Vivid Sydney is finally here. And we were there right on the first night to see what was in store for the 2026 festival. Without a doubt, it’s our favourite annual event in Sydney. That’s right; we get excited about it like a kid counting down to Christmas.
And what’s not to love? There’s whimsical art displays, brilliant projections onto buildings (how they line it up so perfectly still baffles us!), thought provoking talks and gigs. Oh, and the food. The addition of the Vivid Fire Kitchen a few years ago added flavour in a truly Vivid way.
Aside from our go-to trifecta of building displays around Circular Quay, there are dozens of pieces to check out in 2026. Here’s what we’ve already seen and whether we recommend doing so too.
As we check out more Vivid displays over the course of the festival, we’ll continue to update this page to let you know what we believe are the best of the best!
Vivid displays that we’ve seen so far in 2026
While the list above is the displays we were most looking forward to before the festival started, here’s a full list of everything we’ve now seen, divided up by area.
There’s… a lot. Each year Vivid seems to pack in more and more. And we’re here for it! But understand that not everyone loves it quite as much as us. So we’ve shared which ones we think are noteworthy and which failed to impress with our see-it-or-skip-it list.
Circular Quay and The Rocks area
- Circles of Rhythm (✅ See!)
- Dear You (✅ See!)
- Deep Time (✅ See!)
- The Fringe of Infinity (✅ See!)
- Invisible Cities (✅ See!)
- Koro Loko (✅ See!)
- Our Connected City (Above the water at Circuclar Quay) (✅ See!)
- Pendulum (Hickson Road Reserve) (✅ See!)
- Vivid Light on Sydney Harbour (Illuminated boats and ferries on the water at Circuclar Quay) (✅ See!)
- As Water Falls (❌ Skip)
- Beyond the Overlay (❌ Skip)
- Glyph (❌ Skip)
- Optik (Loftus Street) (❌ Skip)
- The Prism (Jessie Street Gardens) (❌ Skip)
- There, Now, Here (❌ Skip)
Barangaroo area
- Electric Dandelions (✅ See!)
- Flea Circus (✅ See!)
- Laniakea (✅ See!)
- Molecule of Light (✅ See!)
- Mycelium Network (✅ See!)
- River of Fire (✅ See!)
- Constellations (❌ Skip)
- Obstacle (❌ Skip)
- Peekaboo Parliament (❌ Skip)
- Point of (No) Return (❌ Skip)
- Sunrise (❌ Skip)
Vivid displays we were looking forward to (and how we felt once we’ve now seen them)
According to the Vivid Sydney website, there are 44 different displays this year, and they’re spread throughout Circular Quay, The Rocks, Barangaroo and Darling Harbour. It’s quite a lot to pack in, especially if you’re travelling with kids.
After attending almost 15 Vivid events and doing some research for the 2026 event, we’d like to think we’re pros by now. These are some of the displays we’re most excited about.
Lighting of the Sails: Opera Mundi
Where is it? Sydney Opera House, but best seen from the other side of Circular Quay, in front of the Overseas Passenger Terminal
When to see it: 22 May – 13 June from 6pm-11pm
Artist: French multimedia artist Yann Nguema
Always a highlight, the illuminations on the Sydney Opera House sails are always a must-see during Vivid. The iconic, white-tiled building creates the perfect screen of sorts for the colourful displays each year. Sometimes telling a story, sometimes just displaying beautiful imagery, it’s always one we make sure to check out from numerous angles.
For the best bang-on view, head across Circular Quay go in front of the Overseas Passenger Terminal. Standing in front of the Park Hyatt will also get you great views.
✅ We’ve seen it!
The Fringe of Infinity
Where is it? Illuminated onto the facade of Customs House at Circular Quay
When to see it: 22 May – 13 June from 6pm-11pm
Artist: Spanish artist Javier Riera
Another one of our must-sees each year, the Customs House Vivid display plays with the historic building’s frontage. It always amazes us how perfectly the images align with the windows, pillars and clock and even use them as part of the imagery.
This year’s illumination is inspired by geometric designs, which suits the building just perfectly. While not packed with vivid colour and playful cartoons like in previous years, Fringe of Infinity still has a great way of playing with the facade of the iconic Circular Quay building.
✅ We’ve seen it!
Vaiola
Where is it? Illuminated onto the facade of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA)
When to see it: 22 May – 13 June from 6pm-11pm
Artist: Sāmoan-Australian artist Angela Tiatia
Rounding off our three, annual must-go-to displays is whatever is projected onto the Museum of Contemporary Art, and, in 2026, that’s Vaiola. Inspired by pearls, water, flowers, fire and the female form, Samoan-Australian artist Angela Tiatia has created a colourful piece of art for this year’s MCA display.
On the rainy evening that we were there, this tropical inspired illumination had all the island vibes we wish we could be experiencing at the time.
✅ We’ve seen it!
Time:Warped
Where is it? Argyle Cut
When to see it: 22 May – 13 June from 6pm-11pm
Artist: Neon Dynamo
While we don’t have the Las Vegas Sphere here in Australia, the Argyle Cut in the rocks gives a pretty awesome all-round theatre experience during Vivid. The curvature of the tunnel beneath the motorway creates an arched canvas that’s perfect for Vivid illuminations. This year, the seven-minute show features lasers, projections and electonic music. A little party-in-a-tunnel, if you will.
And it seems to travel through time, too. The tunnel at times looks like an elaborately decorated European castle or historic church before turning into what felt like an Inner West warehouse rave at times.
✅ We’ve seen it!
Cristal Palace
Where is it? Sydney Opera House Forecourt
When to see it: 5-7 June from 7:30pm-8:40pm
Artist: Outdoor theatre company Transe Express
Something a little bit different for Vivid, but at the same time very Vivid, Cristal Palace is packed with aerial acrobatics and other family friendly circus acts. The 70-minute show will take place for three nights only, right in the middle of the three-week festival. It’s completely free to watch, too!
Star-Bound: Vivid Sydney Drone Show (Temporarily cancelled)
We’re pretty bummed about this, but safety always comes first. Unfortunately due to a technical malfunction on Monday, 25 May, about 90 drones fell from the sky during a show. Since then, shows have been cancelled and the state of future shows is still unknown.
Where is it? Above Darling Harbour, at the Cockle Bay end.
When to see it: Sunday to Wednesday nights at 7:30pm and 9:30pm (no show on Sunday, 7 June)
Artist: SKYMAGIC drones and music by Australian composer Antony Partos
Always a crowd-pleaser, drone shows offer the magic of firework displays with a dash of dazzling choreography. The Star Bound show will be featuring an incredible 1,000 drones that will display animals, plans and even the solar system in the skies above Darling Harbour. It’s noted that all the shows are the same, so no matter which night you come to see it, you’ll be in for a treat.
Vivid events we got tickets for
Every year, loads of artists join forces with Vivid to put on shows at venues across the city. What we love is that they tend to be a lot more affordable than most shows, too. So we try to attend a few each year. For 2026, we’ve bought tickets to two. They are very much our musical taste, so there may be others that are more suitable for you.
Here’s who we’re seeing.
King Stingray
Where is it? The Concert Hall at Sydney Opera House
When is it? 22 May at 8pm
Price: From $49.90
It’ll be our fifth or sixth time seeing band that hails from the Top End, and we can just about guarantee the’ll put on a great show. It’s always a lively atmosphere, fun music and a group of musicians who seem to genuinely love what they do.
✅ We’ve seen it and it was a great show!
Matt Berninger (The National)
Where is it? The Concert Hall at Sydney Opera House
When is it? 28 May at 8pm
Price: From $89.90
Loving his work with The National, lead-singer Matt Berninger is putting on his debut live show as a solo act in Australia during Vivid. We saw him with the band back in 2024 and are super excited to see how he goes on his own.
What is Vivid Sydney?
Running for 16 years now, Vivid Sydney is a festival of light, ideas and music. It features brilliant illuminations and music and speaking events. Of course, all that comes with plenty of food and drink specials from pop-up restaurants and food trucks in the Vivid Precincts and the official Vivid Fire Kitchen, complete with talks live cooking demonstrations from celebrity chefs.
How long does Vivid Sydney run for?
It runs for 23 nights in 2026. It started on Friday, 22 May and ends on Saturday, 13 June.
Is everything at Vivid free?
Unfortunately not, but many things are! The vast majority of light displays are free for everyone, but ticketed events, including music, are usually at a price. That said, we generally find the prices are quite fair compared to gigs outside of the Vivid festival.
For example, we’re seeing King Stingray for just $49.90 each. The last time we saw them we paid $79.90.
