Just days after the lights dimmed on Vivid Sydney 2026, the search is on for bold ideas and the brightest creative talent to help shape next year’s festival, with Expressions of Interest (EOI) now open for one of the world’s leading multi-artform festivals.
Vivid Sydney 2027 will take place from Friday 28 May to Saturday 19 June, with the program shifting slightly from previous years to better align with the timing of the June public holiday.
The opening of EOIs follows another successful year for the festival, with Vivid Sydney 2026 delivering a strong program across the city, featuring 217 events and more than 2200 sessions across 89 locations.
The new-look Fire Kitchen at Barangaroo proved to be highly successful with more than 250,000 dishes and drinks sold, highlighting the strong appetite for unforgettable culinary experiences.
More than 15,000 visitors experienced Cristal Palace at the Sydney Opera House Forecourt, the festival’s first major outdoor spectacle, while Vivid LIVE recorded its strongest box office result since COVID-19, with nearly 40,000 tickets sold.
From spectacular light installations and immersive experiences to live music, thought-provoking conversations and innovative dining experiences, successful applicants will have the opportunity to showcase their work to millions of visitors across the festival's four pillars: Light, Music, Minds and Food.
The Vivid Sydney EOI process invites submissions from artists, designers and creative industry professionals, as well as architects, engineers, promoters, restaurants, event companies, chefs, producers and educational institutions. Submissions are sought for innovative ideas, concepts and collaborations for inclusion in the 2027 program.
EOIs for Light will close on Monday 27 July 2026 with Music, Minds and Food closing on Friday 25 September 2026.
Since 2009, Vivid Sydney has grown to become Sydney’s vibrant cultural showpiece, cementing the state’s reputation as a world-leading destination for major events and powering NSW’s visitor and night-time economies.
With a target of growing NSW’s visitor economy to $91 billion, the NSW Government’s Visitor Economy Strategy 2035 relies on major events like Vivid Sydney to deliver economic, social and cultural benefits across the state.
Vivid Sydney is owned, managed and produced by Destination NSW, the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency.
For more information and to submit an EOI for Vivid Sydney 2027, click here.
Destination NSW CEO Karen Jones said: “Vivid Sydney has always been a platform for creativity, collaboration and bold ideas, and every year we are inspired by the incredible talent and innovation that comes from across Australia and around the world.
“Whether you’re an emerging creative or an established industry leader, Vivid Sydney offers a unique opportunity to showcase your work on one of the biggest cultural stages and be part of an event that transforms our city and captivates millions of visitors.
“We encourage anyone with a compelling idea to submit an Expression of Interest and help shape the next chapter of Vivid Sydney.”
Vivid Sydney Festival Director Brett Sheehy AO said: “As we begin our journey for the 2027 program, we are focused on curating work that brings surprise, originality and a strong sense of place to Sydney.
“We are particularly interested in ideas that respond to the city itself — works that engage audiences in new ways and help shape memorable visitor experiences across Light, Music, Minds and Food.
“The Expression of Interest process is about discovering distinctive creative thinking and building a program that reflects the ambition and diversity of the contemporary arts and cultural landscape.”
