The NSW Government is delivering for families this Vivid Sydney, with more than 80 per cent of the festival free and an even bigger and brighter program set to light up the Harbour City as the lights switch on tonight across the Harbour City.

New this year, the festival extends into the day with activations across the city, giving families and visitors more opportunities to experience the festival from morning through to night.

The NSW Government is also proud to bring back the biggest drone show program in Vivid Sydney history, with a record 22 drone performances across 11 nights at Cockle Bay, the most the festival has ever delivered.

More than 80 per cent of Vivid Sydney is free to enjoy, including the iconic 6.5-kilometre Light Walk stretching from Circular Quay to Darling Harbour, featuring more than 40 spectacular light installations along the route.

Millions of people are expected to visit the city over the next three weeks, providing a major boost for local businesses, restaurants, bars and hotels during the winter months while continuing to drive growth in the NSW visitor economy.

Now in its 16th year, Vivid Sydney continues to evolve as one of the world’s leading celebrations of creativity, culture and connection across Light, Music, Minds and Food.

Across the harbour, renowned French artist Yann Nguema will unveil a major new work, Lighting of the Sails: Opera Mundi by Yann Nguema, reflecting on the transformations found in nature and the forces that inspired Sydney Opera House architect Jørn Utzon.

World-leading culinary experiences will take centre stage through the Vivid Food program, celebrating the flavours, people and stories that define NSW.

The inaugural Regional Dinner Series will bring leading chefs together with regional producers and ingredients from across the state, including ‘A Shared Table with Yotam Ottolenghi’. Collaborations across the series include Mindy Woods with Danielle Alvarez at Sydney Opera House, Ben Devlin with Lennox Hastie at Firedoor, and Christine Manfield with Sander Nooij at Yellow.

Meanwhile, the Vivid Fire Kitchen will debut at its new home in Barangaroo where the fusion of food and theatrics will take over, delivering a full sensory journey where the sights, smells and sounds of open-fire cooking and live music transform the precinct into far more than a place to eat.

Creativity and conversation will come together through a reimagined Vivid Minds program, designed to place bold ideas and world-leading cultural voices at the centre of the festival. This year’s line-up includes Academy Award-winning filmmakers Sean Baker and Chloé Zhao, influential music commentator Zane Lowe, Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic Jerry Saltz and bestselling author Roxane Gay.

Vivid Music will once again energise the city after dark, with Tumbalong Nights returning for free live performances celebrating the diverse musical cultures that shape Sydney.

The program includes headline shows from Matt Corby, Nigerian afrobeat royalty Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, Melbourne garage rock royalty Eddy Current Supression Ring, K-pop singer SHAUN, Chinese rap sensations Billionhappy + SEBii with Korean producer Kimj, alongside Mallrat, Coterie, Boy Soda and more.

At the Sydney Opera House, Vivid LIVE will welcome more than 50 international and Australian artists, including singer-songwriter Mitski, Scottish post-rock pioneers Mogwai and Detroit techno icon Jeff Mills revisiting his legendary Liquid Room set.

Running from 22 May to 13 June 2026, Vivid Sydney continues to power NSW’s visitor and night-time economies while reinforcing Sydney’s reputation as a global leader in immersive cultural experiences.

Major events such as Vivid Sydney play a key role in the NSW Government’s Visitor Economy Strategy 2035, which aims to grow the state’s visitor economy to $91 billion over the next decade.

Minister for Jobs and Tourism Steve Kamper said: "Tonight, Sydney becomes the canvas for one of the world's greatest arts festivals, as Vivid Sydney once again transforms our city through Light, Music, Minds and Food.

"The Minns Labor Government is proud to deliver a bold new creative direction in 2026 — an immersive, accessible program spanning 23 unforgettable nights, with more than 80 per cent of events free to attend.

"From the iconic Light Walk and the festival's biggest-ever drone show to world-class music, food and cultural conversations, this year's program gives locals and visitors more reasons than ever to experience Sydney in completely new ways."

Vivid Sydney Festival Director Brett Sheehy AO said: “This year marks the start of an exciting evolution of Vivid Sydney. We’ve expanded the program across all pillars and have opened up the brief for artists and removed the creative limitations of needing to centre around one key theme.

“Visitors can expect a more immersive and interactive experience that will encourage them to explore new locations, unexpected installations, and spend more time enjoying the festival – both after dark and during the day.

“We’ve gone back to the core of what Vivid Sydney is all about which is tapping into creativity, and through this, there’s this incredible platform to showcase leading Australian talent as well as a chance to bring legendary international talent to the Sydney stage too.”

Vivid Sydney is owned, managed and produced by Destination NSW.