Plan your visit to Vivid Sydney on public transport

Public transport is the way to go for visitors heading to Vivid Sydney as the city lights up for 23 consecutive nights from Friday 24 May to Saturday 15 June.

With countless installations along the 8km Light Walk, visitors are encouraged to plan their visit over multiple nights. Public transport gives you the freedom to get the most out of your Vivid Sydney visit, and the ability to start and end your experience at different points along the Vivid Light Walk.

Transport for NSW Coordinator-General Howard Collins said visitors should plan their trip on public transport ahead of time.

“This fantastic event attracts millions of people each year, so plan ahead, take your time, and consider visiting on a weeknight if you want to avoid the peak crowds,” Mr Collins said.

“The city is no place for cars during Vivid Sydney with road closures and parking restrictions in place each night.

“We are putting on more than 2,000 extra services through Vivid Sydney to help get you there and home again.”

This year, a one-of-a-kind Sydney Trains’ experience is coming to Vivid Sydney, as ‘Tekno Train by Paul Mac’ takes passengers on a multi-sensory journey through Sydney’s most iconic landmarks and unique rail lines.

Vivid Sydney will also take over the abandoned railway tunnels underneath Wynyard Station for ‘Dark Spectrum: A New Journey’ and the wildly popular Vivid Fire Kitchen will take up a new residence this year at The Goods Line, a disused railway line linking Central Station to Darling Harbour.

“We’re thrilled that Transport can help bring Vivid Sydney to life, transforming these spaces for this spectacular event,” Mr Collins said.

Due to road closures and large crowds transport services will operate differently on Friday nights and weekends during the event.

Trains will not drop off passengers at Circular Quay on Saturday nights and Sunday of the long weekend (9 June) from 6pm to 11pm. Visitors can use Wynyard, Martin Place or St James Stations instead on these nights.

Light rail services will not run between Town Hall and Circular Quay from 6pm on Fridays and from 5pm on weekends.

Buses that usually run to and from Circular Quay will relocate to Martin Place from 6pm on Fridays and 5pm on weekends. Buses that usually run to and from King Street Wharf will also relocate to Wynyard.

“Remember to factor in additional walking time as there will be changes to some public transport services due to road closures and for pedestrian safety,” Mr Collins said.

“Ferries are also a fantastic way to see the Vivid Sydney lights from the water, but they are very popular and will reach capacity early, particularly on weekends.

“Expect long queues, have a backup transport option in mind and allow plenty of extra travel time.”

During the Vivid Sydney drone shows on Saturday 8, Sunday 9, and Saturday 15 June ferries to and from Circular Quay will be affected between 9pm and 9.30pm.

Boaters wanting to see the lights from the water should prepare for increased vessel activity on the Harbour and look for the illuminated signs on the shoreline advising of restricted areas.

Before heading out, make sure all your navigation lights are operational and check our boating map for information about restricted areas.

For the first weekend of Vivid Sydney, motorists are advised to plan ahead and expect delays, with changed traffic conditions on the Warringah Freeway from 10pm Friday 24 May – 4:30am Monday 27 May.

Find more information about Warringah Freeway Upgrade works here, and for more on road closures and changed traffic conditions, visit livetraffic.com.  

Trackwork is taking place during Vivid Sydney and may affect how you travel to and from the event, plan ahead using the Trip Planner.

For more information on public transport for Vivid Sydney, including extra services and trip planning, visit the event page on transportnsw.info/vivid-sydney.