August 6 was supposed to be the opening night of a triumphant return for the nation’s largest festival of lights, entertainment and ideas, after being cancelled in 2020. Instead, it’s the date that the state government decided to call Vivid Sydney off for the second year in a row.
The festival had already been pushed back from its original August 6 start date in July, rescheduled to kickoff instead in late September. However, as the state’s outbreak of Delta continues to rage, with numbers of daily infections still climbing, organisers have released a statement saying that the decision had been made to cancel the event to minimise the impact on event attendees, organisers and sponsors.
However, Vivid's creative team said that planning was already underway for 2022’s festival, which will take place between May 27 - June 18. Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said Vivid Sydney would be a shining light for the community to look forward to next year. “As we work together to contain the current outbreak and get our community vaccinated, we can all look forward to the return of major events like Vivid Sydney that bring us together in celebration,” Ayres said.
This is the latest in a string of cancellations in Sydney’s cultural calendar, including Sydney Film Festival and Sydney Fringe Festival.