Things to do | The Ararat Advertiser

This is branded content for Viva Holidays. If you've been thinking of heading to Sydney for a well-earned break, then this May or June is the perfect time. In our biggest city, when the weather starts to turn chilly, it signals the return of one of its most awe-inspiring festivals - the feast for the senses that is Vivid Sydney. And this year there's an extra reason to experience Vivid Sydney. Already Australia's largest festival of light, music, and ideas, in 2023 the festival welcomes a delicious new element with Vivid Food offering a smorgasbord of eating experiences. It's all happening over 23 days from May 26 with more than 300 activations and events celebrating this year's theme - Vivid Sydney, Naturally - inspired by Mother Nature and encouraging festival goers to immerse themselves in nights of wonder. So it's time to embrace the impending arrival of winter and prepare to be amazed. To help, Viva Holidays has released some extra special Vivid Sydney accommodation packages catering to all budgets so everyone can enjoy this breathtaking global event. The power of a brilliant light show to mesmerise and enchant is where Vivid Sydney began. And this year, when the sun sets, it will again transform the city centre into a sparkling winter wonderland with lustrous installations and 3D projected artworks. At its heart is Vivid Sydney's expanded Light Walk. Stretching 8.5 kilometres, from Circular Quay through The Rocks, Walsh Bay, Barangaroo, Darling Harbour and the Goods Line to Central Station, it will light up the Sydney Harbour Foreshore and CBD with works from more than 100 light collaborators and 26 international light artists from 13 countries. In Barangaroo, don't miss The Last Ocean - a massive tessellated 'ice sheet' made of reclaimed ocean plastic that by night, becomes an interactive artwork as festival goers' movements stir the "seas". Nearby, escape into another world at Vivid House, where you'll be immersed in the surreal and hypnotic landscapes of four large-scale projections. Up above, more than 1000 drones will feature in Written in the Sky, billed as the biggest drone show in the Southern Hemisphere. Happening over six nights, the show journeys through the solar system from the Sun to Neptune. And the Sydney Opera House's iconic sails will be the backdrop for the works of one of Australia's most loved artists, John Olsen, whose celebrated 21-metre mural My Salute to Five Bells has been a key part of the building's interior for 50 years. Other famous landmarks will come to life as canvases for artworks as well - keep an eye out for the endangered Australian birds projected on to the Sydney Harbour Bridge pylons. A magical way to experience the light extravaganza is on board a Vivid Sydney Dinner Cruise on the harbour, letting you get up close to the major light installations across the Harbour Bridge, Circular Quay, The Rocks, Barangaroo and Darling Harbour. Sink into the experience while enjoying a three course, NSW-inspired menu paired with premium beverages. The cruise is part of Viva's Vivid Sydney accommodation packages. Make sure you bring your appetites to Vivid Sydney because there's plenty of food to savour. One of the many highlights will be Vivid Fire Kitchen which brings together some of Sydney's hottest dining concepts and entertainment for three weeks of "flame-fuelled" festivities. The aromas will tantalise every one of your taste buds as some of the world's best pit masters join the city's favourite chefs for a mouth-watering feast. Grab a spot by the fire pit to watch them take to the coals. You'll also find a line-up of street food heroes, acclaimed restaurants and innovative dining concepts harnessing the elements to create an array of delicious dishes. Vivid Sydney 2023 will also see the return of the popular Carriageworks Night Market, showcasing more than 50 of Sydney's leading restaurants, bars and producers. Curated by one of Australia's leading sustainable chefs Matt Stone, the event at the beloved Redfern venue, will celebrate sustainable food practices and focus on using the best produce from across NSW. The Vivid Sydney 2023 music program turns the spotlight on First Nations and Australian voices. Along with a massive line-up of ticketed events happening in venues around the city, there are 12 nights of free entertainment at Darling Harbour's Tumbalong Park featuring acclaimed musicians like Yothu Yindi, Dan Sultan, and many more where you can dance the night away. Wherever you are during Vivid Sydney, music won't be far away with roaming artists appearing along the Light Walk, and a stacked line up of DJs taking to the Goods Line every night of the festival. What can we learn from nature? What role does creativity play in shaping the future of humanity? These questions and so many more will be explored in this year's Vivid Ideas program. Once again this part of the festival is an opportunity to hear from some of the world's brightest minds and thought-leaders. The jam-packed 2023 program comprises 60 free and ticketed intriguing talks and workshops exploring "community, authenticity, respect, love and lessons learned from the natural world". There's so much to see, hear, do and eat at Vivid Sydney 2023. For further details, head to vivaholidays.com.au for exclusive packages from $499 for two nights per person twin share. This is branded content for Viva Holidays.

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