Vivid 2013; Urban Edge meets Razzle Dazzle

Escaping the winter blues was easy from the 24th of May to the 10th of June, when the Festival of Light, Music and Ideas, Vivid, came to Sydney. With previous years presenting themes of animation, sea life, fairy-tale creatures, interpretative and surreal styled art, Vivid 2013 had a quirky and urban beat to its design.

This year featured the longest Light Walk taking crowds through interactive light shows, seminars, illuminated skyscrapers, musical performances, workshops, and large-scale 3D mapped projections. The installations were scattered around Sydney, from The Rocks to Museum of Contemporary Art, Circular Quay, Walsh Bay and for the first time Darling Harbour, Fort Denison and the Inner West.

NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Trade & Investment Andrew Stoner announced that Vivid 2013 was in “record attendance of more than 800,000 people across the 18-day event”.

But what did Gen Y think of the dazzling light festival? We hit the streets to get some thoughts on the festival and also provided our own feedback!

Joy Liang, 27, University of Sydney Student 

My favorite installation was aquatic show in Darling Harbour. This was the first time the segment was included in the festival. Except for the usual illuminations, it not only provided a new type of audio-visual entertainment, but also provided a different experience for visitors to enjoy Vivid Sydney. Vivid has really outdone itself and has become more interesting, dynamic and attractive for me, and I’ll definitely be visiting the festival again next year.

Ruud Jorgen, 23, Exchange student from The Netherlands

My favourite installation was the light projection on the Sydney Opera House. It was the most amazing experience to see the lights and music dance over the sails of the one of the world’s most famous icons. The projections came alive and made for some spectacular photographs.

Rafael Ulloa, 20, University of Technology Sydney Student 

My favourite part of Vivid was the cruise around Darling Harbor and Circular Quay. From there I had the best view of everything and was able to skip the crowds and relax while still enjoying the atmosphere. Lights on the most beautiful harbour in the world? Yes please.

Jenny Chen, 19, University of Notre Dame Sydney Student 

It was raining on the last day of Vivid but I thought ‘more rain, more reflections right?’ I didn’t get the chance to see every installation because I ran out of time, however, the one that caught my eye was the Electric Canvas, which was activated by touch. It drew large crowds and even I was mesmerized by it’s lights; it got my artistic side buzzing. I was there with a friend and as you can see in a picture I drew below, I never wanted to leave.

Ruchi Sachdeva, 22, University of Notre Dame Student 

For me, this was the first time I had the opportunity to go to the Vivid Sydney Festival. Every instillation was interesting and unique, with intriguing stories to be told and shared with the masses. The highlight of the festival for me was the light projection on the Museum of Contemporary Arts; absolutely breathtaking.

Overall, the new changes this year and massive numbers suggests Vivid will continue to grow. We can’t wait to see what’s in store for next year!