Every year when winter rolls around in Sydney, the city lights up for Vivid. And while I usually look forward to the event, I think most people will agree – in recent years, it just hasn’t been as good as it used to be! I guess a combination of high expectations, ridiculous crowds and lacklustre installations detracts from the whole experience… but I continue to attend nonetheless. After all, there’s not much else to look forward to in the middle of an Australian winter.
If you recognise Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, you definitely had an Aussie childhood! I used to adore the Gumnut Baby stories by May Gibbs, so it was a delight to see them lit up on Customs House. I love how they play a short sequence here every year, so the forecourt kind of becomes a mini movie theatre.
You can’t tell in photos, but these flashing lights were accompanied by a mesmerising soundscape. The Royal Botanical Gardens are a recent addition to Vivid, and actually had quite a few interesting things to see. I probably would have enjoyed it more if it weren’t for the extreme crowd control measures, though!
A cute animation to celebrate 10 years of Vivid. Can you believe it’s already been around for that long? From humble beginnings to attracting millions of people worldwide, it’s amazing to think about how far the festival has come.
Some sights to see around the Rocks, which is always a favourite spot of mine to explore. We happened to stumble upon some night markets, with vendors selling everything from crepes to mulled wine.
This popular installation was inspired by the story of Sadako and the thousand paper cranes. Sadako was a Japanese girl who suffered from leukaemia, after being exposed to radiation from the atomic bomb. According to Japanese legend folding a thousand paper cranes brings good luck, so Sadako began folding in the hopes she would eventually recover. While she never reached a thousand cranes before passing away, her story continues to leave a strong legacy.
A quick video of my Vivid highlights. I definitely have a long way to go when it comes to making videos, but as they say… practice makes perfect, or something like that. Watch in HD for the best viewing experience! 😉
