Not much can encourage Sydneysiders to brave dark, chilly winter evenings, but
Vivid Sydney bucks the trend every year. Now in its 13th year, the festival of lights, music and ideas returns on Friday 26 May for three luminous weeks.
But dazzling light projections, thought-provoking talks and music aside, the food and beverage program is bigger than ever thanks to the launch of the festival’s new pillar,
Vivid Food. From sky-high rooftop parties offering million-dollar harbour views to multi-sensory dinners in ballrooms to fiery dining experiences right by the water, there are plenty of food-fuelled events that will awe and delight locals and visitors alike.
Here are our top picks of the new Vivid Food program for 2023.
16 June
Vivid’s popular night market returns to Carriageworks – for one night only. This year, the market has been curated by leading Australian chef Matt Stone (Ciao, Mate! and You Beauty) and promises to celebrate sustainable food practices and the best local produce from NSW farmers, growers and producers.
There’ll be more than 50 of Sydney’s leading restaurants, bars, producers and artisans peddling their goods, plus live music and cooking demonstrations.
Tickets cost $15. Book via the
Vivid Sydney website.
3 June
After a sold-out event last year, the Vivid Sydney Dinner is back for a second run. This time, chefs Danielle Alvarez and Ben Greeno are joining forces to deliver a “feast for the senses” that will hero local produce through a degustation dinner with paired wines. Themed around the concept of ‘rewilding’, the one-off dinner will again take place in the Ivy Ballroom and promises to fuse light, music, ideas and food to create a multi-sensory dining experience.
Tickets start from $209. Book via the
Vivid Sydney website.
26 May – 17 June
Barangaroo’s The Cutaway will play host to the inaugural Vivid Fire Kitchen – think Dark Mofo’s Winter Feast, but less sinister.
Set nearby one of Vivid’s most anticipated art installations,
Vivid House, the new Vivid Fire Kitchen will transform the sandstone-and-concrete void into a lively dining mecca for the entire duration of the festival.
The pop-up dining hall will centre around food cooked over coals, with legendary pitmasters set to descend on Sydney and dish up exclusive dishes alongside local Sydney talent. There’ll be street food vendors, cooking demonstrations, live entertainment and more.
More details on pop-ups, demonstrations, talent and timings to be announced soon. For more information, visit the Vivid Sydney website.
10 June
Australian icon Maggie Beer is taking to the stage for
Vivid Ideas to uncover the positive physical and mental influences a good meal in good company can have.
The celebrated chef, author, restaurateur and philanthropist set up
The Maggie Beer Foundation, which aims to improve the quality of life of older people through food. She’ll be joined by researchers and advocates from SPHERE (Sydney Partnership for Health, Education, Research and Enterprise) to discuss topics that range from what makes a good meal to how food in aged care facilities is failing our elderly communities.
Tickets cost $30, with all proceeds going to The Maggie Beer Foundation. Book via the
Vivid Sydney website.
27 May – 17 June
Party 32 floors above the city at Aster Bar atop the five-star
InterContinental Sydney hotel, where you can take advantage of sweeping harbour views. Running for almost the entire duration of Vivid, the experience includes a three-course dinner with matched cocktails – and, of course, one of the best vantage points to take in all the luminous Vivid action.
Tickets start from $199. Book via the
InterContinental Sydney website. For more details, visit the
Vivid Sydney website.
4, 7 and 11 June
With a slogan like ‘where everything is edible, and anything is art’, Chin Chin’s Vivid experience certainly titillates. The neon-lit pan-Asian restaurant in Surry Hills is joining forces with painting studio Cork & Chroma for a four-session, three-day art experience.
Each session will see you create a masterpiece but, instead of paint, you’ll be colouring the canvas with ingredients such as fiery-red chilli oil, crimson beetroot sauce, orange paprika salt and other edible hues.
The playful art class comes paired with a four-course meal created by executive chef Matt MacLeod that is designed to work as well on the plate as they do on the palette.
Tickets cost $165. Book via the
Chin Chin website. For more information, visit the
Vivid Sydney website.
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