Your guide to the Vivid Festival
The Vivid Festival returns to Sydney from May 22 to June 13, 2026, with a focus on free and daytime events across light, music, food, and ideas. Highlights include the free Vivid Light Walk featuring 43 installations, a drone show at Cockle Bay, and culinary experiences at Barangaroo Reserve. The festival also features exclusive events like the First Light Cocktail Party at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia.
- ▪The 2026 Vivid Festival features 80 per cent free events, including the entire Vivid Light Walk for the first time.
- ▪The Light Walk includes 43 installations across a 6.5-kilometre route, with highlights such as Laser Lightfall and the 6.5-tonne Molecule of Light.
- ▪The Star-Bound Drone Show returns with 1,000 drones displaying nature-inspired patterns on less crowded festival nights.
- ▪Vivid Fire Kitchen moves to Barangaroo Reserve, offering free food, fire pit gatherings, and cooking demonstrations.
- ▪The First Light Cocktail Party at the MCA provides early access to light installations and views of the illuminated Sydney Opera House.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Sydney Morning Herald.