Vivid Sydney 2025 Guide to Sights, Beats, Bites, and Neon Nights

Vivid Sydney, the electric carnival of lights, sounds, and flavours, doesn’t do half-measures: between 23 May and 14 June the city’s landmarks morph into neon sculptures, art installations, and outdoor music stages. It’s the perfect excuse to spend a week in Sydney and see as much of it as possible.

Vivid Sydney 2025 is not about racing across the city in one big frenzy; it’s about roaming zone by zone, appreciating each of the five electric dreamscapes as you go. From Circular Quay and The Rocks to Barangaroo, Darling Harbour to The Goods Line and inner city and all throughout Martin Place and the CBD, here’s a few of the best sights, beats, sleeps, and bites for those neon nights.

Vivid Sydney is the people’s festival, with many of the activations inviting you to be part of the art. See your own handiwork projected on a heritage landmark with Colour The City, where the ASN Clock Tower becomes a gigantic collaborative canvas. Download the digital colouring sheet, unleash your inner Picasso and submit them by April 16 to watch your design illuminate the tower’s walls. Over 100 artworks will be showcased each week, including contributions from the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation.

Then head to the Joan Sutherland Theatre at the Sydney Opera House for a sonic expedition courtesy of Mount Kimbie. If you recall them as a British post-dubstep duo, get ready for a surprise. They’ve added more band members, more guitars, and a fearless dose of experimental swagger. Their 2024 album The Sunset Violent stirred critics and fans with its mix of indie, shoegaze, and electronica.

Fine dining plus interpretive dance? Yes, it’s a thing now, courtesy of chef Danielle Alvarez’s dream-inspired menu inside the Yallamundi Room at the Sydney Opera House. Elegant dishes paired with live contemporary dance, music and immersive visuals. Between bites of creative cuisine, you’ll find yourself entranced by performers who turn each plate into a movable feast.

By the time you’ve sampled all that gastronomic and cultural splendour, you’ll want to rest in style. Pullman Quay Grand Sydney Harbour is the definition of luxury, with five-star service, beautiful dining and some of the best views of Vivid Sydney including the incredible Sweet Dreams on the Pylon lightshow of the Sydney Harbour Bridge the and Vincent Namatjira’s King Dingo on the face of the Museum of Contemporary Art.

There’s something primal about gathering around a fire and telling stories. Bon{d}fire takes that ancient tradition and supercharges it with 21st-century technology. You’ll find a towering eight-metre LED flame sculpture in Barangaroo, surrounded by microphone stations. Step up, share a thought, a memory and watch as your words become a blast of colour and rhythmic light. Each new voice feeds the bonfire’s energy, morphing it into a luminous chorus of collective stories. Check out Firetalk on Wednesdays from 6:30pm to 7pm for communal storytelling as part of the Sydney Writers Festival.

A short stroll from the virtual flames, SomniUs mesmerises with its canopy of a thousand LED rods and sound sensors that sing and shimmer in sync with your movements. Wave your arms, dance around, or just stroll under the lights, every twitch you make triggers a ripple of sound and illumination overhead. Like all the best dance floors, it gets more vibrant with more participants, so bring a friend or three.

Looking for a drink with a view? Ascend to Smoke Rooftop at Barangaroo House. Their Vivid Sydney menu is all about zero-waste creativity, transforming what would normally be kitchen scraps into ingredients worthy of your palate. The vantage point over Sydney’s light-laden waterfront doesn’t hurt either. You can wing it as a walk-in, but a reservation is the smarter play as it will fill up quickly.

When the night fades and you’re ready to crash, ibis Sydney Barangaroo has comfortable rooms in a prime location. Modern and close to everything, this is a neat base for Vivid Sydney revellers who’d rather not trek far for a good night’s rest.

Over at the Australian National Maritime Museum’s rooftop, witness a Dreaming story from the South Coast of NSW unfold in vivid, larger-than-life projections. Tunku and Ngaadi is the tale of two creators shaping valleys, carving out waterways, and breathing life into our world, until Tunku’s reluctance lands him in the sky as the moon. Artist Cheryl Davison’s visuals pair with the voices of the Djinama Yilaga Choir, weaving an immersive story of love, heartbreak and the Waratah flower’s symbolic bloom.

Grammy winner Dobet Gnahoré lights up the always free Tumbalong Nights stage with her fiery vocals and vibrant stage presence. Her Ivorian flair combines tradition with a modern pop sensibility that’s impossible to resist. Opening the night, Ghanaian-Australian musician Immy Owusu stirs surf rock, psych and West African grooves into what he calls an “Afrodelik” sonic brew. If you’re new to Afrobeat, this show will convert you on the spot.

For front-row views of Darling Harbour’s Light Walk, snag a seat at Atelier by Sofitel. With just 20 window-side tables, you’ll want to book ahead. French-inspired decadence, crafted from local produce, with a generous sprinkling of French flair.

Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour’s elegant rooms deliver sweeping city or harbour views, and the infinity pool adds a dose of high-end indulgence. Recharge each day by soaking up the hotel’s plush comforts.

When did windows become wind-eyes? Tracing its roots back to Old Norse, vindauga is the linguistic spark behind Eye of the Beholder. Giant projections of blinking eyes fill the windows of Frank Gehry’s iconic building along The Goods Line. They flutter, roll and lock eyes with passers-by, toying with the idea that the art might be staring back at you. A subtle nod to Salvador Dalí’s dreamlike visuals, it’s a surreal playground of reflection.

Venture further into Hollywood Quarter Sydney, where Yawdoesitall is turning cult restaurant space Butter into a hip-hop haven. Live MCing, DJ sets and fresh drops of exclusive merch converge over addictive fried chicken. It’s an explosion of local talent and big vibes, all under one roof. Meanwhile, the Hollywood Dreaming Gig Trail spreads across cosy jazz spots and rowdy clubs alike.

Chef Paul Farag of AALIA is in the spotlight for a vegetarian feast that redefines Middle Eastern cuisine. Showcasing rescued NSW produce, the four-course meal delves into Levantine flavours while minimising waste. It’s part of Our Shared Dream at Refettorio OzHarvest, a series that merges top-tier cooking with a mission to feed Sydney’s vulnerable communities. Every plate tells a story of sustainability, inclusivity and creativity.

Plunge into a whirl of colour at ibis Styles Sydney Central, freshly refurbished to spark your imagination. Find yourself just steps away from Surry Hills and Oxford Street. Even better, you can recharge in a stylish room and then snag cocktails or street-food-inspired bites at Mee So bar.

In an area usually known for slick suits and big business, Martin Place goes flower-powered. Nine huge, mirrored blooms pop out of nowhere, scattering beams of colour and reflection across the streets. It’s a playful interpretation of an urban jungle, only here the “foliage” is pumping out shards of bright light rather than lazy leaves. As you wander between these giant flowers, gentle melodies sway along with the shifting kaleidoscope of reflections, making you feel like you’ve stepped into a secret garden smack in the middle of Sydney’s busiest hub.

Block out your Saturday of the June long weekend, because Angel Place will be transformed into a multi-stage music bash that meanders in and out of City Recital Hall. By day, it’s the alleyway with a famous birdcage installation. By night, it becomes a labyrinth of live bands, DJs and pop-up performances. This is a festival within the festival: part free, part ticketed. On the street, you can immerse yourself in an LED wonderland. Inside, you’ll find a revolving line up of music, light, and a dash of the surreal.

Ascend Sydney Tower for an incredible dining experience curated by Indigenous chef Dwayne Bannon Harrison with an unparalleled view of Vivid Sydney 2025. Each dish will draw upon ancient knowledge of native Australian ingredients, stitched together with modern culinary finesse. While you savour the rotating 360-degree city panorama, local traditional dance groups perform, it’s a celebration of the stories and flavours that have defined this continent for millennia.

Wrap up your Martin Place and CBD adventures at The Sebel Sydney Martin Place Hotel. Rooms come with kitchenettes, minibars, and a Nespresso espresso machine. They have 24-hour reception and on-demand room service all at a prime location, right near Hyde Park and the Sydney Opera House.

There are plenty of other great accommodation options to complete your Vivid Sydney experience, including the heritage-inspired Hotel Woolstore, the art deco elegance of Hotel Morris, and the chic Mercure Sydney, all perfectly positioned to maximise your experience.

For the more Vivid Sydney 2025 magic, from an interactive map to ticket details, head straight to vividsydney.com to plan your own neon-fuelled marathon and you're bound to uncover something that ignites your imagination.