Bigger and better: Vivid Sydney launches this year's program

Vivid Sydney is the largest multi-artform festival in the Southern Hemisphere, having attracted a record-breaking crowd of more than 3.28 million in 2023. And this year's festival - taking place from May 24 to June 15 - is showing now signs of slowing down. Forty-kilometre-long laser beams will be projected from the city's tallest structure, Sydney Tower, as artworks by the 2023 Archibald Prize winner, Julia Gutman, will light up the Sydney Opera House sails.

The theme of this year's festival is Humanity, with the event's four pillars - Light, Music, Ideas and Food - focussing on that subject. Expect sell-out live performances by artists and groups such as Budjerah, Jen Cloher and Deerhoof, and foodie events such as A Culinary Canvas by chef Danielle Alvarez, showcasing women in Australian gastronomy. As always the best hotels, restaurants, shows and exhibitions will book out within weeks, so start planning your Vivid weekend now. vividsydney.com