Vivid Sydney: Visitors to popular harbour festival surprised to find it abruptly ends right on 11pm
Shocked visitors to Sydney’s popular Vivid festival discover it ends abruptly at 11pm, when all the lights and music stop
- Vivid Festival attendees in Sydney were shocked by the abrupt finale
- The lights around the harbor and Opera House suddenly went out at 11 p.m
- One said the abrupt end was like turning off their “social battery”
Patrons of a popular light festival have poked fun at the annual event after the spectacular dockside show came to an abrupt end.
A TikToker posted a video of the Vivid Lights Festival in Sydney Harbor on Sunday showing its dazzling visuals and crescendo of music ending abruptly at 11pm.
It comes after festival-goers were slapped with a hefty $40 entry fee for the festival’s new Lightscape attraction, sparking outrage Monday.
The video of the Sydney Opera House and the city’s environs lit up in blue, pink, purple, brown and yellow was uploaded with the caption, “She’s on strict curfew.”
It showcased the iconic landmark lit up with a moving image of native art accompanied by a crescendo of choral and orchestral music.
“We thought the music was building to a dramatic ending,” said the audio in the clip before the striking lights and music died suddenly, seemingly in the middle of the performance — leaving the harbor in instant darkness and silence.
The Vivid Festival lights illuminating Sydney’s Opera House (pictured) abruptly went out on the dot of 11pm, leading viewers to joke about Sydney’s ‘curfew’
The spectacular lights and crescendo of music at the iconic landmark died suddenly (pictured) at 11pm – leaving the harbor in darkness and silence
In the clip, a woman could be heard gasping and laughing at the sudden end of the dazzling celebrations.
Social media users who took to the post were also surprised at the unexpected finish, while others ridiculed themselves.
“I saw this show in 2019. I’m glad I saw him earlier in the evening. No idea it would do this,” said one commenter.
“It’s getting to 11am and apparently everything just turns off,” said another.
“I’m turning off the TV so my kids can go to sleep,” a third wrote.
“Me when my social battery is dead,” a fourth added.
“Your free trial has ended,” another joked.
The Vivid timetable says the city’s light projection show will run from 6pm to 11pm throughout the 23-day festival.
It comes after the new Lightscape event as part of the festival at the Royal Botanical Gardens drew criticism on Monday.
Critics unleashed event organizers for charging patrons to walk through the area that was once free.
Individual tickets for adults during peak hours (Wednesday to Sunday) are $40, while an entire family would have to pay $128 and children can enter for $28.
“The $40 ticket is definitely a stretch in my opinion,” someone said on social media.
The Vivid Festival offers more than 300 light, food and music activations and lasts 23 days (photo, a light installation)
Aussies are shocked by the price of tickets to an event at Sydney’s Vivid festival
The event known as Lightscape (pictured) is being offered to Sydneysiders as part of this year’s Vivid Festival at the Royal Botanic Gardens
“It’s not worth paying $40 to be herded like cattle down a crowded trail to look at LEDs that just crashed to the ground,” said another.
Lightscape is an international art installation and is offered in conjunction with the Vivid light festival that runs until June 17.
The Vivid Festival offers more than 300 light, food and music activations.
Some of the best and free viewing points include The Rocks, Sydney Opera House, Barangaroo, Darling Harbour, Luna Park and the Harbor Bridge.
Vivid Sydney was contacted by Daily Mail Australia for comment.