Vivid Sydney calls for creatives from across globe to help shape 2026 program

The NSW Government, through Destination NSW, is seeking ideas from creators, producers, thought leaders and innovators from across the globe to help shape the 2026 program for multi-artform festival, Vivid Sydney.

Returning from Friday 22nd May to Saturday 13th June 2026, Vivid Sydney will once again transform the Harbour City across the pillars of Light, Music, Ideas and Food - inviting audiences to immerse themselves in cutting-edge creativity and bold storytelling.

Preliminary estimates for Vivid Sydney 2025, suggest the event pushed total visitation since the festival’s inception in 2009 beyond 25 million people, with more than $1.3 billion generated in visitor expenditure over its lifetime.

This year’s festival delivered major attendance milestones, including record-breaking hotel occupancy in May.

2025 Festival Highlights:

• Four bumper Saturdays in 2025 each attracted crowds nearing 200,000.

• Businesses participating in the Vivid Sydney Local Business Program doubled from 2024

• Vivid Fire Kitchen drew over 110,000 visitors.

• The Vivid Ideas program welcomed close to 25,000 people.

• #vividsydney content viewed over 830 million times globally.

EOIs are open for all program pillars:

Vivid Light EOIs close: 28th July 2025

Ideas, Music, Food and Cross-Art Form EOIs close: 26th September 2025

Submissions are welcome from artists, designers, musicians, engineers, architects, chefs, restaurateurs, curators, performers, academic institutions and creative organisations.

To learn more or submit an Expression of Interest, visit: www.vividsydney.com