At Vivid Sydney 2025, dreams take many forms and engage all our senses, including taste. Now in its third year, Vivid Food is a celebration of creativity, culture and connection.  

Whether you're up for flame-cooked feasts, sky-high fine dining, precinct-wide parties or dishes that tell a deeper story, there’s a dream meal waiting to be discovered below.  

Markets, festivals and precinct takeovers 

Hollywood Dreaming 

Hollywood Quarter, Surry Hills is getting the star treatment with a precinct-wide takeover exclusive to Vivid Sydney. Expect neon-lit laneways, late-night gigs, rooftop pizza-fuelled workshops and exclusive food experiences from the area’s best, including Firedoor, Butter, Nomad, Kiln and more, all paying homage to Hollywood’s golden age. 

Vivid Fire Kitchen 

It’s back and hotter than ever with a new ‘Fire & Spice’ theme celebrating bold, spice-driven cuisines cooked over open flames by the world’s best pitmasters and chefs. Get cosy by the firepits, grab a drink and enjoy some delicious flame-cooked food from around the globe. 

First Nations Experiences 

Native Food Experience at Parliament House 

This one-of-a-kind dining event invites guests into Parliament during the buzz of a sitting night. A one-night only meal, served by Parliament of NSW Executive Chef Vanessa Harcourt and pioneering Aboriginal chef Dwayne Bannon-Harrison, explores native produce and its stories, from rainforest fruits and desert botanicals to wild game meats. 

Aunty Beryl | Our Shared Dream: A world with no waste 

Celebrate sustainability, culture and community through a four-course vegetarian meal made from rescued produce. Hosted by Indigenous Elder and culinary icon Aunty Beryl and held at Refettorio OzHarvest, this very special night will explore native Australian flavours and will also help feed Sydney’s vulnerable communities. See the rest of the Our Shared Dream series here.  

Dreaming Skies: A Culinary Journey 

Soar above the city lights with a breathtaking First Nations dining experience at Infinity, Sydney Tower. Curated by Trippas White Group Indigenous Ambassador Dwayne Bannon Harrison, this exclusive three-course menu draws on 60,000 years of culture, using native ingredients to tell stories of land, sea and sky.  

Vivid Food with incredible views  

Luke’s Vivid Table at the Pylon Lookout 

Dine inside the South-East Pylon of the Sydney Harbour Bridge at this unforgettable three course meal, where celebrity chef Luke Mangan serves up an elevated (literally) NSW-sourced tasting menu with brilliant Vivid Sydney views to match. 

Dreamscapes at Aster 

InterContinental Sydney’s rooftop bar becomes a dreamlike dining room in the sky. Choose your mystery menu – Sweet, Spicy or Adventurous – and savour the view of the glowing city below from their floor to ceiling windows. 

Dance of Dreams with Danielle Alvarez 

Set in the Yallamundi Room of the Sydney Opera House, this dreamy dinner pairs visionary NSW wines with Danielle Alvarez’s seasonal, story-led menu, all brought to life with live performance and music. All this, plus incredible views of the Vivid Sydney lights.  

Unique dining experiences 

Neon Dreams 

Roll into this nostalgic, neon-bathed Vivid Sydney exclusive where Smith & Daughter’s innovative chef Shannon Martinez flips the script on American diner classics – think juicy burgers, jelly donuts and creamy shakes but plant-based and served with a side of roller skating in a retro themed rink.  

Vivid Chef Series 

The world’s brightest culinary minds join forces with Sydney’s finest chefs for one-off collaborations. Expect menus that challenge, celebrate the best NSW produce and dazzle with originality.  

Dream Mist at Botanic House 

Renowned chef Luke Nguyen brings his signature Vietnamese flair to this ethereal dining experience in the heart of the Royal Botanic Garden where, amongst the trees and the misty evening atmosphere, he will weave bold flavours with personal storytelling. 

Saltbush & Starlight Dining 

A guided tour of the Sydney Opera House meets a First Nations-led feast. Celebrity chef Mark Olive serves a menu grounded in Country and Culture, all enjoyed in a hidden part of the Sydney Opera House after a tour of this iconic building.  

Food as a Force for Change 

This year, Vivid Food highlights the powerful role food can play in creating a fairer, more sustainable world. Through the intimate, inspiring events below, meet the chefs and changemakers using food to uplift communities, reduce waste and amplify diverse voices. 

Our Shared Dream: A World With No Waste 

Hosted at Refettorio OzHarvest, this four-course vegetarian dinner series pairs leading Australian chefs like Neil Perry and Paul Farag with rescued produce with the goal of reimagining fine dining. Every meal supports vulnerable communities through food and shows how sustainability and creativity go hand-in-hand. 

FoodLab Sydney 

A celebration of culinary innovation and cultural identity, this series of three special events showcases the flavours and stories of FoodLab Sydney’s migrant and refugee chefs. Taste Tamil-Malaysian, traditional Mexican and other underrepresented cuisines and learn how food entrepreneurship is building new futures from the plate up. 

Dreams on a Plate 

Dreams on a Plate brings together migrant and refugee women from Afghanistan, Ukraine and Palestine at Kyiv Social, sharing the food and stories of their homelands. Guided by top female chefs including Claire Van Vuuren (Bloodwood), Ahana Dutt (ex-Raja) and Isobel Whelan-Little (Kiln), this six-course feast blends authentic recipes with reimagined classics. Every ticket helps fund 140 meals for those in need – extending the evening’s generosity well beyond the table.