New home for Vivid Sydney's culinary showpiece

 The Vivid Sydney festival is about more than art and colour.

Food lovers are also catered for at Vivid Fire Kitchen, now in a new waterfront home in Barangaroo Reserve.

The culinary showpiece is being positioned as one of the centrepieces of Vivid Sydney 2026 with over 60 culinary voices and two new focal points, The Vivid Fire Pit and the Food for Thought stage.

Running every night of Vivid Sydney from May 22 to June 13 from 6-11pm, the free entry Vivid Fire Kitchen is being promoted as "a vibrant, casual dining hub inspired by the great Aussie backyard".

Highlights will include open-fire cooking demonstrations, talks, tastings and live music.

Vivid Sydney festival director Brett Sheehy promises: “Vivid Fire Kitchen has been reimagined for 2026 as a place you can return to again and again and have a different experience each night.

"Moving to Barangaroo Reserve and expanding the program has allowed us to bring together more voices, more ideas and more ways for audiences to engage with food - from open‑fire cooking and talks to tastings, music and light.

"With rotating chefs, themed nights and new stages, no two evenings are the same, and that sense of discovery is at the heart of what Vivid Sydney is about.”

The Vivid Fire Pit line-up features culinary heavyweights and rising stars including Mark Best, David Moyle, and Mark La Brooy.

Mark Best, executive chef of Infinity by Mark Best and featured Vivid Fire Pit chef on Saturday, May 30, says: “The Fire Pit is an opportunity to explore why cooking over flame is so special - it's elemental, expressive and deeply connected to place. Fire strips cooking back to its essentials and opens space for instinct, memory and collaboration."

The Food for Thought stage will focus on culture, creativity, sustainability and the future of food, brining together chefs, authors, restaurateurs, celebrity cooks and digital storytellers.

Featured Food for Thought panel hosts and guest chefs include Luke Mangan, Mike Bennie, Gary Walsh, Julie Goodwin, Adriano Zumbo and Emelia Jackson.

See https://www.vividsydney.com/vivid-fire-kitchen

Meet a Powerhouse festival that is designed to challenge

 

Powerhouse has released details of the Sydney Design Week 2025 program, which will feature events across the city from September 12-24.

This year’s festival is titled ‘Community Design’ and places people at the heart of design with national and international designers whose work "creates connection and fosters resilience". The program will feature talks, tours and industry workshops.

Now in its 29th year, Australia’s longest-running design festival promises events "that reflect the distinctive contemporary and cultural design of the region".

Pritzker Prize-winning architect Francis Kéré, will launch the week in a public conversation with Incidental Architecture’s co-director Daina Cunningham and Western Sydney high school students, discussing how sustainable design can transform schools into places of comfort, culture and creativity.

Beijing-based architecture studio OPEN, led by architects Li Hu and Huang Wenjing, will deliver a keynote at the UTS Great Hall, while the week also features leading Dutch architectural photographer Iwan Baan, who captures the interplay between iconic architecture and everyday life around the world.

From Bangkok to Bonnyrigg, the 2025 program embraces a global-local dialogue. Thai landscape architect Kotchakorn Voraakhom joins Living Lab Northern Rivers’ academic director Professor Elizabeth Mossop, Sydney Water’s Phillip Birtles and CHROFI director John Choi to explore how cities can adapt to rising waters - drawing on urban case studies in New Orleans, Bangkok and Sydney.

A day of ceremony and dialogue led by local cultural leaders at Bibby’s Place in Bonnyrigg will offer space for shared reflection and storytelling.

Design innovation takes centre stage at the Advanced Manufacturing Readiness Facility in Bradfield, where workshops, tours and talks with Industrial Design Xchange (IDX SYD), Australian designer David Caon and architecture studio Hassell will introduce festivalgoers to the future of Australian manufacturing.

Holdmark Property Group Chief Operating Officer Kevin Nassif said: ‘Design has the power to unite, adapt and imagine new possibilities for the way we live. We’re proud to support a festival that puts community at the centre of creativity.’

Powerhouse Chief Executive Lisa Havilah added: "Sydney Design Week 2025 celebrates the power of design to bring people together. This year’s program highlights the role communities play in shaping public spaces, and how design can respond to place, climate and culture in meaningful ways."

To view the full program visit http://bit.ly/4lcyXy3

Image: Sun Tower by OPEN. Courtesy Iwan Baan

A week of science - and silliness - in Hobart

Hobart will once again embrace science and fun when the Beaker Street Festival turns Tasmania's capital into a meeting place for bold thinkers and adventurous spirits from August 12-19.

Beaker Streets is promoted as being "where science collides with art, music, and adventure, where conversations flow over cocktails, and where unexpected encounters spark new ways of seeing the world".

The festival - now in its eighth year - "has cemented its place as Australia’s most dynamic festival of science and culture," organisers say.

The schedule includes big ideas, deep discussions, and mind-expanding experiences - all set against the raw beauty of Tasmania’s winter landscape.



“Beaker Street Festival is all about making connections with interesting people, taking part in immersive experiences, and gaining new perspectives,” says festival founder and creative director Dr Margo Adler.

“If you have an idea in your mind of what a science festival is, it's not that.”

You can sign up for program announcements and early ticket access at www.beakerstreet.com.au.

The full festival program will be announced May 22. Stay tuned. 

Discover the reason for a tent sauna on Hobart's waterfront

A pop-up sauna on the Hobart waterfront is just one of the many quirky elements to the 2024 Beaker Street festival in Tasmania.

The festival of science and ideas has announced a "future first" program, enabling guests to dive into the mysteries of the Antarctic, stargaze in the CBD, or dip their toes into the science of wellness, as well as devour food that could help conquer climate change.

Beaker Street organisers today unveiled an expanded precinct for the annual week-long celebration, which held be held from August 6-13 and will feature over 70 events. 

Hobartica - Antarctica in Hobart - will include polar plunge pools and saunas, while Future 
Foods dining experiences will look at what we might be eating down the track in 2050. 

Founder and festival director Dr Margo Adler says: “In curating the festival, we delve into today’s most exciting research and urgent challenges. 

"The result is a compelling mix of thought-provoking entertainment, unexpected experiences, and mind-expanding conversations, which welcomes everyone into science.”

The eighth year of the festival will see a precinct spanning Hobart’s cultural and entertainment hubs and taking in City Hall, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, The Old Mercury Building, Hope & Anchor Tavern, Mawson Place, and pubs, bars, and restaurants around the waterfront and CBD.

The festival’s events kick off on Tuesday, August 6, culminating with a weekend of festivities from August 9-11. 

There is also an opportunity to engage in a two-night immersive getaway at Piermont Retreat on Tasmania's East Coast, from August 11-13. 

Beaker Street Festival is produced by Beaker Street, a not-for-profit cultural organisation and registered charity, and is supported by Events Tasmania, City of Hobart, the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, and National Science Week.

See www.beakerstreet.com.au

Image: Dearna Bond

Vivid: Celebrating humanity at a time of peak inhumanity

Vivid Sydney, the southern hemisphere's largest multi-artform festival, has unveiled its program for 2024.

Among the highlights: 40km-long laser beams to be projected from the city's tallest structure, Sydney Tower and 2023 Archibald Prize winner Julia Julia Gutman to transform Sydney Opera House for .Lighting The Sails.

Vivid Fire Kitchen returns in a brand-new space, Budjerah, Mos Def and Air will headline Vivid Music and, bizarrely, there will be an exploration of sex work in Australia's notorious red-light district of Kings Cross.

The run from May 24 to June 15, the festival runs over 23 nights exploring the theme of 'Humanity' through Light, Music, Ideas and Food.

There will be light installations and 3D projections from Circular Quay to The Goods Line; genre-spanning music performances and creative showcases; a Vivid Ideas program and the popular Vivid Food program.

John Graham, Minister for Jobs and Tourism, Minister for the Arts, Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy (hell of a job title John) said: “Vivid Sydney is an important event every year that Sydneysiders and visitors alike have come to love.

"It's not just a light show, it's a celebration of light, music, ideas and food - a program full of rich cultural experiences that resonate with locals and visitors alike.

“Vivid Sydney brings together important parts of Sydney's culture - Light, Music, Ideas and Food. It celebrates what's great and unique about our city, and our state and creates a uniquely Sydney experience. That's why it's been so popular over so many years.

“This year's festival will have a variety of free and cost-effective events on offer to provide many opportunities for people to come together and celebrate."

In 2023 the vent drew over 3.48 million attendees generating more than $206 million in visitor expenditure.

Vivid Sydney festival director Gill Minervini said this year's festival looks at how creativity fuels our interconnected world.

“Humanity is at the core of everything we do [duh], and this year Vivid Sydney is diving deep into what makes us uniquely human,” Minervini said.

“We have curated a diverse program that explores the human spirit, designed to foster connections, spark imagination and showcase the multitude of ways creativity enriches our lives. Everyone is invited to be part of this global event in the world's most beautiful city to connect, create and celebrate.”

Staged across Sydney, Vivid Sydney festival locations and venues include Circular Quay, the Sydney Opera House, The Rocks, State Library of New South Wales, Walsh Bay, Walsh Bay Arts Precinct, Barangaroo, Darling Harbour, University of Technology Sydney, The Goods Line, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney and Carriageworks.

Tickets are now on sale. For more info see vividsydney.com.

Five travel tips to make your next overseas trip better

Overseas travel is not as much fun as it used to be.

Airports are crowded; flights are often delayed, queues are longer.

But just a little foresight can help make your trip just a little bit easier.

Here are some tips that might help you next time you hit the airport.

1. Take a pillow with you. Aircraft are more cramped than ever before; and seats seem to be getting smaller. A travel cushion or pillow for your head - or back support - can make your flight a little more bearable, but who wants to drag one around from hotel to hotel? Simple solution: Grab an old pillow from your cupboard, use it on your outbound flight and then donate it to an op shop on arrival. Before departure pay a couple of bucks for a replacement at a charity outlet before you fly home. Simple and cheap.

2. Turn left not right. Here's a clever tip from Southern Cross travel insurance to avoid queues at immigration counters. Research shows that most people are right handed and tend to turn to the right first, so do the opposite. Go to the left and you may be able to move faster through airport security and customs.

3. Make a phone call. There are some very good deals available on hotel booking sites, but you may be able to get a better one by calling your hotel of choice directly. See what the current price is at booking.com or similar sites, and then call the hotel. Ask if they can do a better deal, or offer a perk like a late check out. Hotels pay big money in commission to booking sites, so many would prefer to deal with you direct. It's worth a try.

4. Go for colour. Many suitcases look the same. Particularly if you have chosen black. Tie a colourful ribbon on your case, or put some bright sticky tape on it. That way you'll be able to identify your baggage quickly on the airport carousel, or in a pile of suitcases.

5. Download a translation app. If you are heading for a country with a lively tourism industry then chances are there will be someone who speaks your language. If, however, you are in Poland, Laos or Honduras, things might be a little trickier. Download a translation app on your phone before your trip. With the Google Translate app, you can hold your phone’s camera up to any text, and the app will translate it for you, whether you are puzzled by a street sign or a menu. Nifty.

And a bonus. Take a photo of your key passport pages and email to yourself. If you do happen lose your passport then you will have something to show to officials.

Image: Tiago Gomes, scop.io 

Shining a light on Sydney's attractions

The festival that changes the face of Sydney, Vivid Sydney, returns to shine many lights on the city from May 26-June 17.

The free Light Walk will this year be an 8.5km adventure with 60 light attractions including Dark Spectrum, a completely new experience opening up Wynyard Station's secret tunnels to the public for the very first time.

The festival's Music, Ideas and inaugural Food programs range from Hollywood duo Mike White and Jennifer Coolidge to an all-star tribute night to Archie Roach plus one-off culinary experiences like the Vivid Sydney Dinner, a multi-sensory feast with a menu from Danielle Alvarez and Ben Greeno.

You can check out the full program to start planning.

And pre-planning is definitely needed with Sydney hotels and eateries promising to be packed during the event.

Vivid Sydney, which started on a much smaller scale in 2009, is an annual festival of light, music and ideas that includes outdoor immersive light installations and projections. performances by local and international musicians, and an ideas exchange forum featuring public talks and debates with leading creative thinkers.

The centrepiece is light sculptures, multimedia works and building projections that transform various buildings and landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Image: Destination NSW