Vivid LIVE is an annual contemporary music festival held by Sydney Opera House as part of Vivid Sydney. Taking place across all six venues at the Opera House, it features a bill of local and international artists, specially commissioned works and the hallmark Lighting of the Sails. It stands as the centrepiece of the Sydney Opera House's contemporary music program.
At the forefront of each lineup are influential artists performing their most impactful works. Over the years this has included The Cure’s Reflections (2011); Kraftwerk’s retrospective, The Catalogue 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 in 3D (2013); Brian Eno’s Pure Scenius (2009); Lou Reed & Laurie Anderson (2010) and the Pixies (2014).
Unique projects have ranged from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Karen O in Stop The Virgens (2012); Sufjan Stevens, Bryce Dessner & Nico Muhly in Planetarium (2012) to Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, Megafaun and Fight the Big Bull in Sounds of the South (2013).
Vivid LIVE has also seen Australian premieres and exclusive performances from the likes of Ms. Lauryn Hill (2014); Amon Tobin’s ISAM (2012); Chris Cunningham (2011); Bat For Lashes (2011); The Gurrumul Project (2013) and the late Bobby Womack (2013). Most notably, it has showcased a series of emerging artists who have since established themselves at the forefront of contemporary music—including Nils Frahm (2014), St Vincent (2014), Danny Brown (2013), Flume (2009) and Jon Hopkins (2009).
Vivid LIVE was the winner of the Helpmann Award for Best Contemporary Music Festival in 2015.
In 2018 Vivid LIVE celebrated its 10th anniversary.
History In its inaugural incarnation 26 May - 14 June 2009, Luminous, the festival was curated by Brian Eno whose aim was to produce a truly eclectic lineup: "people who work in the new territories, the places in between, the places out at the edges." Acts included New York city's experimental rock group Battles, trumpet player and composer Jon Hassell, and comedian/musician Reggie Watts.
In 2010, the late Lou Reed and his wife Laurie Anderson realised their artistic vision by performing works of their own, with Reed's Metal Machine Trio and Anderson's Transitory Life.
2011 saw the Sydney-based music promoter and founder of Modular Recordings Steve Pavlovic program the likes of The Cure, video artist Chris Cunningham and psychedelic rock project Tame Impala. The Studio venue was also transformed into a club space for the first time with parties curated by The Avalanches, Mad Racket featuring Gavin Russom’s The Crystal Ark and 2manydjs.
In 2012, Sydney Opera House took the programming of the festival into its own hands, reflecting the rising status of contemporary music at the performing arts centre. Fergus Lineham, the Head of Contemporary Music at the time, said the change was necessary to facilitate the ambitious nature of the festival: "there was such a time commitment and a geographical challenge that it meant we ended up with a lot of people who would have loved to do something but wouldn't do the whole thing." The lineup included Sufjan Stevens, Florence + the Machine and the Ceremonial Orchestra, and the Australian premiere of Shut Up and Play the Hits—a documentary recounting the lead up to LCD Soundsystem's final performance. Karen O also appeared in the Australian debut of her "psycho-opera" Stop the Virgens.
In 2015, Ben Marshall, Head of Contemporary Music at Sydney Opera House, presented his first Vivid LIVE line up — one that he described as "a celebration of unique individuals' voices". In a first for contemporary music at the Opera House, Sydney label Future Classic presented concerts on the Northern Broadwalk.
2020 saw no festival due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Artist lineups by year
2009 Curated by Brian Eno
Battles Ladytron Jon Hopkins Reggie Watts Jon Hassell Lee "Scratch" Perry Rachid Taha Damien Dempsey & the cosmic Laraaji The Necks & Back to Back Theatre
2010 Curated by Laurie Anderson and Lou Reed
Lou Reed's Metal Machine Trio Laurie Anderson's Transitory Life Rickie Lee Jones Young Jean Lee Bardo Pond Boris King Khan & BBQ Show My Brightest Diamond Chirgilchin
2011 Curated by Steve Pavlovic
The Cure Spiritualized Chris Cunningham Yo Gabba Gabba! Sonny Rollins Bat For Lashes Hypnotic Brass Ensemble Tame Impala Cut Copy The Avalanches (DJ Set) 2manydjs Tom Kuntz Architecture in Helsinki OFWGKTA Wu Lyf Azari & III The Crystal Ark Dom Sneaky Sundays Superbein Mad Racket Van She Flight Facilities Bag Raiders Canyons Andee Frost Horse Meat Disco Daniele Baldelli Club Kooky The Swiss Beni Softwar Bamboo Musik Changes
2012
Sufjan Stevens Nico Muhly Bryce Dessner Karen O and KK Barrett’s Stop the Virgens Florence + the Machine Janelle Monáe The Temper Trap Amon Tobin’s ISAM Seekae My Brightest Diamond Danny Brown MED Tom Vek Kindness Zola Jesus Efterklang with the Sydney Symphony Imogen Heap Asylum Jonathan Boulet PVT Australian premiere of LCD Soundsystem’s documentary Shut Up and Play the Hits
2013
Empire of the Sun Kraftwerk Sounds Of The South (featuring Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon) Bobby Womack Vangelis - music from Blade Runner Bish Bosch Ambisymphonic The Gurrumul Project Karl Hyde (Underworld) Sunnyboys Cloud Control Live Transmission – Joy Division Reworked C.W. Stoneking The Sunnyboy (Sunnyboys documentary) Matthew E. White
2014
Pixies The Music of Moroder - Heritage Orchestra Timeline – Australian Chamber Orchestra featuring The Presets Lauryn Hill St. Vincent James Vincent McMorrow Anna Calvi Midlake Nils Frahm Kate Miller-Heidke Since I Left You – A Celebration of The Avalanches with Jonti and The Astral Kids Penny Penny
2015
Morrissey Sufjan Stevens Daniel Johns TV On The Radio Bill Callahan Squarepusher The Drones The Preatures Repressed Records night featuring Royal Headache Melbourne Ska Orchestra Future Classic 10th anniversary party featuring Flume, Flight Facilities, Seekae, Hayden James, Wave Racer, Touch Sensitive, George Maple & Charles Murdoch Red Bull Studio Parties
2016
Anohni Bon Iver Deafheaven Dress Up Attack Esperanza Spalding Hiatus Kaiyote Max Richter's Sleep New Order + ACO Oneohtrix Point Never Polica Ta-ku Tiny Ruins Wayne Shorter Quartet Goodgod Super Club – Ben Fester, Kyle Hall, Magda Goodgod Super Club feat. Bradley Zero Goodgod Super Club feat. Oneman, Mike Who Goodgod Super Club – Asmara, Chanel
2017
Lighting the Sails: "Audio Creatures" by Ash Bolland, music by Amon Tobin Fleet Foxes Nick Murphy fka Chet Faker presents Missing Link Laura Marling AIR The Avalanches - Since I Left You Block Party with special guests DJ Shadow, Briggs, Sampa the Great, Jonti + DJ JNETT Richie Hawtin CLOSE Beth Orton Repressed Records 15th Anniversary Feat. Total Control, Severed Heads & More Lisa Hannigan Bill Callahan Sampha Nai Palm (Hiatus Kaiyote) The Necks Camp Cope The Preatures (Album Preview) The Nixon Tapes, scenes from Nixon in China by John Adams Mountain, an ACO collaboration Goodgod Super Club presents: DJ Harvey Goodgod Super Club presents: Karizma & Ben Fester Goodgod Super Club presents: Steffi & Magda Bytnerowicz Goodgod Super Club presents: Kenji Takimi with Noise in my Head & Nite Fleit Soft Future Piano Bar, presented by Goodgod Talk: Nick Murphy in conversation with Lauren Taylor Talk: Richie Hawtin in conversation with Ben Marshall, Vivid LIVE Festival Curator
2018
Solange Mazzy Star Ice Cube Cat Power Dreams H.E.R. Iron & Wine Neil Finn Total Control & Friends Middle Kids No Mono Joep Beving Fugazi's Instrument Xylouris White HTRK An Evening with Repressed Records Ambient 1: Music for Airports performed by Alaska Orchestra Club Kooky Kuren + Electric Fields Burial 12"s all night long Astral People Mad Racket Lighting of the Sails
2019
The Cure Maggie Rogers Underworld Briggs' Bad Apples House Party Herbie Hancock Sharon Van Etten Dirty Three Kelsey Lu Jónsi & Alex Club Kooky by the Harbour Mad Racket by the Harbour Johan Johansson Grouper Spunk Records 20th Anniversary featuring The Middle East and special guests Stella Donnelly Keaton Henson: Six Lethargies with the Opera Australia Orchestra Lonnie Holley The Spirit of Churaki The Dirty Three Documentary Screening Studio Parties: Park Hye Jin, A Guy Called Gerald, and more The Hidden Pulse, with M+ Lighting of the Sails: Andrew Thomas Huang
2022
Paul Kelly and his band – Time and Tide: Four Decades of Song with Thelma Plum Sampa the Great presents An Afro Future with Mwanjѐ & KYE, sounds by C.FRIM Nils Frahm: Music for Sydney Tkay Maidza with Maina Doe Astral People 10 + 1 Birthday with Yussef Dayes, Hiatus Kaiyote, Jay1, Youngn Lipz, Briggs, Mildlife, Barkaa, Arno Faraji, Jitwam Live, Dameeeela, Bumpy, Hoodzy and Munasib Masego Club Kooky by the Harbour Meg Mac Hermitude Teeks Boris 30th Anniversary Show performing Heavy Rocks (2002) with TOKIE BLESSED presents AUSSIE BLACKSTAR with appearances by Maina Doe, Baby Prince and more RVG HTRK Liars with The Double (Jim White & Emmett Kelly) Low Life Miiesha Skeleten – Utopian Sound Gordi In the Mood – A Love Letter to Wong Kar-wai & Hong Kong starring Rainbow Chan, Eugene Choi & Marcus Whale KUČKA Ed Kuepper with Jim White Tiny Ruins Tangents & GODTET Georgia Maq 1300 Liz Martin & Eliza Hull – Into the Space Between the Notes A. Girl The Buoys Future Classic Studio Party: Touch Sensitive , Tseba, Ayebatonye, Deepa Picnic Studio Party: Wax’o Paradiso, Kali, Adi Toohey, Evie + Hyfe, hosted by Millie Sykes Astral People Studio Party: John Talabot Mad Racket Studio Party: Ken Cloud, Simon Caldwell, Jimmi James and Zootie with Edseven & Tom Studdy and vocalist Natalie Slade
2023
José González – Veneer 20th Anniversary Yaeji Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert Devonté Hynes: Selected Classical Works with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra Max Richter: Ambient Orchestra with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra Ella Mai Thundercat Weyes Blood Hiatus Kaiyote and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra Kimbra Budjerah Ethel Cain Sleaford Mods Squarepusher Jaguar Jonze: The Art of Broken Pieces Alfa Mist with special guests Swooping and Ella Haber Posh Isolation Presents: Iceage , Low Life, DX Posh Isolation Presents: HTRK, Lust for Youth], Croatian Amor , YL Hooi Jen Cloher The Necks Martha Marlow: Queen Of The Night Becca Hatch Birdz & Fred Leone Present: Girra Ashli Maina Doe Pirra Pania Jacoténe Studio Party: Mad Racket – Plaid live A/V set plus Mad Racket DJs Ken Cloud, Simon Caldwell, Jimmi James and Zootie Studio Party: Picnic Party Studio Party: Future Classic featuring Nikki Nair, Martyn Bootyspoon and Shake Daddy Studio Party: House of Mince 12th Birthday
2024
Arca Air perform Moon Safari Underworld Fever Ray Devonté Hynes: Selected Classical Works with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra Snoh Aalegra Sky Ferreira Thelma Plum 3NDLES5 presents Yung Lean, jonatan leandoer96 x Frederik Valentin, Ecco2K, oqbqbo & Scandinavian Star Spunk Records 25 Finale featuring Explosions in the Sky, Aldous Harding & The Middle East Tinariwen BARKAA Jlin Kaiit South Summit Astral People present Spice Trail featuring Sid Sriram, Priya Ragu, Raf-Saperra with Munasib & Rakish Elefant Traks 25th Anniversary – The Finale featuring Hermitude, The Herd, OKENYO, Horrorshow, ANESU, The Last Kinection, Urthboy and more Jonti presents The Moonblades Tia Gostelow Vv Pete Bumpy xmunashe Maple Glider Tasman Keith, Flewnt & Inkabee Cult ShΦtta Zion Garcia
Studio Parties Mad Racket presents Fred P Astral People present Mala Barney Kato presents Alien featuring Radioactive Man, Mark N, au4r33y & Magda Bytnerowicz House of Mince presents Club Mince featuring Hyperaktivist and more House of Mince presents Pavolvabar featuring The Illustrious Blacks and more