Visiting all the amazing installations at Vivid Sydney is thirsty work, fortunately cocktail bars are creating lots of delicious drinks along the route to celebrate the festival.

Vivid Sydney 2022 will transform the Harbour City into an illuminating fusion of creativity, innovation and technology from Friday 27 May to Saturday 18 June, with more than 200 events.

This year, the festival boasts the longest continuous Light Walk in the history of the event, stretching 8km from the Sydney Opera House to Central Station.

Vivid Sydney 2022 will warm the creative soul of the Sydney CBD, Circular Quay, The Rocks, Walsh Bay, Barangaroo, Darling Harbour, Darling Square, Darling Quarter, The Goods Line, Central Station, Luna Park and Taronga Zoo. As well as iconic city structures such as the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Customs House, a new light canvas for 2022, the ASN Clocktower in The Rocks and Central Station.

Bombay Sapphire launches pop-up venue

Bombay Sapphire has announced the brand’s official partnership with the inspiring festival of Light, Music and Ideas, Vivid Sydney for 2022.

As a major partner, Bombay Sapphire is launching a pop-up bar, the House of Bombay, in Tumblong Park, Darling Quarter.

Vivid Sydney will transform the Harbour City for 23 nights, from Friday 27 May to Saturday 18 June, with more than 200 events celebrating the essence of Sydney’s soul including its diversity, beauty, resilience, First Nations culture, and vibrant creative community.

Renowned Sydney artist Elliott Routledge, who created the Temple of Joy installation as part of Vivid Light program, also collaborated with Bombay Sapphire in creating the House of Bombay bar. Elliott, along with music producer, Nicky Night Time have curated a multi-sensory experience which will be housed within the bar, allowing visitors time to explore on the way to their next cocktail. The exciting mix of colours, lights and sounds showcased within their work draw inspiration from the flavours and tastes behind the creative Bombay Sapphire range.

House of Bombay visitors will be encouraged to kick back and take in the mesmerising projections and entertainment, all while enjoying an impressive cocktail menu including the Vivid Spritz, Sunset Spiced Negroni and Hot Gin Toddy.

Darling Quarter is a new location for Vivid Sydney and will host some of its main attractions, including Vivid House, a sensory 3D walk-through visual and sonic experience and Tumbalong Nights – a free line up of music performances every Wednesday to Saturday night during the festival.

Minister for Tourism Stuart Ayres said: “Vivid Sydney is an open invitation for Sydneysiders and visitors from Australia and the world, to come and experience Sydney at its creative best.

“This pop up space will provide a panoramic view of all the incredible light and art displays, where visitors can sit back, enjoy a drink and take in all that Vivid Sydney has to offer.”

Marketing Manager for Bombay Sapphire, Ramona Spiteri, said: “As the grandest experiential event Bombay Sapphire has done, we’re so excited to be partnering with Vivid Sydney. Bombay Sapphire and Vivid Sydney’s official partnership for 2022 is the perfect collaboration given the brand’s innovative approach to inspire self-expression. We can’t wait to welcome the public to the House of Bombay bar, as it will offer visitors on the Vivid Sydney light trail an opportunity to stir their creativity with an array of Bombay Sapphire premium gin cocktails – ideal for any taste palette.”

The House of Bombay bar will be open from 5pm-11pm for the duration of Vivid Sydney 2022.

Crown Sydney’s Vivid spectacle

This year Crown Sydney will also be an integral part of Vivid Sydney’s light displays with the Our Connected City visual spectacle, featuring the highest and largest searchlight cluster, with thirty-six beams shining from the rooftop, 270 metres above ground. Our Connected City will ignite CBD buildings in a ribbon of light from the Sydney Opera House to the northern end of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Several of its bars have also created signature Vivid cocktails to celebrate the installation.

At Hickory Bar gin lovers can try Purple Rain, a blueberry-infused gin cocktail, while more adventurous drinkers can choose Light House, a refreshing combination of house limoncello and prosecco.

Teahouse is offering five specialty cocktails featuring an array of adventurous spirits including Lavender Gin, Hibiscus
Vodka, and Tequila. Paying homage to the sensory experience of Vivid, the Teahouse Vivid cocktails feature exciting
flavours such as butterfly pea syrup, blue curacao, and elderflower syrup, further elevated by the stunning displays
of blue glitters, gold flakes and smoke bubbles.

American Express returns as major Vivid partner

The American Express Light Lounge returns to the Cruise Bar Rooftop on Level 3 at the Overseas Passenger Terminal in Circular Quay and is the perfect way for Card Members to start the night, end the night, or just stop by for a breather between enjoying the Light Walk installations and inspiring events of Vivid Sydney.

The Light Lounge is open to Card Members from 27 May to 18 June, 5:30pm – 10:30pm. 

Hotels share the magic

The Harbour View Hotel is excited to be taking part in the festival of lights and visual art, by offering delicious takeaway meals with drinks so there’s no need to worry about dinner before exploring the exhibitions around The Rocks.

The Harbour View Hotel will be launching a special pop-up glow bar, serving glow in the dark cocktails outside their historic venue in The Rocks. This limited edition glow bar will be available throughout Vivid (from 27th May until 18th June), making it easy to sip on cocktails while you take in the stunning light installations of Vivid. 

Zephyr Bar on the twelfth floor of the Hyatt Regency Sydney will be introducing two limited-edition Glow Cocktails – Glow Your Mind and Just Glow With It – inspired by Vivid. Zephyr offers a vantage point over Darling Harbour from which to take in the light show. Available exclusively at Zephyr throughout Vivid, from Friday 27 May to Saturday 18 June. 

Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park will also prepare vibrant cocktails, immersive art and festive room packages to celebrate the iconic festival of light, music and ideas.

The immersive and VIVID-themed experiences include:

• Vivid Fluro Glowing Cocktails and gin tasting sessions at Conservatory Bar
• Late Night Vivid-lights High Tea lounge at The Gallery
• Vivid sounds and a live pianist Thursday – Sunday
• Giant immersive pop-up art exhibition by Goldberg Aberline Studio.

The limited-edition Vivid Fluro Glowing Cocktails have been created in partnership with top Sydney Mixologist and founder of Gin Lane, Grant Collins. Mixed to match the lights dazzling Sydney’s CBD, these cocktails begin to glow under UV light, specially fitted at Conservatory Bar for the festival. 

These limited edition cocktails are available throughout the entire month of Vivid and include the Ocean G&T, Dancing Queen and Rabbit Hole. Prices start from $22

Margarita Kombi comes to Vivid

Cointreau’s new dedicated Cointreau Margarita Kombi is coming to Vivid Sydney, parking up outside Terrace on the Domain from May 27 to June 18 from 4pm-8pm.

People are invited to come and enjoy Margaritas on the lawn outside the Terrace on the Domain while looking at all the Vivid lights on the city skyline. The ultimate pop-up bar on wheels, is in the form of a retro VW Kombi and will be offering delicious Margaritas.

The Cointreau Margarita Kombi will be serving three different Margaritas, the Original Margarita, the Vivid Bright Margarita and the Spicy Margarita. Each margarita will be sold for $18.

Pictured main: Opera Bar is the perfect place to view the specular light installations of the Sydney Opera House, Circular Quay and beyond.

Venues to keep lights on longer during Vivid Sydney