Sixteen Glowing Installations Have Popped Up in the Royal Botanic Garden for Vivid Sydney 2018

Expect a forest of colour-changing trees and bars serving glow-in-the-dark cocktails when the lights turn on on Friday.
Libby Curran
May 23, 2018

The city's oldest green space is set to be transformed into a lit-up wonderland when the sun goes down and Vivid Sydney kicks off its 2018 edition this Friday, May 25.

The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney will this year play host to a bigger Vivid set-up than ever before, featuring 16 captivating installations and — for the first time ever — a swirling, illuminated facade for Government House.

Peppered throughout the site will be a colourful assortment of characters, from giant plant species and moving forests to exotic birds. And you can expect plenty of food and drink options to fuel your after-dark adventures, including fruity cocktails served in light bulb-shaped glasses from two bars, a series of performance-filled Enlightenment Feasts, and sweet treats a cupcake ATM (yes, a cupcake ATM).

Here's a peek at some of what you can expect to encounter on a Botanic Gardens jaunt during this year's festival.

Take a stroll along the swirling, light-up pathways of the interactive Aqueous installation, as it morphs into a variety of shapes. In the background here, you'll cop a glimpse of Government House, lit up with a colourful montage of Aussie animals and iconic destinations that's been created by TAFE NSW students.

Another bold TAFE NSW creation features a collection of brightly-lit totem poles, titled Light Houses.

Meanwhile, artists Adrienn Lord, Richard Neville and Nick Sheen have used over 40,000 individually-controlled RGB pixels to create a forest of spiralling, colour-changing trees.

And this installation Midnight Sun will leave you captivated by the hundreds of shimmering, fluttering discs across its surface.

Vivid Sydney will run from May 25 until June 16, and the Royal Botanic Garden will be open and lit up every night of the festival until 11pm.

Image credit: Steve Christo.

Published on May 23, 2018 by Libby Curran
Tap and select Add to Home Screen to access Concrete Playground easily next time. x