Vivid's huge program of live music never disappoints—and the 20204 festival is no exception. Get groovy and let your own light shine, with live music hubs popping up at the Opera House, Tumbalong Park, and Carriageworks as part of this year’s festival.
And don’t think it will cost you to appreciate the best music of the festival—alongside this year's major headliners, you can enjoy free performances at Tumbalong Nights, right in the middle of the action of the Vivid Light Walk. Vivid LIVE is also presenting a world-class lineup of acts on Sydney Opera House stages with tickets under $50. Keep reading for the Vivid LIVE music acts that will light up a room and have you dancing for days.
Tekno Train By Paul Mac
Central Station Grand Concourse, Railway Collonade
Image credit: Tekno Train | Destination NSW
Brand new to the Vivid program this year, Tekno Train by legendary Aussie producer Paul Mac is all the best parts of Vivid, rolled into one 60-minute train ride.
A bit like the viral videos of local DJ Mistah Cee playing on Sydney trains headed to Fred Again concerts, Tekno Train will involve a thumping original techno soundtrack created by Paul Mac. On the ride, you'll also be drenched in immersive custom lighting that pulses along with the music. Hidden lights and speakers will make each carriage its own mini, moving nightclub as you zip through tunnels and out into the lights of Vivid. There's a hard and heavy version called the "Tech Express" and a softer, kid-friendly train called the "Scenic Route".
The Details
When: Nightly from Friday 24 May-Saturday 15 June
Where: Departing from Central Station’s Eddy Avenue Entrace
Tickets: Here
Kaiit
Drama Theatre at Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point
Image credit: Kaiit | Instagram
After the overwhelming response to her 2023 appearance at Vivid’s Tumbalong Nights, Kaiit is back and she’s bringing her neo-soul excellence to a Sydney Opera House stage.
Skyrocketing to stardom after Jill Scott claimed Kaiit as her musical love child with Erykah Badu, she hits all the right R&B notes and should be classed among the greats in the genre, having opened for SZA and Chaka Khan, and taking home an ARIA for Best Soul/R&B Release. Expect something fresh from Kaiit this year, as her appearance at the Drama Theatre will be a theatrical extravaganza in which she introduces her alter-ego, Lil Mama.
THE DETAILS
When: Friday 24 May, 7.30pm
Where: The Drama Theatre at Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point
Tickets: Here
Tia Gostelow
The Utzon Room at Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point
Image credit: Tia Gostelow | Instagram
This gig marks Tia Gostelow’s debut Vivid LIVE appearance, and we’re ready to welcome the folk and synth-pop queen with open arms. Her debut album went gold, and her 2018 song Strangers, was a platinum-selling hit, she has a Queensland Music Award for Album of the Year and a fan base lapping up streams in the millions.
Don’t sleep on the chance to catch her dreamy vocals and catchy 80s synth sound. This will be a night to get lost in your feelings, without losing an arm and a leg to pay for it, with Vivid LIVE tickets for under $50.
THE DETAILS
When: Friday 24 May, 7pm
Where: Utzon Room at Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point
Tickets: Here
House of Mince Presents Club Mince & Pavlovbar
Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point
Queer collective House of Mince take its cues from international club icons (think Berghain) and has transplanted the energy of the global rave scene into parties around diverse Sydney spaces.
Tickets to this one will feel like a passport to party as over two nights, The Studio will be transformed into an all-inclusive rager featuring some of the hottest global DJs. The Friday will see Venezuelan-born artist Hyperaktivist headline, spinning the best of her euphoric tribal beats. Sunday features The Illustrious Blacks, the New York duo bringing electro, disco, and Afro-futurism into our orbit.
THE DETAILS
When: Friday 24 and Sunday 26 May
Where: The Studio at Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point
Tickets: Here
Jonti Presents The Moonblades
Drama Theatre at Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point
Image credit: Jonti | Instagram
Jonti makes his highly anticipated return to the Vivid festival after the sold-out success of his 2023 Sydney Opera House appearance. Psychedelic pop soundscapes and an experimental, improvisational bent are the hallmarks of a Jonti track, seeing him collaborate with Mark Ronson, The Avalanches, BadBadNotGood, opening for Gotye and drawing colossal crowds and a passionate fanbase.
Get the first taste of his hotly anticipated new work, as his turn at the Drama Theatre will be the world premiere of the cinematic musical journey The Moonblades, an immersive live imagining of his upcoming album of the same name.
THE DETAILS
When: Sunday 26 May, 7.30pm
Where: The Drama Theatre at Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point
Tickets: Here
BARKAA
Sydney Opera House Drama Theatre, Bennelong Point
Image credit: BARKAA | Instagram
Malyangapa Barkinji rapper BARKAA is a powerhouse of the Australian hip-hop scene. Her debut single For My Tittas and EP BLAK MATRIARCHY earned her ARIA nominations, a National Indigenous Music Award, and three consecutive FBi SMAC Awards.
Making her Vivid LIVE solo debut this year, her potent tracks pack such a lyrical punch that it’s no wonder she’s considered the new matriarch of Australian rap. Watch her absolutely tear the system a new one, truth-telling and advocating for First Nations issues in songs so infectious it’s impossible to tune out their message.
THE DETAILS
When: Friday 31 May
Where: Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point
Tickets: Here
Bumpy
Sydney Opera House Utzon Room, Bennelong Point
Image credit: Bumpy | Instagram
A proud Noongar woman, Bumpy makes her headline solo debut at the Sydney Opera House Utzon Room. Her name comes from a childhood nickname she picked up through her habit of bumping into things. But she’s made the bumps, bruises, and scars into her greatest strength, writing her R&B and neo-soul songs using obstacles that have knocked her down as the inspiration for her emotionally loaded lyrics.
The winner of last year’s New Talent of the Year Award at the National Indigenous Music Awards, at this year’s festival Bumpy steps onto an iconic stage worthy of her immense talent.
THE DETAILS
When: Friday 31 May, 7pm
Where: Utzon Room, Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point
Tickets: Here
Vv Pete
Sydney Opera House Drama Theatre, Bennelong Point
Image credit: Vv Pete | Supplied
The Mount Druitt-based Sudanese rapper and singer Vv Pete blends irrepressible rap hooks, heavy club beats, and global dance samples into a fresh and unexpected Aussie rap offering. After taking out FBi Radio’s SMAC award for Next Big Thing in 2022, her debut single ‘Bussit’ earned a spin on New York’s legendary hip-hop station, Hot 97.
She’s since worked with some of the biggest names in rap, from Denzel Curry to Ice Spice, bringing a totally unique blend of beats to the global scene, and proving that the Queen of Sydney’s fabulousness translates in any global city.
THE DETAILS
When: 31 May
Where: Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point
Tickets: Here
Electric Fields
Carriageworks, Eveleigh
Image credit: Electric Fields | Supplied
Though they didn’t take home the glass microphone, we couldn’t have been prouder of Zachariah Fielding and Michael Ross for representing us at Eurovision this year. Fusing electronic elements with traditional Aboriginal culture, their catchy dance anthem One Milkali was sung in Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara, and English, accompanied by traditional Aboriginal instruments and a moving message about connectedness that was pure joy to see on the world stage.
Catch their ethereal dance-pop sound that has turned heads at the World Pride Festival, the National Dreamtime Awards, and the National Indigenous Music Awards in this year’s entertainment precinct at Carriageworks.
THE DETAILS
When: Saturday 1 June
Where: Carriageworks, Eveleigh
Tickets: Here
Yasiin Bey Performs MF DOOM
Carriageworks, Eveleigh
Carriageworks presents an unmissable collision of two of the greatest names in the legacy of rap and hip hop. Musician, actor, and activist Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def) will unpack his back catalogue and influences over two nights.
We’re hanging out for his tribute to MF DOOM - paying homage to his favourite tracks from the enigmatic masked MC, Yasiin Bey will perform the heavily lyrical hits that shaped hip hop in the 90s. For hip-hop fans, this is a once-in-a-blue-moon opportunity to see the work of two of the all-time greatest juggernauts of the genre.
THE DETAILS
When: Wednesday 12 June
Where: Carriageworks, Eveleigh
Tickets: Here
Budjerah + Jem Cassar-Daley
Tumbalong Park, Sydney
In the heart of Vivid’s light walk, Budjerah and Jem Cassar-Daley will light up the stage one final time to close Tumbalong Nights. National Indigenous Music Awards Artist of the Year in 2023, Budjerah brings his catchy pop hits to the festival’s biggest party in the park.
He’s joined by Jem Cassar-Daley, whose indie-pop sound and crystal-clear vocals will be Vivid’s brightest light. The free event runs from 6pm to 10pm, with an early set from The Quokkas for the kiddies - although, if you’re anything like us, you’ll be adding their kid-friendly hits to your own regular rotation.
THE DETAILS
When: Friday 15 June
Where: Tumbalong Park, Sydney
Tickets: Free - more info
Header image credit: Vv Pete | Instagram
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