Every year towards the end of May, the famous harbour front of Sydney, dominated by the presence of the iconic Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, gets spectacularly illuminated as a part of the Vivid Sydney festival – the annual carnival of lights, music, entertainment and food.

The 13th edition of this festival kicked off on 26 May with a spectacular opening night that included a powerful Welcome to Country, fireworks, beams across the harbour, drones and a very poignant Lighting of the Sails at the Sydney Opera House

This year the festival features more than 300 activations and events along with the world’s most innovative artists, talented musicians and thought leaders as part of its 2023 line-up, with the theme, ‘Vivid Sydney, Naturally,’ is inspired by the master of all creators, Mother Nature.

Staged across Sydney’s city centre, Vivid Sydney festival locations include Circular Quay, the Sydney Opera House, The Rocks, Walsh Bay, Barangaroo, King Street Wharf, Darling Harbour, Darling Quarter, Darling Square, The Goods Line, Central Station, the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, Wynyard Tunnels, Carriageworks, Taronga Zoo and more.

As soon as the sun sets, Sydney transforms with more than 57 lustrous light installations, 3D projection artworks and ticketed events for visitors to lose themselves in the hypnotising wonderland of light and colour. Lighting of the Sails at the Sydney Opera House will see the vibrant works of one of Australia’s most famed artists, the late John Olsen, brought to life as a spectacular celebration of his

Illustrious artistic career of more than 60 years.

Touted as one of the world’s greatest lighting festivals, this event in recent times has been drawing an increasing number of visitors from other parts of the country and overseas, including India.

The festival ends on 17 June.