Overview
When Vivid rolls around, there aren't many square metres of the city that aren't covered in illuminated installations. This year, we've already been promised a 'robot spaceland' in Darling Harbour, 300 large-scale animal sculptures in Taronga Zoo, and an immersive field of 500 fireflies in the Royal Botanic Garden. But you'll have to find time in your winter schedule to sneak in a visit to the big neon playground that's set to pop-up in Circular Quay throughout the festival.
If Vivid lets you indulge your inner child, The Samsung Electric Playground will let you unleash it. The glowing all-ages play pen — which will pop up in First Fleet Park next to the MCA — will feature a range of light, sound and physical interactions for you to ogle, climb on and interact with. Inside, you'll find an interactive 'field' of 320 light poles, a reactive LED dance floor, a neon hula-hooping station and a custom-built 'sky walk' that will let you take selfies with the sweeping Vivid views. And that's not to mention the 6.5-metre-tall slide that you can launch yourself down if you so desire.
If it sounds like this is shamelessly made for Instagram, it is. Samsung will have a heap of its Galaxy S10s roaming around and staff will apparently be on-hand to snap pics of you interacting with the installations. Nonetheless, it sounds like it could be a fun stop on your Vivid itinerary.
The brand will also set up a second studio-style installation inside the MCA, which will include Instagram workshops alongside with two custom-built interactive installations: one that creates an installation out of your heartbeat, and another creates a "kaleidoscopic experience" from the details in your eyes.
Both installations will be open throughout Vivid and 100 percent free to attend.
The Samsung Electric Playground will pop up at First Fleet Park (next to the MCA) for the duration of Vivid Sydney 2019, from May 24 until June 15. It will be open from 6–11pm each night and entry will be free.