Music talent transforms city venues for Vivid Sydney

From a barbershop and a church to a brewery and cosy restaurants, venues across inner Sydney will feature a host of established and up-and-coming artists for Vivid Sydney 2019.

Much loved music hotspots like The Lansdowne and Freda's in Chippendale and The Vanguard in Newtown will also take part in this curated Vivid Music program that will bring more than 170 performances by 73 artists to 24 venues over 23 days.

The Vivid X|Celerate program of events for this year's festival is designed to boost the growth of Sydney's live music scene with support from the City of Sydney.

Renowned artists like Katie Noonan, The Catholics and Renee Geyer are programmed alongside local, emerging acts like Kim Churchill and I Know Leopard, ensuring the program has broad appeal and is giving artists the opportunity to perform to new audiences.

As part of Vivid X|Celerate, the City and the NSW Government are providing cash and in-kind support to each venue to enable them to curate, promote and market their own live music programs.

"This partnership with the NSW Government is about ensuring local venues are part of Vivid Sydney and benefitting from the tens of thousands of visitors it brings to our city," Lord Mayor Clover Moore said.

"This is the third year we have collaborated on Vivid X|Celerate, which shines a light on our local music industry which is enlivening the city all year round, and sees cultural activity taking place in unusual locations.

"It is also the eleventh year we have joined with Vivid Sydney, as the Southern Hemisphere's largest festival of light, music and ideas, to profile our city and its culture, creativity, and public spaces."

The City spends more than $37 million each year supporting culture development in Sydney, including world-class events like Vivid Sydney, grants and sponsorships, public art programs and community facilities.

Vivid Music curator Stephen Ferris said the festival was significant for the Harbour City in profiling Sydney as the hub of creative industries of Asia and the Pacific.

"Vivid Music is a diverse and dynamic program that complements the creativity and innovation showcased across Vivid Light and Vivid Ideas," Mr Ferris said.

"It's exciting to bring together some of the leading artists from around the world, the country and the state to shine bright on this international platform - Vivid Sydney - which is the largest festival of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere."

Other major attractions in the city area during Vivid Sydney include:

Customs House
Under the Harbour

Circular Quay
Infinity Room, Celestial Pancake, What is a City but the People, City Sparkle, Bubble Magician, Regal Peacock, Let It Snow, Beat-loon, Triangulum, Habit-at, Timber Aurora, The Harp of the City, Goo! and Ocean Sentinels.

Sydney Town Hall
Heaps Gay Qween's Ball, Game Changer Series: Spike Lee

For more information on the Vivid X|Celerate program visit whatson.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au or vividsydney.com/program/xcelerate

For media inquiries contact City of Sydney Senior Media Advisor Elaine Kelly on 0477 362 550 or ekelly@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

For interviews with Lord Mayor Clover Moore contact Julia Lenton 0410 748 039 or jlenton@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

About Vivid Sydney

Vivid Sydney is the largest festival of light, music and ideas in the Southern Hemisphere.

Celebrating its eleventh anniversary in 2019, Vivid Sydney is continually setting the benchmark for world class events, creativity and innovation. It will transform the Harbour City into a colourful creative canvas from the 24 May to 15 June, 2019.

The Festival features spectacular large-scale light installations and projections; contemporary and cutting-edge music performances and collaborations; public talks by renowned thought leaders, industry seminars, conferences and creativity workshops, all celebrating Sydney's place as the creative industries hub of the Asia-Pacific.

Vivid Sydney is owned, managed and produced by Destination NSW, the NSW Government's tourism and major events agency, and in 2018 attracted 2.25 million attendees.

For more information visit vividsydney.com