Immersive Experiences That Turn the City Into a Playground

Since the arrival of Western art in Australia by the first European settlers, art has evolved in contemporary culture, depicting many styles and genres. Australian art is known for its diversity, with artists coming from around the world to create art in Australia. By exploring our contemporary Australian art, you can discover the abundance of contemporary art from artists around the world embracing the natural Australian landscape as their own. “For 2026, we are expanding our program into new art forms, including aerial performance, daytime public art, theatre and dance. These join our vast Vivid Minds, Light, Music and Food offerings to now make your Vivid Sydney one of the great comprehensive arts festivals of the world. As usual, it stretches across Circular Quay, The Rocks, Barangaroo and Darling Harbour and for the first time, additional venues in and around the CBD will be hosting Vivid Music, Vivid Food and Vivid Minds events that bring the entire city into the experience.
He holds a Bachelor of Music (Honours) in Musicology from the University of Adelaide’s Elder Conservatorium of Music. His professional journey is marked by extensive experience as a board member in various industries, showcasing his versatile leadership and strategic skills. Raised in Adelaide, Nicholas holds a deep-seated passion for supporting the arts and the community in South Australia which is evident through his vision to support and grow ILA. His commitment to philanthropy and community leadership was recognised in 2022 when he and his wife Sophie were honoured with the Creative Partnerships Australia Award for their work through ILA. Margo mirror maze sydney Hill-Smith brings a rich blend of advocacy and arts management to ILA’s Arts Council, with extensive experience in both private and public sector roles in community work and private business. Whether guiding a corporate partner, shaping a milestone celebration or crafting an immersive moment in Aurora or the Lab, Kerri ensures every event feels seamless, personal and impeccably delivered.

The main strip is lit up with dozens of delicious eateries and street stalls, including the popular Chatkazz, Dosa Hut, Ginger Indian Restaurant, Momozz, Jaipur Sweets and Not Just Curries. Visit the spot where former convict James Ruse successfully grew the colony’s first wheat crop in 1791 and tour the 1835-built Experiment Farm Cottage. Wool pioneers John and Elizabeth Macarthur owned Elizabeth Farm, an Australian colonial homestead. The site contains the oldest surviving European building in Australia.
This exhibition features site-specific installations by leading Australian and international artists, showcasing the diversity and innovation of modern artistic expression. However, the rise of such exhibitions has sparked a lively debate in the art world. Some critics argue that these digital showcases prioritize entertainment and 'Instagrammable' moments over genuine artistic engagement, reducing priceless works to a 'visual simulation' that detaches them from their physical context and creator's intent. They raise concerns about a culture that consumes art as a fleeting sensory pleasure rather than through deep observation and contemplation. Now, you can walk through the iconic painting projected large across The Grand Pavilion at Entertainment Quarter. The experience will kick off its return on Thursday, December 8, just in time to pair the sunny days with some sunflowers — and it's bringing plenty more, including both familiar and new parts of the exhibition.
There are 15 ‘challenge room’ styled as hotel rooms, and on arrival, you and your group are assigned to a set of five. Each room is a mini-game, from scramble on a light-up piano floor, to diving into a ball pit while hunting for gold balls, to plugging up Titanic-style leaks in a ship-themed room. This exhibition reflects a commitment to the arts, education and cultural storytelling, and to sharing treasures of global significance with the Australian public. The Sistine Chapel experience, exclusive to Sydney, unfolds across two extraordinary spaces designed to deepen your understanding of the masterpieces of Michelangelo and other Renaissance masters and the history behind them. You get to support Sydney's arts community and spend time with like-minded people while tucking in to a great feed. Bring your crew together for a vibrant group experience—ideal for private or team events looking to paint, play, and connect.

They've now added a special autism-friendly session on Sunday, May 16 at 5pm. This special session  is an all-ages event with a very limited number of tickets available at this dedicated link. Plunge into Monet’s 'Water Lilies' series dancing across multiple giant screens, as if light refracting on a limpid pool’s surface.
The D.L.M bar will be back, acting as front of house for ETERNITYLAND. Participants and the public can enjoy a drink in the bar sponsored by Artisan Drinks Co, Y Series by Yalumba, Plantation Rum, Hickson House Distilling Co and Lord Howe Island Brewing Co. This exhibition is part of Sydney International Art Series, made possible with the support of the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.

This is not the first time the Vatican has explored technology to spread its message. In recent years, it has shown a growing willingness to experiment with digital platforms and interactive installations to make biblical stories and sacred art more accessible. By sanctioning an immersive experience that will tour globally after its Sydney debut, the Church is embracing a new medium for evangelization and education. The heritage listed Enmore Theatre is the longest-running live music venue in NSW, drawing crowds for more than 110 years.
Those looking for a psychological thriller will find Darkfield’s newest experience enthralling. The internationally acclaimed show will bring Van Gogh’s post-impressionist masterpieces to life – using light, sound and fragrance – in a specially designed and constructed 25,000-square-foot immersive gallery called The Grand Pavilion. Time Out got a sneak peek at Dream Circus before opening day, and we have to say, it’s hard to sum up in a few sentences what you’re in for. It’s part-3D movie, where actors take you on an adventure through the circus, to the seaside, underwater and into magical dream-like states. It’s part-musical, except that the action envelops you on three sides of the room, as well as the floor and ceiling.
First up, let me make it clear that this is NOT a traditional art exhibition but instead an elaborate digital experience designed to introduce Van Gogh and his most outstanding works to the general public. By general public, I mean a mass audience who some will never, by choice, step through the intimidating doors of a conventional art gallery to see endless, old framed pictures on stretches of white walls. If you are a traditional-things-only art snob, or you are an easily offended classical music critic who will be pissed if someone uses Tchaikovsky’s Dance of the Little Swans outside of anything to do with swans or Swan Lake the then this is not your cup of tea. A family-friendly experience, Van Gogh Alive creates the sensation of walking right into the Dutch artist's paintings — and you definitely won't feel like you're just standing in an ordinary gallery. Attendees encounter van Gogh's world-famous works in fine detail thanks to Grande Exhibitions' state-of-the-art technology, which uses 40 high-definition projectors.

Wentworth Galleries have the best commercially-available collection of Australian contemporary art in Sydney. Our two centrally-located Sydney CBD galleries display a wide range of art in both galleries, catering to serious collectors, art lovers, first-time buyers and art investors alike. We have paintings, limited edition prints and sculptures in a vast range of styles, sizes and budgets all available for purchase or rental. With nearly 40 years of experience in sales and close to a decade specialising in events, Kerri brings a rare blend of commercial acumen, creativity and calm confidence to every client interaction. She is known for her exceptional relationship-building skills and her ability to understand what clients truly value — then translate that into unforgettable experiences at ILA. With a distinguished career in the state government, as Director of Creative Industries at Arts South Australia, Becc has led transformative policies supporting the arts.
It opens at the State Theatre on June 3 and runs across the city until this Sunday. The FIFA World Cup may be taking place on the other side of the world, but soccer fans will be able to catch all the action around Sydney, with the NSW government set to announce live sites across the city. Follow the Socceroos as they chase glory in North America at Tumbalong Park in Darling Harbour, where all of three of their group stage games will be screened. Whether you’re looking for cinema, sport, food, music or culture, here are the best things to do in Sydney this weekend.

Unlike your usual art museum, you can touch and interact with more than a hundred 3D artworks immersing yourself. This immersive exhibit of “trick art” located at the District Docklands, is the first of its kind in Australia. Mysterious and majestic, a waterfall unlike any other flows day and night over a monolithic cube - just above First Fleet Park in the George Street Alcove.Glitchy... Adding extra spark to Vivid Sydney’s night skies, the Harbour Cruise Fireworks return in 2026 –  an eruption of colour from the Harbour’s seas, presented... The dazzling harbourside home to Sydney’s most iconic landmarks, transformed.
An expert in Italian cuisine, he has worked in various specialised seafood restaurants and 5-star hotels before migrating to Australia in 2003. As soon as you enter this special space, you will be blown away and taken on a journey of awe and amazement. Witness an incredible array of multimedia installations and interactive technologies that will awaken your senses. Discover a fully interactive installation with motion sensors, real-time graphics by Tony Funiciello (Aureal) and an exclusive audiovisual performance as well as other surprises and entertainment during the evening. Experience the world through the artistic eyes of a most iconic Dutch post-impressionist painter by stepping into a kaleidoscope of Van Gogh’s oil masterpieces.