Support for arts and culture

New music hub showcases Vivid’s best live acts

Machine Hall will host an impressive line-up of local and international artists

House of Silky

A former, century-old substation in the city centre has been given a new lease of life and during Vivid Sydney will be the festival’s home for music, culture and live performances.

Machine Hall will host 10 events from 5 to 15 June featuring emerging and established artists, covering everything from hyperpop, rock, dance and soul to fashion, voguing, First Nations artists, storytelling and queer acts. And the City of Sydney supports this exciting new music program.

The line-up of local and international artists at the Clarence Street venue includes US indie rockers Deerhoof, First Nations band No Fixed Address, singer-songwriter Jen Cloher and hyperpop artist Underscores.

There’s also dance parties with CLUB 4A and Trackwork, fabulous voguing with the renowned House of Silky’s Grand Silky Ball and queer cabaret performances by The Huxleys.

The City of Sydney supports Vivid's large-scale art installations and live performances
The City of Sydney supports Vivid's large-scale art installations and live performances

“I’m delighted that our partnership with Destination NSW will see the introduction of a new music venue this year – spaces like Machine Hall are integral to Sydney’s cultural and creative industry, and supporting this sector is a key priority for us,” Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore AO said.

“The City of Sydney has supported the festival for the last 14 years and this year we’re investing more than $400,000 in cash and in-kind support to help Destination NSW create the program.”

We’re also providing significant reduced fees for some of the festival’s large-scale light installations and live performances including Gumscape with road and creatures at Customs House, Dog Trumpet’s performance at Customs House Square and Dark Spectrum: A New Journey in the Wynyard tunnels.

Earlier this year, we helped Destination NSW with a call to local businesses to be part of the festival. Through the Vivid Sydney Local Business Program, businesses have been encouraged to leverage the opportunity of the millions of visitors through offers, promotions and experiences.

We’re further boosting our support for the festival by providing support through fee waivers for outdoor spaces, street closures, indoor venue hire, cleansing and waste services, and marketing support.

Vivid Sydney is on from Friday 24 May to Saturday 15 June.

Published 16 May 2024