Seeing the lighting of the Sydney Opera House sails is one of the best things to do at Vivid Sydney 2026 and this year’s projection is a standout. French multimedia artist Yann Nguema, whose work has illuminated landmark buildings across the globe, brings Opera Mundi to the sails: a breathtaking original commission that transforms microcosms of the natural world into luminous, kinetic forms in a powerful ode to the inspired Opera House architect Jørn Utzon. It’s one of the best free nightly events at Vivid Sydney 2026 and unmissable from Circular Quay.

The headline act at Vivid Food in 2026 is an intimate dinner with one of the world’s most influential chefs. Vivid Food returns in 2026 with a generous celebration of creativity and connection, bringing together world-leading chefs and passionate producers to shine a light on the remarkable breadth of dining across New South Wales and the stories behind every ingredient. At the heart of this year’s new Regional Dinner Series is A Shared Table with Yotam Ottolenghi, where the chef will craft a menu inspired by the state’s extraordinary produce.

Many of the best things to do at Vivid Sydney 2026 are free. All that is required is a pair of comfortable shoes and a willingness to be surprised. This year’s Vivid Light Walk is an unbroken 6.5-kilometre-long trail that threads through Circular Quay, The Rocks, Barangaroo and Darling Harbour. It includes 43 installations spanning large-scale projections, interactive digital artworks and cutting-edge laser art. Download the Vivid Light Walk Map to plot your course around the festival, held between 6pm to 11pm across all 23 nights of Vivid Sydney 2026.

The Vivid Sydney Drone Show is back for 12 nights at its new home in Darling Harbour. Star-Bound will see 1000 drones shoot skyward above Cockle Bay in Darling Harbour in a cosmic murmuration inspired by galaxies, the Fibonacci sequence and ocean waves, all set to an orchestral-electronica score by Australian composer Antony Partos. The shows run Sunday to Wednesday from 7.30pm and 9.30pm throughout the festival (except June 7) so you have plenty of chances to catch the show. Book a table at Zephyr Sky Bar for front-row harbour views at one of the best places to eat and drink while viewing Vivid.

The brand-new BridgeMuseum, which opens inside the South-East Pylon of the Sydney Harbour Bridge on 27 May, brings the bridge’s construction history to life through immersive multimedia storytelling, interactive displays and First Nations perspectives from the Gadigal people. After exploring the new museum, which is open as the day winds down as part of SkyHouse After Hours, it’s time to clip in and climb. The BridgeClimb to the Summit delivers some of the best views across the entire Vivid Sydney 2026 footprint from the Opera House sails to the Vivid Light Walk and Vivid Sydney Drone Show over Cockle Bay.

Sāmoan-Australian artist Angela Tiatia transforms the façade of the MCA with Vaiola, one of the most powerful projections to see in the Vivid Sydney 2026 program. Named after a place near Tiatia’s home in Savai’i, the large-scale work meaning ‘water of life’ uses the MCA facade as a canvas, highlighting the artist’s signature visual motifs: pearls, water, fire, flowers and the female form. The richly layered piece is set to an original score by Corin Ileto. A cinematic meditation on migration, memory and belonging, best seen from Circular Quay.

A live Sydney Symphony Orchestra ensemble will perform on Sydney Harbour for the first time in Vivid Sydney’s history. Guests onboard The Jackson, Sydney’s grandest superyacht, will enjoy a five-course dinner paired with Penfolds wines as the orchestra plays against the glowing backdrop of the city’s illuminated skyline. The exclusive Vivid Gold Degustation Dinner is held on May 23 and 30 and limited to just 200 guests per night. It’s one of the most culturally significant Vivid Sydney 2026 experiences on the water.

Chef Yotam Ottolenghi’s headline event sets the tone for the wider Regional Dinner Series, which brings the best of regional talent to Sydney through a series of thoughtful chef partnerships. These one-off dining experiences champion exceptional producers and artisans from across the state, with collaborations including Mindy Woods with Danielle Alvarez at the Sydney Opera House; Ben Devlin with Lennox Hastie at Firedoor; and Frank Fawkner and Alessandro Pavoni at A’Mare, Barangaroo. The series offers a snapshot of the people, produce and places shaping the state’s food story right now and includes some of the coolest dining experiences throughout Vivid Sydney 2026.

The free Friday night takeover transforms Mitchell Library Reading Room into a slow, sensory alternative to the bustling harbourside scene for Vivid Sydney 2026. Expect acoustic music, DJs spinning vinyl, soundscapes, origami, games and short talks running across the historic galleries housed within one of Sydney’s most beautiful heritage spaces. Performers include underground hip hop artist A.GIRL, 17-year-old Gomeroi singer-songwriter Kyla Belle, Persian classical composer Hamed Sadeghi and bush balladeers the Warren Fahey Trio.

Standing 23 metres tall at Barangaroo Reserve, Molecule of Light is the festival’s most commanding installation. British artist Chris Levine’s internationally acclaimed work fires single-frequency laser beams into shifting geometric patterns, mixed with a solfeggio soundscape drawn from ancient healing frequencies. In a 2026 program deliberately devoid of a single theme, Molecule of Light creates a quietly meditative atmosphere that transforms Barangaroo Reserve into a striking fusion of laser and sound. It’s one of the best light installations at Vivid Sydney 2026.

Obstacle is one of the longest works in the 2026 program of Vivid Sydney, stretching like a giant serpent for some 45 metres along Sydney Harbour. Created by Melbourne collective Reelize, the high-resolution LED installation transforms Wulugul Walk into a pulsing corridor of colour and movement after dark. The Vivid Sydney 2026 installation is free and sits somewhere between a light show and a sensory experience. Come back on a weeknight when the crowds thin and the lights winking around Sydney Harbour’s cityscape become a glittering installation in their own right.

New South Wales’ most celebrated food and wine producers come together for the one-night-only Long Table Dinner at The Strand Arcade: NSW Icons of Land & Sea on May 30. Presented by The Restaurant Pendolino, the exclusive dinner will be hosted by chef and restaurateur Nino Zoccali, with MC duties performed by veteran broadcaster Simon Marnie. The after-hours event, in one of Sydney’s most beautiful heritage spaces, shines a spotlight on outstanding NSW producers with deep connections to land and sea.

See the Sydney Opera House in an entirely new light. This exclusive after-hours VIVID Sydney experience starts with a guided tour before settling into one of the most beautiful hidden spaces in the Sydney Opera House. Known to many as The Black Olive, trailblazing chef Mark Olive brings native ingredients and culture to the forefront across a thoughtful three-course feast, with each dish paired with New South Wales wines, craft beers or carefully chosen non-alcoholic options. The dining experience begins with a Rosella Gimlet and atmospheric projections overhead, inspired by Olive’s menu.

At its new home in Barangaroo Reserve, Vivid Fire Kitchen returns as a flame-lit food precinct where some of the country’s most exciting chefs gather to cook over fire, share stories and celebrate bold, elemental flavours. Expect live demos, tastings and chef-to-crowd conversations as the grills roar to life each night at Vivid Fire Kitchen, one of the most family-friendly places to eat during Vivid Sydney 2026. This year’s line-up brings together a stellar mix of Australian culinary talent – including Mark Best, Luke Mangan, Sharon Salloum and Annita Potter.

Tumbalong Park in Darling Quarter hosts New Zealand-Australian Pacific reggae band, Coterie, four Maori brothers whose feelgood energy has made them a festival staple. The Kiwi outfit will be joined by Melbourne indie four-piece Velvet Bloom, whose jazz-folk-funk fusion and powerful live presence earned serious attention off the back of their self-titled debut in 2004. Families should arrive early to catch The Mik Maks playing a Vivid Kids set from 5pm on May 23. The family-friendly gig is part of Tumbalong Nights’ 23-night free music program running across the full Vivid Sydney Festival in 2026.