Visiting during Vivid LIVE

Transforming the World Heritage-listed building with live contemporary music and art, Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House 2025 as part of Vivid Sydney will feature international cult favourites, local trailblazers and influential culture-shapers in Australian exclusives, premieres, an epic orchestral collaboration, one-off projects, anniversaries, studio parties and the captivating Lighting of the Sails. 

Each night, the Opera House sails will be illuminated from 6pm until 11pm with artwork by David McDiarmid in Lighting of the Sails: Kiss of Light. 

The busiest nights of the festival are expected to be each Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Major city roads will be closed, and extensive parking restrictions will be in place. If you’re planning to travel to the Opera House, it’s strongly recommended that you use public transport whenever possible and allow plenty of extra travel time when arriving for a show, tour or dinner reservation. 

Ticketholders should follow entry and exit signage, security screening and bag check procedures. All attendees must hold a valid ticket, including children. Please be ready to show your ticket to help our staff get you to your event on time.

All visitors to the Opera House during Vivid Sydney are strongly encouraged to leave their car at home and use public transport whenever possible. Please plan ahead and allow plenty of extra travel time when arriving for a show or dinner reservation.

The Opera House and Circular Quay precincts are popular and attract large crowds during Vivid Sydney. During this time, there will be changes to transport timetables. For the most up-to-date transport information, please visit Transport NSW’s Vivid Sydney page.

There will be a number of road closures in the CBD during Vivid Sydney, with additional closures on Friday nights and weekends. For detailed information on road closures during Vivid Sydney, please refer to the road closure map and visit Live Traffic NSW.

The Opera House Wilson car park will be open every evening during Vivid Sydney, however the car park is expected to reach capacity early and egress will likely be delayed due to long queues. 

The Opera House belongs to everyone and our goal is to provide access to all. 

Accessible parking at the Opera House

The Opera House Wilson car park located at 2 Macquarie Street includes 11 accessible parking spaces on level 1, and 12 accessible parking spaces on level 6. Both levels have access to lifts. 

Opera House shuttle bus

There will be a complimentary shuttle bus service for elderly and less-mobile patrons. Seating is limited and available on a first come, first served basis. The bus runs between Circular Quay, with pick-up in front of the Justice & Police Museum on Phillip Street and drop-off at the Opera House site entry. This service will run before and after major performances during Vivid Sydney. During the day, an alternate buggy service is available from site entry at the bottom of Macquarie St. The buggy is wheelchair accessible.

Download shuttle bus route map during Vivid Sydney (PDF)

Please contact the Box Office on 02 9250 7777 to confirm operating hours for the shuttle bus and buggy services. 

Visitors are encouraged to capture their festival experience with hand-held photography equipment. Large and intrusive photography and filming equipment or permanent set-ups are not permitted on the Opera House precinct. 

Drones are strictly prohibited. In order to ensure safety and security, an authorised officer may remove any aircraft including unmanned aerial vehicles from the site at any time.

The Opera House has a range of onsite bars and restaurants that are perfect for a quick snack or sit-down meal. 

For more information on what’s on offer, visit Eat & Drink at Vivid LIVE.

The safety and security of our visitors, patrons and staff is our highest priority. The Opera House works closely with the NSW Police and other relevant authorities to ensure a safe and secure environment.

As a condition of entry into the venue, bag inspections and electronic screening will be carried out at security checkpoints upon entry to the site. We strongly encourage patrons to leave bags at home and to avoid bringing any large items to the Opera House. 

The security checkpoint will be located at the entrance to the building.