Your hit list for this year’s Vivid Sydney

Nine of the best events going down.

Vivid Sydney kicks off today with an influx of stunning light installations, one-off events and (most importantly) an illuminated dancefloor on the top of the Harbour Bridge.

Here’s our guide to the 9 coolest (and most fashionable, obvy) things to snap at Vivid Sydney this month. Just make sure you have Instagram at the ready…

1. See the lights from the water (for hardly anything)

Along with the Opera House and the MCA being lit up across the Vivid festival, there are plenty of other lights to see from a harbour vantage point. Don’t spend money on a cruise during Vivid – catch a ferry across the harbour for next to nothing – and snap away as you take in the sights from the bow, arms outstretched like Rose and Jack. Too much? Nah.

2. An illuminated dancefloor on top of the Harbour Bridge 

Join 13 other people and your flashing vest (provided, may not be entirely fashionable), and take to the illuminated dancefloor at the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge this Vivid festival. If that’s not #bucketlistgoals, then nothing is. 

Tickets here.

3. Nick Murphy (a.k.a Chet Faker) at the Sydney Opera House 

Returning to music after an absence and a name change, Chet Faker, now reborn as Nick Murphy, is promising a show ‘unlike any he’s done before’. Could be surprise lights, could be surprise nudity. You just never know. 

Tickets here.

4. Dine with illuminated animals at Taronga 

During Vivid this year, Taronga Zoo will have a giant floating stingray and a Port Jackson shark that devours you as you disappear into its light-up belly. So how better to experience giant animal installations than with an underwater-themed dinner? The only question is exactly how uncomfortable you’ll feel eating the animals that are being projected into the dinner space. Didn’t think so. 

Tickets here.

5. Silent disco ice skating

Shall I just repeat that? SILENT. DISCO. ICE. SKATING. From 4-8pm head to Broadway, don some headphones, and ice-dance the night away. Did I mention it’s free? I’ll fight you for it.

More info here. 

6. Go full ’80s with DJ Boy George 

Culture Club’s Boy George is Down Under for a cheeky Vivid DJ set and if you love ’80s pop and new wave, then you won’t want to miss this. Want to pimp up your flashback experience? Book a VIP package with drinks, private balcony and your very own bar. Because waiting for drinks is for losers. 

Tickets here.

7. Walk through an electric forest

Sydney’s iconic fig trees will light up with projections and 3D mapping this Vivid, creating an ‘electric forest’ that you can walk through (and Instagram to death). Head to the Botanic Gardens to check out this free installation. 

More info here.

8. Vivid-themed dinner with fashion illustrator, Kerrie Hess

For all you fashion tragics out there, head to The Langham for a dinner with acclaimed fashion illustrator Kerrie Hess. In a one-night residency, she’ll be working on her watercolour fashion illustrations as you dine. 

Tickets here.

9. Dinner with friends and just wander (read: Instagram) the city…

Lastly – and probably the best game plan you could have during the very popular Vivid Festival – you could just go with the flow. Grab dinner and drinks with friends (we recommend Gowings Bar and Grill at QT Sydney, highly recommend the crab cakes), download the Vivid app and wander the city. You never know what you might find…

Details: Vivid Sydney runs from 26 May – 17 June 2017.
Price: Generally installations are free, some events are ticketed.
Accommodation: I suggest staying at QT Sydney while in town – it’s pretty central, and definitely one of my favourites in Sydney town.

Bianca O’Neill was hosted at Gowings and QT during her Sydney stay. Follow her first time at Vivid Sydney with many annoying Instagrams over at @_thesecondrow.