Australia’s largest event is once again transforming Sydney from 23 May to 14 June 2025, with the theme of Vivid Sydney, Dream.

Dreams are taking many forms during the festival and engage all the senses, including taste.

From flame-cooked feasts to sky-high fine dining, precinct-wide parties or dishes that tell a deeper story, the 2025 Vivid Food program is serving up a wide array of dreamy meals, with many events showcasing NSW produce and beverages.

NSW wines star at Vivid Fire Kitchen

This year, local and international chefs are collaborating to craft unique and innovative menus, from exclusive fine dining experiences to casual fire-cooked meals, celebrating NSW food and produce.

NSW produce and wines are taking centre stage, with chefs celebrating the breadth of regional ingredients in their live cooking demonstrations and special wine educational nights with a NSW winemaker.

Winemakers are offering tastings to the audience and speaking on stage about the food and wine pairing. Upcoming sessions include:

30 May: Latitude 32 (Hunter Valley) with Karima Hazim

2 June: Peppergreen Estate (Southern Highlands) with Paul Farag

3 June: Stockmans Ridge (Orange) with Oscar Solomon

4 June: Thomas Wines (Hunter Valley) with Michael Rantissi

8 June: Gilbert Wines (Mudgee) with Lennox Hastie

10 and 11 June: Lowe Family Wine Co (Mudgee) with NICI

12 June: Windowrie (Canowindra) with John McFadden

There is also a dedicated NSW Wine Bar at Vivid Fire Kitchen, featuring wines from NSW wine regions, including the Riverina, Hunter Valley, Orange and more.

Wine served at the other bars at Vivid Fire Kitchen comes from Hunter Valley-based winemaker Tempus Two.

Vivid Sydney Dinners – with Nigella Lawson

For three special nights, from 6-8 June, global food icon Nigella Lawson will host an exclusive dining experience beneath the city.

Held in the Muru Giligu Tunnel—a new underground landmark in the Martin Place Metro station, the evening will include an arrival canapé, followed by a three-course feast, all prepared in the beloved British cook’s signature style.

Every bite will also highlight the best of NSW’s vibrant food scene, from locally sourced produce to premium wines.

The dinner will include:

Autumnal Salad

Vennella stracciatella, toasted Batlow hazelnuts, red witlof, radicchio, Mudgee bush honey, Blue Mountains blackberries, pepperberry vinaigrette

Tyrrell’s Hunter Valley Semillon, Hunter Valley, Wonnarua, NSW, 2024

Aromatic and floral with crisp acidity and lemon zest

Ross Hill ‘Maya’ Chardonnay, Orange, Wiradjuri, NSW, 2024

Rockmelon, citrus, ripe apple, zesty acidity and a textural finish

Roast Chicken & Lentils

Free-range chicken, red wine braised lentils, bacon, grilled Riverina pumpkin, with coriander and jalapeno salsa

Moppity Lock & Key Pinot Noir, Tumbarumba, Ngarigo, NSW, 2024

Fragrant red cherry and strawberry fruits with a silken earthiness

Samantha May Syrah, Orange, Wiradjuri, NSW, 2024

Delicate pepper spice with blackcurrant and raspberry fruits and dusty tannins

Unique dining experiences

On 30 May, Dreaming Skies: A Culinary Journey with Dwayne Bannon Harrison (and Native Food Experience) will feature the pioneering First Nations chef, a proud Yuin-Ngarrigu-Gunai-Yorta Yorta man from the Shoalhaven region of NSW.

Dwayne Bannon-Harrison is also the founding director of Ngaran Ngaran Culture Awareness, Co-founder of Mirritya Mundya Indigenous Twist (both based on the NSW South Coast) along with being the Chair of the NSW Aboriginal Tourism Operators Council.

Courses will be matched wines from Brokenwood, Hunter Valley, while the matching cocktail for dessert is a cocktail Lemon Myrtle-cello, made with rum from Husk Farm Distillery in the Tweed NSW. 

Tyrrell’s: A Journey Through History was held on 29 May and hosted by fourth-generation winemaker Bruce Tyrrell. The exclusive event paired a meticulously curated five-course menu with Tyrrell’s finest Hunter Valley wines.

Tyrrell’s, based in the Hunter Valley, was named the number one Australian winery in the Halliday Wine Companion Top 100 Wineries 2024.

NSW produce on the menu included Milly Hill lamb, sourced from the New England Tablelands of NSW and honey glazed pumpkin using Maya Sunny Honey from Mudgee.

Set in the Yallamundi Room of the Sydney Opera House on 13-14 June, Dance of Dreams will pair visionary NSW wines with Danielle Alvarez’s seasonal, story-led menu, alongside live performances and music. All this, plus incredible views of the Vivid Sydney lights.

Stories from Australia’s pioneering winemakers such as Bloodwood (Orange), Clonakilla (Murrumbateman) and Tyrrell’s (Hunter Valley) will feature, with head winemakers speaking between courses and performances.

Saltbush & Starlight Dining will feature a First Nations-inspired menu from Midden by Mark Olive, paired with NSW wines and craft beer. As a Bundjalung man, Mark Olive’s family originated from the Northern Rivers region in NSW, while he was born in Wollongong.

The menu will include kangaroo prosciutto from north-western NSW, hand processed in mid-north coast NSW, with stracciatella, rockmelon, balsamic and saltbush. Wines will include: Tumblong Hills Table of Plenty Fiano (Gundagai) and Dalwood Estate Chardonnay (Hunter Valley).

Dine inside the South-East Pylon of the Sydney Harbour Bridge during Luke’s Vivid Table at the Pylon Lookout. During this unforgettable three-course meal, celebrity chef Luke Mangan is serving up an elevated (literally) NSW-sourced tasting menu with brilliant Vivid Sydney views to match.

The menu is crafted from seasonal and locally sourced NSW ingredients including Sydney Rock Oysters (Merimbula) and Northern Rivers Wagyu beef fillet.

InterContinental Sydney’s rooftop bar Aster has also become a dreamlike dining room in the sky, with Dreamscapes at Aster.

The bar is proudly showcasing producers that reflect its commitment to sustainability and locality. From Sydney’s Enokido Miso and Marrickville’s Vannella Cheese to artisan bread by Sonoma and ethically raised Black Onyx beef from Rangers Valley, every element supports local growers and reduced food miles. Even the tuna is wild-caught just off the Sydney coast.

Wine selections include Tyrrell’s Hunter Valley Chardonnay Pinot Noir NV and Tyrrell’s Lunatiq Heathcote Shiraz 2022.

On 11 June, Dreams on a Plate will bring together migrant and refugee women from Afghanistan, Ukraine and Palestine at Kyiv Social, who will share the food and stories of their homelands.

Guided by top female chefs including Claire Van Vuuren (Bloodwood), Ahana Dutt (ex-Raja) and Isobel Whelan-Little (Kiln), this six-course feast will blend authentic recipes with reimagined classics. Every ticket will help fund 140 meals for those in need – extending the evening’s generosity well beyond the table.

Regional produce will include beverages such as Ukrainian Lagar (brewed by Young Henry’s), Margan Chardonnay (Hunter Valley) and Thomas Wines “Elenay” Shiraz (Hunter Valley).

NSW First program supports agritourism

NSW is one of the most seasonally diverse agricultural regions in Australia, including:

  • Cool- to temperate-climate wine regions and seasonal produce – from mushrooms and truffles in cooler regions to mangoes and macadamias in the sub-tropical regions
  • Visitor experiences along canola trails and waterways with pristine oyster farms
  • Country stays on outback stations and lush farms in hinterland regions.

Destination NSW offers support to agritourism businesses through its NSW First program, including webinars, quick tips guides and other resources. Click here to learn more.