VIVID Sydney 2018

Emma Castle
21st Mar 2018

VIVID now in its tenth year, is bigger than ever so we’ve popped on our old timey prospecting outfit and sifted through the program for the gold. Read on for our top five picks for this year’s Vivid festival.

1. May Gibbs at Customs House
To celebrate 100 years of being adorable, May Gibbs characters Snugglepot and Cuddlepie will grace the façade of Customs House. The cheeky pair will journey through the Australian Bush and encounter the weird and the wonderful. Children of the 1980s will be delighted to learn that this installation will be narrated by renowned Australian film and television actress Noni Hazlehurst, everyone’s favourite Play School host.

2. Madeleine Peyroux at City Recital Hall
As part of the Innovators In Jazz series, chanteuse Madeleine Peyroux will perform at The City Recital Hall. Why is this exciting? Well, Peyroux is the proverbial platypus of musicians. Her appearances are rare but when she does show up, wow, lady got some sweet skills.

3. Purple Sneakers at The Lansdowne Hotel
Don’t remember Purple Sneakers? Ha! Neither do we (and we were there!). It was the ultimate trashy, dancey night out and its coming back to celebrate its 12th birthday. You know that derelict pub on the corner near Central Park? Yep, that’s The Lansdowne. This is a joint project with the City of Sydney to reinvigorate lost live music venues. To that, we say AMEN.

4. James Cameron at City Recital Hall
James Cameron - of Titanic and Avatar directorial fame - will headline the Vivid Ideas 2018 Game Changers series. But guess what? Cameron is not just a film-maker; he is also a marine explorer and conservationist. In a Vivid Sydney exclusive, James will explore his passion for science and technology with Triple Js Dr Adam Spencer. Fun fact; Cameron is coming to town to open the James Cameron – Challenging the Deep exhibition at the Australian National Maritime Museum. (http://www.anmm.gov.au/jamescameron)

5. Dare Jennings at City Recital Hall
Have you ever appreciated a t-shirt graphic of a dog doing a musical fart? You can thank Mambo Clothing (and Phantom Records and Deux ex Machina) founder Dare Jennings for that cultural gem. Jennings joins ABC radio’s James Valentine to discuss creating cult brands that cut across age and lifestyles, as well the joys of throwing out the rule book. And yes, apparently Dare is his real name. We want to high five his parents for that.