The excitement is building for the return of Vivid Sydney to our city — just 100 days to go.

The countdown is on — find out about the festival's direction for this year, the new festival focus Vivid Food, and take a sneak peek at the Light Walk, returning for Vivid Sydney 2023.

Today, February 15, Minister for Tourism Ben Franklin and Vivid Sydney Festival Director Gill Minervini launched the official 100 day countdown to Vivid Sydney 2023, revealing some of the exciting festival-first experiences we can expect this year.

Celebrating its 13th year in 2023, light artists, music makers, brilliant thinkers and culinary creatives bring to life this year's creative direction 'Vivid Sydney, Naturally'. Stepping outside the everyday, Vivid Sydney shines new light onto our city and ourselves.

From 26 May to 17 June, the streets will transform with mesmerising art displays and 3D light projections, exhilarating live music performances, thought-provoking debates, and deep-dive discussions from some of the world's brightest minds.

And for the first time ever at Vivid Sydney, chefs, producers and more will collaborate for the launch of Vivid Food, a program of multisensory meals that celebrate Sydney’s rich and vibrant restaurants, food culture and local produce.

This year, take your time to wander along the 8.5km Light Walk. Starting from Sydney Opera House you'll traverse the city all the way to Central Station, with significant expansions across pockets of the city.

Feel the buzz of creative energy enlivening our streets as you admire artwork, dance the night away, feed your soul or listen to fascinating talks in the Sydney CBD, Circular Quay, The Rocks, Walsh Bay, Barangaroo, Carriageworks, Darling Harbour, Darling Square, Darling Quarter, The Goods Line, Central Station, and iconic city structures such as the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia and Customs House.

As a sneak peak, we're also announcing several artworks along the Light Walk. Barerarerungar is a new work by Yorta Yorta, Wamba Wamba, Mutti Mutti, Boonwurrung artist Maree Clarke, projected onto the Museum of Contemporary Art at Circular Quay.

Barerarerungar, meaning 'Country' in the Kulin Nation language of Boonwurrung, draws from the artist's three decades of reclaiming and resurfacing south-east First Nations art and cultural practices. This work evokes Maree Clarke's necklaces made with river reeds, a symbol of safe travel and friendship.

The Last Ocean, an interactive work from American artist Jen Lewin, is a powerful, interactive and large-scale installation of an 'ice sheet' made of recycled ocean plastic. The Last Ocean is Vivid Sydney's largest ever installation, taking over the Stargazers Lawn at Barangaroo Reserve, and is a chance to step onto and explore the Antarctic's icy wonderland without hurting it.

For the very first time, the internationally acclaimed multi-sensory experience of light, colour and sound, Lightscape is coming to The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Lightscape is a timed-entry event and sells out across the world.

Stay tuned for the full program announcement, coming soon – be sure to sign up to MyVivid to be the first to receive all updates.