Vivid LIVE 2012

Overview

Vivid LIVE, the 10-day musical extravaganza that sits under the Vivid Sydney umbrella, is back from from May 25 to June 11 in 2012.

Beginning in 2009, each successive instalment of Vivid has seen the sails of the Opera House lit up like a psychadelic rainbow and one super-special person or two curating the festival's musical component. Past curators have included Brian Eno, Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson, and Stephen Pavlovic. This year, however, the idea of musical curator has been done away with, and in 2012 Vivid LIVE will be overseen by Fergus Linehan, head of contemporary music at the Sydney Opera House for the past two years.

This year's Vivid LIVE will showcase a specially commissioned new work from Sufjan Stevens (pictured), Bryce Denner of The National and Nico Muhly, a composer who's worked with the likes of Bjork, Grizzly Bear and Anthony & The Johnsons. Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs will perform her 'psycho opera' Stop the Virgens with Yeah Yeah Yeahs bandmates, while Florence and the Machine, The Temper Trap, Janelle Monae and Amon Tobin also grace the House. There'll be a special night for the pop and progressive Modular people and a screening of the LCD Soundsystem doco, Shut Up and Play the Hits, in conjunction with the Sydney Film Festival.

See our picks for Vivid Light and Vivid Ideas.