrictions but organisers believe they are in a much better place than 2021 with most of the population at least double vaccinated.
Minervini is promising more artist-driven and Indigenous works includingFirst Light,a Welcome to Country ceremony at Camp Cove which will open the festival,and be relayed on screens every night thereafter. She hopes the return of Vivid will bolster the confidence of artists as well as struggling businesses and give visitors the excuse to stay on in the city.
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Vivid Sydney is owned,managed and produced by Destination NSW,the NSW government’s tourism and major events agency.
Vivid runs from May 27 to June 18,vividsydney.com
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