Our accessible guide to Vivid Sydney

Vivid Sydney warmly welcomes people of all abilities, offering tailored options to ensure all visitors can enjoy the wonder of the festival between 24 May – 15 June. To help you plan ahead and make the most of your visit, we’ve mapped out an itinerary that spotlights the accessible and sensory-friendly events across the Light Walk.

We’ve started at the Circular Quay end of the Vivid Light Walk, but feel free to begin at The Goods Line, Town Hall or Wynyard – whatever suits. Both ends (or beginnings) feature multiple accessible pickup and drop off spots, as well as accessible minibus parking, which is complimentary but must be pre-booked via this link.

While the entirety of the Vivid Light Walk is wheelchair accessible, we’ve also created a street gradient guide on our map to help highlight the easiest route for anyone with accessibility requirements.

Plus, if you have any questions while visiting, Information Kiosks are littered across the Vivid Light Walk, staffed with our knowledgeable, friendly volunteers. This year, we’re delighted to offer the Hidden Disability Sunflower lanyard for the first time, a visual queue for our staff that you might need extra support where needed. If you’d like a lanyard, register here early due to limited availability.

You can also filter Ideas, Music and Food events by accessibility accommodations via our event search page. We also recommend reaching out to the venue directly to inquire about accessibility requests.

Circular Quay

Across the 23 nights of the festival, this iconic area of Sydney comes to life with innovation and creativity. As one of the busiest sections of the Vivid Light Walk, we’d recommend visiting Circular Quay during quieter times, such as the evenings earlier in the week.

There are two accessible drop-off and pick-up spots in Circular Quay. The first, at Circular Quay East, on the corner of Alfred St and Phillip St, is available Friday-Sunday nights and Monday 10 June. The second is at the Sydney Opera House (which requires a mobility permit to access) and is available seven nights a week. Find a full list of parking and drop off options on our transport page, alongside public transport information.

The lawn in the front of Museum of Contemporary Art is a key accessible viewing area. From there, you'll be able to take in the city skyline and illuminated harbour as well as works like Sea, Sand and Stars on the MCA façade and Lighting of the Sails 2024: Echo by Julia Gutman.

Depending on when you visit, it’s also the perfect spot to take in Love is in the Air, this year’s drone show above the waters of Circular Quay. Or reserve ahead for a spot at House Canteen, right next to the Sydney Opera House for Taste, See, Connect, featuring live music and a pan-Asian menu at a communal table.

While in the area, on 7 June at 7pm, at the nearby Parliament House on Macquarie Street, you can catch a night of science and comedy with the Auslan interpreted AI Will Destroy Humanity: A Future Science Debate.

The Rocks and Walsh Bay

Following the Light Walk along The Rocks to Walsh Bay, you’ll take in a set of three works: "Synthetic Hum(ai)nity", Mutual States and Migrating Light.

For a stair-free route to Circular Quay, simply follow along Hickson Road to the Overseas Passenger Terminal and make sure to see Connection by Angus Muir at Hickson Road Reserve along the way.

There's also an accessible viewing area at Hickson Road Reserve, another great vantage point to take in Lighting of the Sails 2024: Echo by Julia Gutman, as you watch the Sydney Opera House sails transformed by Julia’s incredible projected patchworks of fabric textures.

Barangaroo

If you're eager to explore the full Vivid Light Walk, continue along to Barangaroo via the waterfront. Otherwise, you can catch a ferry from Circular Quay to Barangaroo Wharf – it’s an unforgettable way to see the city illuminated from the harbour.

Once at Barangaroo, Stargazer Lawn is home to Vivid Light Walk highlight Nest. This larger-than-life circular projection by Leila Jeffreys and Melvin J. Montalban is a Sensory Sensitive installation that portrays the courtship dance of brolgas while exploring our connection to nature. Access the lawn via the lift at The Cutaway, or the accessible stair-free ramp at Wulugul Walk, where you can also catch Encounters Before The Tree, a projection on the eucalyptus trees along Wulugul Walk.

Then, step through Sensory Sensitive installation PORTAL, a towering gateway to an otherworldly experience on the headland before spotting the countless LED candles of Stateless at Nawi Cove.

If you arrive to Barangaroo area early, on Wednesday 29 May, Monday 3 June, Friday 14 June, you can catch an Auslan interpreted session of After The Fact from 6pm.

Darling Harbour

The facade of the Australian National Maritime Museum transforms with BARANI, a moving coming-of-age story told through a unique blend of digital illustration and First Nations iconography. Then, stand in awe of Hika Rakuyo. This stunning holographic light and laser show, projected over Cockle Bay, celebrates the ephemeral beauty of Australian flora.

Next, it’s time to ponder Neuron, a Sensory Sensitive installation and visualisation of our brain’s hidden structures. A short distance away at Tumbalong Park there’s a designated accessibility viewing platform where you can catch some brilliant, free live music for Tumbalong Nights. From there, you can see nearby Neolithic. Please note: this installation features strobe light and might not be suitable for visitors with sensory sensitivities.

While down at Darling Harbour, keep your eyes peeled for the fire sculptures, flame throwers, fire pits and fire barrels of Fireplaces. En route to Vivid Fire Kitchen, on Hay Street, find Poem Booth, your chance to encounter Artificial Intelligence as a poet, with several booths translating visual stimuli into original verse.

Wynyard

Descend beneath the city for Dark Spectrum: A New Journey as revellers are enveloped in a multi-sensory adventure of coloured light, sound and connection within the Wynyard Tunnels.  

An epic dance soundtrack, 300 kaleidoscopic lasers, 500 handmade lanterns and over 250 search lights draw you deeper as you move through this all-new kilometre long immersive experience made up of eight different chambers (please note: this is a ticketed event). Please note: this event features intense lighting effects and might not be suitable for those with sensory sensitivities.  

Once you’ve re-emerged from your underground adventure don’t forget to look up,. Global Rainbow’s fan of rainbow lasers beams out from Sydney Tower for up to 40kms. It’s visible from all vantage points along the Light Walk, a beacon of hope and symbol of our interconnectedness.

While in the area, on 14 June at 6.30pm, you can catch a night of fun and fabulous LGBTQI+ storytelling with the Auslan interpreted Queeries.

The Goods Line

Shining above all the fiery action at Vivid Fire Kitchen, you’ll spot the giant neon letters of Humanity/Humility as they light up the rear wall of the Powerhouse. Not only is it a striking display, but it also serves as a reminder of the importance of both.

As you weave through the Vivid Fire Kitchen’s food trucks, markets stalls and barbecue stands, the fire sculptures, flame throwers, fire pits and fire barrels of Fireplaces will wow you (while keeping you nice and toasty).

We do expect this to be a busy and high-sensory space of smells, light, music and flames.

You can explore the full range of parking and drop off spots on our planner map, which also highlights where you can find facilities, accessible viewing areas, ramps, and toilets. A downloadable map will be available closer to the festival. We’ve also created Audio Visual Descriptions for Light works.

For further information on accessibility options around public transport, accessible parking and more, visit our Access and Inclusion page. If you have any specific requirements or questions not covered there, please contact our team at vivid.access@dnsw.com.au or (02) 9931 1190. If you are deaf and/or find it hard hearing or speaking with people who use a phone, the National Relay Service (NRS) can help you.