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Four Weeks to GLOW until Vivid The countdown to light up the city is on

It’s time to mark the calendar and start planning with only four weeks to go until the world’s largest festival of light, music and ideas, Vivid Sydney 2018, takes over the city in its 10th anniversary year.

Now Australia’s biggest event, the 23-day festival will transform the city into a colourful canvas of dazzling light, masterful music and creative and confronting ideas, from Friday 25 May to Saturday 16 June.

Vivid Sydney 2018 will feature an expanded footprint, spectacular tributes to Australian and NSW artists and global creative innovators and imposing large-scale light installations and building façade projections. Exciting new additions to Vivid Light include as a new precinct, and the return of a crowd-favourite, Customs House.

Minister for Tourism and Major Events, Adam Marshall said, “In four weeks from now, Sydney will be illuminated by our spectacular festival of light, music and ideas, as locals and visitors from around the world join us to celebrate Vivid Sydney’s 10th anniversary.

“Vivid Sydney is firmly established as a must-see global event, attracting 2.33 million attendees in 2017 and adding $143 million into our State’s economy.

“Now is the perfect time for visitors to start planning their trip, and I encourage everyone to take some time to explore several precincts over different nights to enjoy all that’s on offer across the festival’s program.”

VIVID LIGHT Each night, incredible light installations and awe-inspiring projections will transform Sydney’s architecture and open spaces at precincts including Barangaroo, & The Rocks, Chatswood, , Kings Cross, Luna Park, Taronga Zoo, and the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney.

This year’s Vivid Light emphasises imposing, large scale installations; from the eagerly- anticipated Lighting of The Sails on the and Bangarra Dance Company’s takeover of the southern pylon of for Eora – Dark Emu, to massive light art sculpture Aqueous, last seen at Burning Man, that will mesmerise festivalgoers in the natural environment of the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney.

For the first time, the festival extends to new precinct Luna Park Sydney, with a large-scale projection on the facade of . The park’s iconic will be lit for the festival following an LED refit, which massively increases the number of lights adorning the wheel.

As Vivid Sydney turns 10, author May Gibbs’ beloved characters Snugglepot and Cuddlepie will celebrate their 100-year anniversary with a charming journey through the Australian bush on the facade of Customs House. From the bush to the ocean, the magic of water fountains, lights and lasers will combine to take Darling Harbour visitors into a dream- like dive under the sea, while the rooftop of the Australian National Maritime Museum will be projected with BBC Earth and Sir David Attenborough’s Blue Planet II, exploring the fascinating world beneath the waves.

VIVID MUSIC The sounds of Vivid Music’s exciting contemporary music program will be heard across the city, with a program ranging from international artists in show-stopping settings, including Carriageworks and Vivid LIVE at the Sydney Opera House, to the experimental and quirky at intimate inner city venues.

On 25 May, legendary West Coast rapper Ice Cube will kick-start Vivid LIVE with four exclusive performances while indie-folk hero Sam Beam – aka Iron & Wine – will fill the intimate surrounds of the Joan Sutherland Theatre with his unique vocals. Concert-goers will be the first to see DREAMS, the experimental electro-pop collaboration between Daniel Johns and Luke Steele premiere new material on 29 & 30 May and Californian dream-pop, cult duo, Mazzy Star’s long-awaited Australian debut on 11-13 June.

X|Celerate, a collaboration between Vivid Sydney and the City of Sydney showcasing grassroots and emerging local music talent at venues across the city, hits the ground running on opening night too. In Newtown, Leadbelly will host – A Tribute to George, a new show celebrating the music of Beatle , performed by Sydney’s classic rock specialists The Classic Kings. In Surry Hills, Heavenly – a culmination of the time and tastes of Ben Fester, T Mingus and Adrian E – kicks off Harpoon Harry’s epic Vivid Sydney program with a free event in the rambling Cuban style mansion.

VIVID IDEAS Join the masterminds and collaborators leading the way in technology, creativity and science as the Vivid Ideas program explores scenarios shaping our future through a program of talks, industry seminars, conferences, workshops and debate.

For those who just can’t wait, Vivid Idea’s three-day Semi Permanent event gets underway one day before the lights come on – beginning on Thursday 24 May at Carriageworks. The global creative platform for pioneering and transformative design will feature a line up including former WIRED Editor-in-Chief and Executive Producer of Netflix series ‘Abstract:

The Art of Design’ Scott Dadich; legendary Nike sneaker designer Tinker Hatfield who will ‘walk’ the audience through his 36 years of celebrated shoe designs; and New York graphic designer Paula Scher, one of the most important designers of the 21st century.

Vivid Ideas will keep the cognitive wheels cartwheeling when futurist and game developer, Jane McGonigal and Artificial Intelligence (AI) expert Kriti Sharma join forces on 3 June to explore the latest in AI, virtual reality and gaming to ask what kind of society we can create with technology.

Don’t miss out: Tickets on sale now Vivid Sydney goes for 23 days and nights – but some performances are one night only – and tickets sell quickly. You can check out the full Vivid Sydney 2018 program and purchase tickets for Vivid Music and Vivid Ideas events and Vivid Sydney at Taronga Zoo at http://vividsydney.com.

Whet your ‘App’etite with the Vivid Sydney App Download the festival app to browse and discover everything Vivid Sydney has to offer in 2018. Use the app now to plan ahead - schedule and save your favourite light, music and ideas events, in one place across all your devices. When the festival begins, use the Map feature to get alerts on nearby events and installations, or take Vivid Audio Tours around Vivid Sydney precincts, light walks and events. The Vivid Sydney app is available for download now from the App Store or Google Play.

MEDIA ENQUIRIES:

Janete Sampaio, Red Agency P: 02 9963 7736 / 0417 188 842 E: [email protected] and/or [email protected]

Adam Sparke, Destination NSW Emily Kaelin, Destination NSW P: 02 9931 1318 P: 02 9931 1135 E: [email protected] E: [email protected]

About Vivid Sydney

Vivid Sydney is the world’s largest festival of light, music and ideas and now the largest event in Australia. For 23 days - from 25 May to 16 June 2018 – the event places a spotlight on Sydney and reinforces its position as the home of light, creativity, cutting edge music, engaging conversations and the exchange of new ideas. The festival is owned, managed and produced by Destination NSW, the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency. In 2017 Vivid Sydney attracted a record 2.33 million attendees and injected over $143

million into NSW’s visitor economy. For more information visit www.vividsydney.com