A performance at Vivid Sydney, a festival of light and art [Ham Young-hoon]
A performance at Vivid Sydney, a festival of light and art [Ham Young-hoon]
Kia, one of Vivid Sydney's main sponsors, showcases light art alongside its vehicles
Kia, one of Vivid Sydney's main sponsors, showcases light art alongside its vehicles

Vivid Sydney, the festival of light that illuminated the Sydney night sky since May 22, drew to a close late on Saturday night, bringing down the curtain on one of New South Wales' largest annual events.

Sydney also marked the occasion by hosting a Global Wellness Day ceremony on Saturday, declaring itself a world center of wellness. Organizers said the event would broaden the appeal of travel to New South Wales and its capital beyond light art to health and wellness tourism.

Vivid Sydney 2026 featured 217 events and 2,253 sessions across 89 venues over 23 days, with Samsung and Kia serving as main sponsors. Destination NSW, the organizer, judged the festival a success amid strong ticket sales.

Vivid Sydney
Vivid Sydney
Sydney's buildings showcased dazzling light displays throughout the festival.
Sydney's buildings showcased dazzling light displays throughout the festival.

Final attendance figures have not been released, but organizers estimate total visitors at around 3.5 million based on a range of indicators.

Vivid LIVE at the Sydney Opera House sold approximately 40,000 tickets — the highest figure since the COVID-19 pandemic and the second-highest on record overall.

The Carriageworks program at Australia's largest multi-arts precinct in Sydney's Redfern drew more than 30,000 ticket bookings, with sales up 38 percent compared with 2025.

A total of 116 events sold out, laser shows ran 460 times, and 855 artists from 26 countries — including 159 Australian artists — took part.

In the food program, 240 head chefs participated, and Destination NSW said 46,000 desserts and 18,500 specialty chef dishes were served.

The Sydney Opera House nestled beneath the Harbour Bridge [Ham Young-hoon]
The Sydney Opera House nestled beneath the Harbour Bridge [Ham Young-hoon]
The Opera House transformed into a giant projection mapping screen.
The Opera House transformed into a giant projection mapping screen.
Climbers on the Harbour Bridge
Climbers on the Harbour Bridge

New South Wales Minister for Jobs and Tourism Steve Kamper said in his closing remarks that the festival had "once again transformed our city's winter, drawing visitors from across Australia and around the world to experience Sydney at its very best." He added that the growth in visitor numbers had acted as "a powerful driver of the Sydney economy" and said he wanted to replicate that success at Vivid 2027.

In the food and drink program, the Vivid Fire Kitchen at Barangaroo was a standout hit, with more than 250,000 dishes and beverages sold across 17 outlets.

Festival Director Brett Sheehy called this year's event "an extraordinary success," noting that visitors spent an average of three hours at festival venues per visit and took in an average of 4.5 locations.

Manly Men boarders at Manly Beach
Manly Men boarders at Manly Beach
Connecting with a koala at Symbio Wildlife Park
Connecting with a koala at Symbio Wildlife Park

Among the factors credited with the festival's success were an expanded program, higher-quality artworks, strong sponsor support, and wide-ranging promotion by Destination NSW. Organizers also noted that more than 80 percent of the festival's content was free — unlike comparable events in Europe and the Americas. Premium offerings such as the Vivid Light Walk, the Tumbalong Nights music program, and the Vivid Fire Kitchen were all free of charge.

A Destination NSW official said the organization would conduct a thorough review of this year's festival, address areas for improvement including technology, and expand content with global appeal, with the goal of making Vivid Sydney the world's best festival in an even stronger form in 2027.

Australian tourists visiting HYBE, the agency behind BTS, during a trip to South Korea
Australian tourists visiting HYBE, the agency behind BTS, during a trip to South Korea

Meanwhile, the number of Korean visitors to this year's festival is estimated to have grown, while Australians traveling to South Korea continue to increase as well.


abc@heraldcorp.com