A New Openair Food Destination Is Popping Up at the Sydney Opera House as Part of Vivid Sydney's Stacked 2025 Culinary Program
Cuban sandwiches, Korean fried chicken and Archie Rose cocktails are joining a heap of returning favourites as part of the Opera House's expanded Vivid 2025 food lineup.
Vivid already has a seriously stacked food program for its 2025 edition. On the menu, you'll find Nigella Lawson-curated dinners, a 1950s-style American plant-based diner complete with roller rink, as well as international guest chefs, fiery street eats and pop-ups by local faves as part of Vivid Fire Kitchen. And now, the Sydney Opera House is unveiling one more foodie destination to add to your Vivid trail, in the form of the all-new Forecourt Food Village.
Setting up on the Opera House's harbourside forecourt from Friday, May 23 to Saturday, June 14, this vibrant new openair hub will serve up street-style snacks from two of Sydney's most exciting chefs. As a nod to her heritage, Opera House Events Culinary Director Danielle Alvarez is dishing up Cuban-inspired eats at bold new pop-up La Cubanita — think: fried fish sandwiches, pulled pork, Caribbean-style sweet potato fries and even a playful menu just for kids.
Alongside it, Opera House Events Executive Chef Jimmy Ryu is plating up sizzling Seoul food at K-town Bites. Expect crowd-pleasers like crispy Korean fried chicken, gochujang cauliflower and sweet potato noodles, all with plenty of spice and crunch. To wash it all down, The Bar featuring Archie Rose will be shaking up mojitos, buttered rum and raisin cocktails, plus local wine, beer, and hot and cold non-alc sips. The Forecourt Food Village is open nightly from 5–10pm, and, like a heap other of events on Vivid's public program, entry is free.
Hungry festival-goers will also find plenty to explore inside the Opera House. Enmore dive bar The Midnight Special returns to the Opera House for the fifth year with The Aurora — an immersive, light-soaked pop-up bar tucked into the Concert Hall Northern Foyer. Open from Friday, May 23 to Sunday, June 1, the space will glow with dreamlike projections and feature themed cocktails, elemental decor and DJs spinning into the night, all inspired by the dreamy shapes and colours of the Aurora Australis and Aurora Borealis. Entry is also free, with access via the western steps or through the Concert Hall for ticket-holders.
Looking for something a little more luxe? Chef Peter Gilmore's two-hatted Bennelong has two Vivid-exclusive experiences on offer: a $65 snack-and-cocktail combo at the Bennelong Bar, or a premium $285 three-course dinner with champagne and bar snacks in the Dress Circle, all backdropped by the restaurant's sweeping harbour views.
Other returning favourites include House Canteen's nostalgic candy floss and hot chocolate cart (which will also offer boozy options), and Opera Bar's warm espresso martinis and exclusive ice creams by Redfern fave Ciccone & Sons — all available daily throughout the festival.
For something even more immersive, Dance of Dreams (Friday, June 13–Saturday, June 14) will see Alvarez pair a live dance performance and music with a three-course dinner in the Yallamundi Rooms, while Indigenous culinary legend Mark Olive will present Saltbush and Starlight, a new communal dining experience that runs every Friday and Saturday throughout the festival. The special event blends native ingredients, NSW wines and bespoke light projections, beginning with a behind-the-scenes tour of the Opera House.
Vivid Sydney 2025 runs from Friday, May 23–Saturday, June 14 across Sydney. Head to the festival website for further information.
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