The full line-up for Vivid LIVE 2023 has been unveiled as the Sydney Opera House gets ready to host a star-studded talent line-up from Friday 26th May – Saturday 17th June, 2023. Look for performances from international favourites like José González, Thundercat, Ella Mai and Kimbra, marking the biggest in the event’s 13-year history. Over three blockbuster weeks, Australia’s largest creative festival will deliver an array of performances and discussions celebrating the best visual art, musicians and innovators from Australia and across the globe.
The event will be highlighted by the ceremonial Lighting of the Sails which features Australian artist John Olsen’s iconic work illuminated on the Sydney Opera House. Pieces have been selected by curator Dr Deborah Hart and animated by creative technologist, Curiious. Vivid Sydney festival director, Gill Minervini, revealed that she was hoping the 2023 edition continues Vivid LIVE’s steadily growing appeal.
“Vivid Sydney 2023 is a celebration of authenticity, an invitation to connect and a chance to create and we are delighted to continue our partnership with Sydney Opera House to showcase this through Vivid LIVE and Lighting of the Sails as part of Vivid Sydney 2023,” Minervini explained.
- What: Vivid LIVE 2023 at Sydney Opera House
- When: Friday 26 May – Saturday 17 June, 2023
- Where: Sydney Opera House, various venues
- Tickets: Sydney Opera House website
2023 Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House Lineup
Vivid LIVE 2023 will feature a number of fantastic musical performances and installations from international and domestic acts. Over 45 artists, including 19 international artists, six Australian exclusives, three orchestral collaborations and four party collectives, will take place at the Opera House over the festival period. Here’s the full 2023 Vivid LIVE lineup.
Friday 26 May
- Becca Hatch – 7pm Utzon Room
- José González: Veneer 20th Anniversary – 7.30pm Concert Hall
- Kimbra – 8.30pm Joan Sutherland Theatre
- Studio Party: Picnic Party – 9pm – 2.30am Studio
Saturday 27 May
- PANIA – 7pm Utzon Room
- José González: Veneer 20th Anniversary – 7.30pm Concert Hall
- Yaeji – 8.30pm Joan Sutherland Theatre
- Studio Party: Future Classic feat. Nikki Nair, Martyn Bootyspoon, Shake Daddy – 9pm – 2.30am Studio
Sunday 28 May
- Birdz & Fred Leone Present: Girra – 7pm Utzon Room
- José González: Veneer 20th Anniversary – 7.30pm Concert Hall
- Yaeji – 8.30pm Joan Sutherland Theatre
- Studio Party: House of Mince 12th Birthday – 9pm – 2.30am Studio
Monday 29 May
Tuesday 30 May
- The Necks – 7pm Drama Theatre
- Hiatus Kaiyote and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra – 7.30pm Concert Hall
Wednesday 31 May
- The Necks – 7pm Drama Theatre
- Budjerah – 7.30pm Studio
- Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert – 8pm Concert Hall
- Alfa Mist (UK) with special guests Swooping and Ella Haber – 8.30pm Joan Sutherland Theatre
Thursday 1 June
- Jen Cloher – 7pm, Drama Theatre
- Pirra – 7pm Utzon Room
- Jaguar Jonze: The Art of Broken Pieces – 7.30pm Studio
- Weyes Blood – 8.30pm Joan Sutherland Theatre
Friday 2 June
- Ashli – 7pm Utzon Room
- Devonté Hynes: Selected Classical Works with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra – 7.30pm Concert Hall
- Sleaford Mods – 8.30pm Joan Sutherland Theatre
- Studio Party: Mad Racket Plaid (UK) live A/V set plus Mad Racket DJs Ken Cloud, Simon Caldwell, Jimmi James, Zootie – 9pm – 2.30am Studio
Saturday 3 June
- Ethel Cain – 7pm Drama Theatre
- Maina Doe – 7pm Utzon Room
- Max Richter: Ambient Orchestra with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra – 7.30pm Concert Hall
- Posh Isolation Presents: HTRK, Lust For Youth (SE/DK), Croatian Amor (DK), YL Hooi – 8pm Stdio
- Squarepusher – 8.30pm Joan Sutherland Theatre
Sunday 4 June
- Ethel Cain – 7pm Drama Theatre
- JACOTÉNE – 7pm, Utzon Room
- Thundercat – 8pm Concert Hall
- Posh Isolation Presents Iceage (DK), Low Life, DX – 8pm Studio
Monday 12 June
Lighting the Sails – John Olsen: Life Enlivened (2023)
One of the premier attractions of the Vivid Festival, the ceremonial Lighting the Sails activation pays tribute to Australian artist John Olsen’s esteemed 60-year career. Over the full event period, the Sydney Opera House will be illuminated by Life Enlivened (2023), an animated artwork of images selected by curator Dr. Deborah Hart and animated by creative technologist Curiious. According to the Sydney Opera House, the artwork celebrates the propulsive power of Olsen’s painterly brush – including his evocative Salute to Five Bells (1971-73) mural commissioned especially for the Concert Hall Northern Foyer – to envision the natural world anew.
“Lighting of the Sails fittingly honours Australia’s legendary artist John Olsen in the 50th anniversary year of the Opera House, home to Olsen’s beguiling mural Salute to Five Bells,” Marshall said. “A dazzling arc of Olsen’s most significant works will be brought to life by Curiious.”
Date: Every night from 6pm
Price: Free
Location: Sydney Opera House exterior
Lighting the Sails – John Olsen: Life Enlivened (2023)
José González: Vaneer 20th Anniversary
Swedish folk music icon José González makes his way Down Under for Vivid LIVE 2023 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his stunning debut album Veneer. In three powerful performances across three nights, González will perform a string of hits, including Powered his genre-defining cover of The Knife’s “Heartbeats” and the delicate hit “Crosses”.
Date: Friday 26 May, 7:30 pm, Saturday 27 May, 7:30 pm, Sunday 28 May, 7:30 pm
Price: From AUD$89
Location: Concert Hall
José González: Vaneer 20th Anniversary
Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert
Indie rock legend Cat Power will take to the Sydney Opera House concert hall during Vivid to pay tribute to one of music’s most enduring artists – Bob Dylan. In this unique performance, Cat Power will recreate Dylan’s legendary 1966 ‘Royal Albert Hall’ performance – where the folk rocker scandalised audiences with his pivot to electric guitar.
Date: Wednesday 31 May, 8pm
Price: From AUD$89
Location: Concert Hall
Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert
Devonté Hynes: Selected Classical Works with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Grammy-winner Devonté Hynes returns to Australia for the first time in more than a decade, bringing with him a suite of tunes and instruments to dazzle audiences with. According to the event description, Hynes will perform a suite of classical works that draw upon his genre-defying, multimedia sounds, accompanied by the might of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
Date: Friday 2 June, 7:30pm
Price: From AUD$79
Location: Concert Hall
Devonté Hynes: Selected Classical Works with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Max Richter: Ambient Orchestra with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra
A collaboration between conductor Matthew Lynch, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and ground-breaking pianist Max Richter, this musical event is not to be missed. The innovative new project, entitled Ambient Orchestra, is described as an odyssey through ambient sound that features acclaimed British soprano Grace Davidson and two Australian premieres: Exiles (2020) and Testament (2021). This unique performance marks just the second time the spectacle has been performed live since its London premiere in 2022.
Date: Saturday 3 June, 7:30 pm
Price: From AUD$99
Location: Concert Hall
Max Richter: Ambient Orchestra with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Ella Mai
Following her 2018 smash hit “Boo’d Up”, Grammy-winning R&B star Ella Mai returns to Sydney. The first woman since Beyoncé to top three R&B and hip-hop charts simultaneously, the South London singer is bringing her unique blend of smooth and soulful tunes to the Opera House concert hall on June 12.
Date: Monday 12 June, 8 pm
Price: From AUD$99
Location: Concert Hall
Thundercat
The bass guitar wizard with the Dragonball Durag is back. Thundercat, otherwise known as Stephen Bruner, is set to unload a scorching fusion of funk, R&B, psychedelic jazz and hip-hop on Sydney audiences for the first time in five years. Expect to hear some old favourites with a blend of bass virtuosity thrown in for good measure.
Date: Sunday 4 June, 8 pm
Price: From AUD$79
Location: Concert Hall
Hiatus Kaiyote and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Melbourne’s seven-piece Hiatus Kaiyote is using Vivid LIVE 2023 to kick off a massive new year, with the Sydney show set to mark their biggest show to date. Over the 90-minute spectacle, expect to hear a head-spinning odyssey of progressive soul in the iconic Concert Hall for one night only, joined by the power of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
Date: Tuesday 30 May, 8 pm
Price: From AUD$99
Location: Concert Hall
Hiatus Kaiyote and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Yaeji
If you don’t know Korean-American producer and DJ Yaeji, you’re in for a treat. The electronic artist is returning to Australia with her bilingual blend of house, sophisticated grooves and left-field beats in tow. This year also marks the debut of a new immersive multimedia live show filled with choreographed moments.
Date: Saturday 27th May 2023 8:30 pm, Sunday 28th May 2023 8:30 pm
Price: From AUD$59
Location: Joan Sutherland Theatre
Weyes Blood
Folk-pop musician Weyes Blood – a.k.a. Natalie Mering – returns to Australia to make her highly anticipated Sydney Opera House debut. The upcoming performance follows the release of her acclaimed new record, And in the Darkness, Hearts Aglow (2022), with the Joan Sutherland Theatre serving as the perfect setting for her enchanting and haunting chamber pop.
Date: Thursday 1 June, 8:30 pm
Price: From AUD$39
Location: Joan Sutherland Theatre
Kimbra
New Zealand favourite Kimbra will perform at Vivid LIVE 2023 in celebration of her bold new album, A Reckoning. The Grammy-award-winning singer-songwriter is set to deliver a night of eclectic, experimental pop and acrobatic vocals. Not to be missed.
Date: Friday 26 May, 8:30pm
Price: From AUD$39
Location: Joan Sutherland Theatre
Sleaford Mods
British punk-hop legends Sleaford Mods will perform hot off the release of their album UK GRIM. The duo’s combination of barbed electronics and wired East Midlands rants presents something a little different than the usual Vivid programming and for that, we’re thankful.
Date: Friday 2 June, 8:30pm
Price: From AUD$39
Location: Joan Sutherland Theatre
Squarepusher
The pioneering drum’n’bass experimentalist returns with the breakneck beats and visceral fun of his recent 2020 career opus Be Up A Hello, along with a brand new composition.
Date: Saturday 3 June, 8:30pm
Price: From AUD$39
Location: Joan Sutherland Theatre
Alfa Mist with Special Guests Swooping + Ella Haber
Acclaimed British multi-instrumentalist Alfa Mist will team up with Hiatus Kaiyote spin-off Swooping and emerging soul singer Ella Haber for a night of hip-hop, R&B and improvised jazz fusion.
Date: Wednesday 31 May, 8:30pm
Price: From AUD$39
Location: Joan Sutherland Theatre
Alfa Mist with Special Guests Swooping + Ella Haber
Ethel Cain
Acclaimed American singer-songwriter Ethel Cain heads Down Under for her first Australian appearance, bringing her haunting Gothic pop to Vivid LIVE. The artist’s music touches on her conservative religious upbringing in Florida to inclusion on Barack Obama’s annual playlist, exploring sentiments rarely displayed in modern pop.
Date: Saturday 3 June, 7:00pm, Sunday 4 June, 7:00pm
Price: AUD$55
Location: Drama Theatre
Jen Cloher
Iconic Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Kahu indie music Jen Cloher performs their tender and ferociously raw rock’n’roll anthemic pop for Vivid LIVE 2023. The performance marks an explosive return to live performance following the release of their long-awaited new album I Am The River, The River Is Me.
Date: Thursday 1 June, 7:00pm
Price: AUD$39
Location: Drama Theatre
The Necks
Nearly impossible to explain, improvisational trio The Necks (Chris Abrahams, Tony Buck and Lloyd Swanton) return for two bizarre nights of undeniably interesting performance. Fresh from releasing their new double album Travel, the ARIA Award-winning artists have been hailed as “the greatest trio on Earth” by the New York Times.
Date: Tuesday 30 May, 7:00pm, Wednesday 31 May, 7:00pm
Price: AUD$59
Location: Drama Theatre
Martha Marlow
ARIA-nominated singer-songwriter and composer Martha Marlow teams up with piano virtuoso Chris Abrahams for a special performance of new songs from their hauntingly exquisite upcoming album Queen Of The Night.
Date: Monday 29 May, 7 pm
Price: AUD$56
Location: Drama Theatre
Budjerah
Rising star Budjerah is set to tackle Vivid LIVE 2023 with an intimate performance at the studio. The Coodjinburra R&B sensation is set to dazzle fans with the same soulful chops that have turned him from Fingal Head’s homegrown hero to a globally-celebrated artist, even featuring on Ed Sheeran’s single “2Step”.
Date: Wednesday 31 May, 7:30pm
Price: AUD$49
Location: Studio
Jaguar Jonze: The Art of Broken Pieces
Ground-breaking activist and musician Jaguar Jonze will take to the stage for Vivid this year, bringing her acclaimed record, BUNNY MODE to life. Her ambitious new performance piece, The Art of Broken Pieces combines art, music, voice performance and her multicultural experience to present a love letter to music, the untold story of what has carried her to this moment, and her rallying cry for change.
Date: Thursday 1 June, 7:30pm
Price: TBA
Location: Studio
Jaguar Jonze: The Art of Broken Pieces
Posh Isolation Presents: HTRK, List for Youth, Croatian Amor, YL HOOI and Iceage, Low Life, DX
Curated by Mitch Tolman of local punk heroes Low Life, Nordic noise is a wild ride through Australia’s barrooms and basements. Over two nights, you’ll hear the sounds of Danish rockers Iceage, industrial experimentalist Croatian Amor and Scandinavian synth duo Lust For Youth, plus Melbourne’s cult duo HTRK, the live debut of post-punk supergroup DX – featuring members of Total Control, Diät and Den – and the ethereal dub of YL Hooi.
Date: Saturday 3 June, 8:00pm
Price: AUD$59
Location: Studio
Becca Hatch
Western Sydney-based, Kamilaroi-Samoan singer-songwriter Becca Hatch returns to perform her lush brand of dance-pop. Expect to dance and sing with this effortlessly fun blend of modern pop and soaring vocals.
Date: Friday 26 May, 7:00pm
Price: AUD$29
Location: Utzon Room
Birdz & Fred Leone Present: Girra
Cousins and musical brothers from the Butchulla Nation, rapper Birdz and Songman Fred Leone share their stage in this unique performance for Vivid LIVE 2023. After their anti-colonialist hip-hop collaboration “Bagi-la-m Bargan” stormed the 2020 Triple J Hottest 100, the pair return to the stage for a night of uncompromising rhymes.
Date: Sunday 28 May, 7:00pm
Price: AUD$29
Location: Utzon Room
Birdz & Fred Leone Present: Girra
Ashli
After a breakout performance at South by Southwest in Austin, New Jersey-born, Western Sydney-based singer-songwriter Ashli brings her hypnotic mix of R&B, pop and soul, capturing the city in all of its love, lust and heartbreak.
Date: Friday 2 June, 7:00pm
Price: AUD$29
Location: Utzon Room
Maina Doe
Emerging star Maina Doe brings her brand of futuristic hip-hop, pop and jazz to life at this year’s event, hot off the release of her new single, “WYA” with IJALE and King Ivy, plus her own single “Primal Design” in late 2022.
Date: Saturday 3 June, 7:00pm
Price: AUD$29
Location: Utzon Room
Pirra
Just months after the dance-pop quartet teamed up with renowned producers including Konstantin Kersting (Tones & I) and PNAU’s Sam Littlemore for their sophomore album Spirals, Pirra takes to the stage for Vivid LIVE.
Date: Thursday 1 June, 7:00pm
Price: AUD$29
Location: Utzon Room
Pania
After her tracks “ICYY” and “tiki” were both immortalised in the Netflix smash hit Heartbreak High, R&B up-and-comer PANIA will take over the Utzon Room for her second-ever Sydney show.
Date: Saturday 27 May, 7:00pm
Price: AUD$29
Location: Utzon Room
Jacoténe
Teenage soul sensation JACOTÉNE has already dazzled audiences at Laneway Festival and taken top honours in the Triple J Unearthed High competition Now, she’s hitting the Utzon Room for a one-off show that promises to deliver serious vibes.
Date: Sunday 4 June, 7:00pm
Price: AUD$29
Location: Utzon Room
Studio Party: Mad Racket feat Plaid
The Inner West’s longest-running dance institution Mad Racket – Sydney DJ collective of Ken Cloud, Simon Caldwell, Zootie and Jimmi James – will converge with British legends Plaid – aka Ed Handley and Andy Turner – for a massive night of beats, bleeps and bangers.
Studio Party: Mad Racket feat Plaid
Studio Party: Picnic Party
From their low-key beginnings in inner-city clubs and warehouse spaces, Sydney club gurus Picnic return with a wild party featuring some of the city’s finest DJs, club acts and very special guests, with full line-up to be announced.
Date: Friday 26 May, 9 pm
Price: AUD$59
Location: Studio – Vivid Live Party
Studio Party: Future Classic feat Nikki Nair and Martyn Bootyspoon
Innovative Sydney label Future Classic curate a line-up of cutting-edge club music handpicked from across the globe, with Nikki Nair bringing his range of bass-heavy techno belters, and Martyn Bootyspoon lining up playful techno nrg ahead of releases on the FC Club Series, with Melbourne DJ Shake Daddy opening the room. More acts to be announced soon.
Date: Saturday 27 May, 9 pm
Price: AUD$59
Location: Studio – Vivid Live Party
Studio Party: Future Classic feat Nikki Nair and Martyn Bootyspoon
Studio Party: House of Mince 12th Birthday
Legendary local collective House of Mince will lift Vivid LIVE to euphoric new heights at their 12th birthday bash, with special guests and full line-up to be announced.
Date: Sunday 28 May, 9 pm
Price: AUD$59
Location: Studio – Vivid Live Party
Studio Party: House of Mince 12th Birthday
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Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House FAQs
Vivid LIVE 2023 runs at the Sydney Opera House from Friday 26 May – Saturday 17 June, 2023.
Vivid Sydney is Australia’s largest festival of creativity, innovation and technology. The three-eek event sees a number of activations, musical performances and lighting shows take place around the Sydney Opera House, bringing thousands of tourists each year. Vivid Sydney is owned, managed and produced by Destination NSW, the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency.
