Vivid Sydney set for a bumper long weekend

 Mackenzie Arnold

With the King’s Birthday long weekend almost upon us, Vivid Sydney has some incredible events on offer, including an all-new drone show for 2024 over Circular Quay on Saturday and Sunday night, as well as an exclusive event with Commbank Matildas superstars Mackenzie Arnold and head coach Tony Gustavsson.

Set to be a bumper long weekend, we’re inviting Sydneysiders and visitors alike to experience the Southern Hemisphere’s leading multi-arts festival across Light, Music, Ideas and Food.

8 must-see highlights of Vivid Sydney this long weekend:

1. Love is in the Air: The Vivid Sydney 2024 drone show is set to be an unabashed love story in the sky at 9.10pm on both Saturday and Sunday night, taking visitors on a journey that will have hearts beating fast as over 700 drones form universal symbols of love in spectacular colours and formations across the night sky. See b-roll here featuring rehearsal footage of the drone show ahead of the first show this weekend.
2. Champions of Change: Mackenzie Arnold and Tony Gustavsson: Hot off the Olympic squad announcement for Paris 2024, join Tony Gustavsson, head coach of the CommBank Matildas, and Mackenzie Arnold, celebrated CommBank Matildas goalkeeper and captain of West Ham United, for this insightful conversation on Monday, 10 June at Sydney Town Hall hosted by Matildas Alumni and now journalist Grace Gill.
3. Machine Hall Precinct: Experience this 100-year-old substation turned contemporary event space as part of Vivid Sydney 2024, this long weekend features a bumper line-up: with Club 4A x Eastern Margins on Friday, The Grand Silky Ball on Saturday and Trackwork x SUMAC Present +WINDCHILL on Sunday. Head along for a seriously electrifying weekend.
4. Tumbalong Nights: At the heart of the Vivid Sydney Light Walk, this one is the go-to for free and contemporary music with some of the best international voices and local talent across 12 nights. With K-Indie Music Fest feat. Silica Gel + sunwoojunga on Friday night, grentperez + Friday on Saturday, Sounds of Afrobeats on Sunday and the amazing Club Broadway + The Carpenters from Kempsey now rescheduled to play on Monday, this is an incredible free lineup of four back-to-back nights not to be missed!
5. Vivid Fire Kitchen: Featuring flame-seared street food from globally renowned pitmasters, live demonstrations and dishes from around the world, including the incredible Messina Milk Bar, transforming beloved classic sweets into modern gelato delights.
6. Window Dressing: A short stroll from the Goods Line, visitors can embrace their inner crypto-scopo-philiac with this work from Lisel Badorrek which sees eight performers living out their lives in the windows of the historic Frank Gehry building.
7. Vivid Sydney Supper Club: Join Vivid Sydney Supper Club curator/hosts and lifelong miscreants Rhys Nicholson and Georgia Mooney this Friday night as they explore the flip side of this year’s festival theme, humanity. Enter: a night exploring tales of inhumanity.
8. Dine at Aster Vivid: InterContinental Sydney’s premium rooftop bar will offer both a 270-degree vista of our harbour and a bespoke Vivid Sydney cocktail and two-course meal this weekend and for the rest of the festival or Aurorae At Bennelong Bar: Under the stewardship of Peter Gilmore, visitors this long weekend can elevate their sensory experience with a bespoke bar snack and cocktail offering crafted to match Vivid Sydney’s brilliance – all with one of the city’s best views.