A Handy Guide to Vivid's Best Parties

We’re going to trust this party on name alone. It’s called The Velvet Cave Rave, people, and it’s taking place at a super-secret venue in Sydney. In case you’re not familiar with The Velvet Cave, expect a full night of next-level experimental music you’ve probably never heard before and extravagant light installations in a pre-requisite industrial warehouse.

Showcasing international and local live artists and rare vinyl DJs, the lineup features live performances from the likes of Lucy Cliche, Orion and Buzz Kill and DJ sets from Ryan Grieve and Julian Sudek. We’re not sure how to, but you should be prepared to get lost in the sounds of synthwave, hyperdelic, goth, Italo disco, Kraut, and techno amongst other genres.

For one day only, Carriageworks will be transformed into a wonderland of electronica and light installations for Curve Ball. This brand new electronic music event from the crew behind Field Day, Listen Out and Harbourlife will be headlined by Zhu — best-known for super single ‘Faded’ — alongside Sydney favourites Cosmo’s Midnight, Basenji and Nicole Millar, as well as hyped-up newcomers JOY, Elk Road, Cleopold and Yuma X. Carriageworks is bringing the fire with an immersive audio and visual experience to accompany the tunes as well as large scale art installations.

If you’ve been languishing in the absence of Goodgod, here’s your chance to get that basement mojo working again. The Goodgod folks are back. Their first move? A reassembling at the Opera House during Vivid LIVE for a four-night extravaganza, happening over two weekends.

Dubbed Goodgod Super Club, the event will take over the Studio, turning it into the nightclub of Goodgod’s dreams. Every evening, a genre-smashing, powerhouse DJ will team up with a like-minded Aussie for extended sets, designed to make you dance until you’re free.

Where the heck were you in 2006? Were you waiting in line at the Abercrombie? Did you lovingly hand over ten bucks at the door, march triumphantly to the bar to order a vodka, coke and raspberry, elbow your way to the d-floor and throw shapes on the sticky, sticky carpet to Bloc Party? WE WERE THERE TOO. Maybe we made out on a terrible couch. It’s been ten years since the early Abercrombie days, and the Purple Sneakers crew have evolved from a weekly throwdown to one of Sydney’s most on-the-pulse music blogs (run by nationally touring DJs) and a sought-after management company. So, of course, they’re throwing a big fuck-off party.

This year, Purple Sneakers turns ten and to celebrate they’re running a big party called ‘Ten Years Of Taste’ during Vivid Sydney with mates UNDR Ctrl and FBi Radio. On June 18, it’ll take over The Lord Gladstone — where Purple Sneakers moved their weekly party back in the day after the Abercrombie shut down for a spell — and it’s going to be free. FREE.

The Kings Cross Hotel is about to be transformed into an immersive wonderland as part of this year’s Vivid Sydney festival. As part of the truly epic Vivid Music program (which includes the world premiere of Björk’s digital project), the hotel will be in full swing with a slew of live music, theatre and cabaret throughout the three weeks of the festival from May 27 until June 18.

Relive the glory days of Sydney’s late-night culture with the legendary ’90s Sydney party night Sounds of Seduction returning for a special four-week run in the Kings’ Cross Hotel’s Dive Bar. This iconic Sydney party was started 20 years ago by beloved Sydneysiders Jay Katz and Miss Death as a Saturday night institution for much of the ’90s. Think go-go dancers, rare images projected on walls, full d-floor. There’ll be guest selectors, cabaret and more at this uniquely Sydney lounge revival.

Remember jumping around sleepovers to ‘Say My Name’, attempting early Beyoncé moves and getting all up in the ‘yeh-yeh-yeh-yay’s? Were you already old enough to know better but did this anyway? This special Vivid edition of Sydney’s go-to ’90s nostalgia rave The Rhythm of the Night is for you.

Taking over Plan B Small Club, TROTN is throwing a special ’90s Dance Pyjama Party where you can get well comfy — if you happen to have Space Jam pyjamas, we’re dancing with you — and dance the night away to classics from the likes of Madison Avenue, Aaliyah, Mary J Blige, Backstreet Boys, Vengaboyz and Darude — you know which song.

Both rooms of Plan B will be taken over by Levins, Ariane, G Coo, Matka and guests playing all your old favourite dance and R&B anthems. Since it’s a ’90s party, all dancefloor disputes should be settled with a voguing battle. Go on, bring four friends and pretend to be one of the best boy bands of all time. Pyjamas are mandatory.

tled with a voguing battle.Go on, bring some friends and pretend to be one of the best boy bands of all time. Pajamas are mandatory!

Sydney wine legends Cake Wines don’t just make bloody good wine — they know how to party. If you’ve been to one of their Lovebombs secret rooftop/warehouse parties, you’ll know they throw a quality party with quality tunes and quality tipples. Reason enough for a party in itself, Cake recently opened their own cellar door in Redfern, located in a renovated warehouse on Eveleigh Street (and it is slick). So for this year’s Vivid festival, they’re not doing things half-assed.

There are three Cake parties you should be locking into your diary for this year’s Vivid, two at the cellar door and one in a ‘left of centre’ secret location.

The Kings Cross Hotel is about to be transformed into an immersive wonderland as part of this year’s Vivid Sydney festival. As part of the truly epic Vivid Music program (which includes the world premiere of Björk’s digital project), the hotel will be in full swing with a slew of live music, theatre and cabaret throughout the three weeks of the festival from May 27 until June 18.

And in true Kings Cross Hotel style, they’re throwing a huge party to kick things off. Relive the glory days of Sydney’s late-night culture with the Welcome to Kings Cross party on Saturday, May 28. Bad Deep, Le Fruit and The Takeover will join some of the city’s best DJs across the pub’s five floors, meaning there’ll be ample dancefloor action to satisfy your dancing feet. Not only that, but the party will also bring the legendary ’90s Sydney party night Sounds of Seduction back to the Kings Cross Hotel. In other words, it’s set to be one hell of a night.

The One Day crew just keep hitting their stride. A far cry from their humble 2013 pub beginnings as One Day Sundays, Sydney’s favourite hip hop crew are getting bigger and bigger crowds with every event, throwing over 100 events across Australia in the last three years and blowing the roof of their monthly Factory mini-festivals, not to mention their biggest Sydney day party yet, One Day Only.

For Vivid, they’re back to their roots, with a huge One Day Sundays party at the Factory Theatre. Of course, One Day themselves will be leading the pack at this edition, with Adit and Nick Lupi to be joined by guests Aslan, Levins, Klasik and Liz Bird.

In true One Day-style, there’ll be live art aplenty on the day, with some of the country’s best graffiti artists creating a live mural. It’ll be a long day of dancing, so there’ll be plenty of delicious food and drink to keep you fuelled.

Newtown Social Club is turning two and you’re invited to help them celebrate 24 glorious months of live music, glorious pub grub and late night beer times. From 3pm, a huge lineup of local legends will be performing across two stages. Grab a local brew on tap and head on a journey through time and space with the likes of psychedelic Sydney favourites Richard In Your Mind and indie foursome Slumberhaze. There will also be a super-secret special headliner, but mum’s the word on who it’ll be.

It’s a birthday party, remember? So bring your best wishes for NSC. They’re one of the prevailing live music spaces in Newtown, in the age of the lockout law. Monday Schmonday, this is one Sunday endeavour worth being a tad sleepy at your desk for.