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Now in its 15th year, Vivid Sydney 2025 transforms the city into a glowing tribute to creativity and collective dreaming. This year's theme, Dream, invites audiences to think expansively and imagine freely through light, music, ideas, and food. Over 23 days and nights, Sydney's landmarks and city streets become the canvas for artists, musicians, and designers working at the edge of possibility. Produced by Destination NSW, this annual celebration continues to grow in ambition, recognition, and scale, setting a high watermark for creative arts festivals in Australia.
A tribute in light: McDiarmid's voice on the Opera House
A defining installation of Vivid Sydney 2025 is Lighting of the Sails: Kiss of Light, a 7-minute animated projection honouring the life and work of artist David McDiarmid. Cast across the Sydney Opera House, it weaves together four major collections, including the 'Disco Kwilts' and 'Rainbow Aphorisms' into a slow, luminous choreography of texture, colour, and idea. Known for celebrating queer identity with wit and defiance, McDiarmid's work pulses with joy and protest. Here, it becomes a moving visual statement about the power of creative expression to challenge and connect.
Customs House comes alive with Romance Was Born
Romance Was Born brings its world of colour, craft, and couture to Vivid for the first time. House of Romance: Dreams Collide reimagines the fashion duo's most celebrated designs into a projected dreamscape across the Customs House facade. It's a lush, layered tribute to two decades of collaboration, featuring animated versions of iconic looks and Australian art references. Crochet, sequins, and soft chaos fill the space with character and nostalgia. Paired with an original score from Heckler Sound, the installation offers a generous, all-sensory immersion into the artistic heart of Romance Was Born.
What some visitors are saying this year
Public reaction to Vivid Sydney 2025 has included both enthusiasm and critique. Some visitors have noted a lack of visual impact compared to previous years, describing certain light displays as more subdued than expected. The cancellation of the drone show, originally a key attraction, left others disappointed.
There has also been conversation around the temporary relocation of a community kitchen that typically serves people experiencing homelessness during winter. The timing has raised questions about how significant events can better consider their impact on essential local services. These responses add nuance to the broader experience and emphasise the need for continued balance between spectacle and social awareness.
Why Vivid still holds its place
Vivid Sydney 2025 may not land perfectly for everyone, but it remains one of the country's most significant creative arts festivals. It supports new artistic voices, brings ambitious ideas into public view, and opens up conversations about the role of imagination in city life. As public expectations grow, so does the opportunity for public art in Australia to expand, challenge, and connect more meaningfully. This year's theme reminds us that dreams, by their nature, are unpredictable. But they are also essential.
Imagination can't be measured, but it can be shared. Vivid Sydney 2025 allows audiences to experience that sharing through light, sound, and story. Explore the full program on their website, and let this year's festival prompt new thoughts, new feelings, and perhaps a new dream of your own.
