VANDAL illuminates Sydney Opera House for Vivid Sydney 2025 with Lighting of the Sails: Kiss of Light by David McDiarmid

VANDAL illuminates Sydney Opera House for Vivid Sydney 2025 with Lighting of the Sails: Kiss of Light by David McDiarmid.

Sydney multi-disciplinary creative studio VANDAL has created and animated Lighting of the Sails: Kiss of Light, an electrifying tribute to the late Australian artist and activist David McDiarmid, that illuminates the iconic Sydney Opera House sails for Vivid Sydney 2025, which will run from May 23 to June 14, each night from 6pm.

Marking the 30th anniversary of McDiarmid’s passing, Lighting of the Sails: Kiss of Light by David McDiarmid transforms his radical, countercultural vision into a mesmerising animated projection, celebrating his unapologetic self-expression, activism, and artistic legacy. With pulsating energy and the spirit of the underground, the work will surge with lust, rage, and hope – three driving forces that define McDiarmid’s art and advocacy.

Working closely with the trustee of David McDiarmid’s estate and manager of his creative legacy, Dr Sally

Gray, Vivid Sydney Festival Director Gill Minervini and Sydney Opera House Senior Curator,

Contemporary Art Michael Do, VANDAL is playing a key role in concept development, creative direction, and production, breathing movement into McDiarmid’s renowned bodies of work, including Bedsheet Paintings, Disco Kwilts, Kiss of Light, and Rainbow Aphorisms. The result is a dance of texture, colour, and feeling – a luminous journey through McDiarmid’s punk, queer sensibility that reverberates with contemporary relevance.

“Bringing David McDiarmid’s work to life in motion is both a huge privilege and responsibility,” said Chris Scott, Creative Director at VANDAL. “His art is a defiant declaration of identity, love, and protest.

Animating David’s life’s work on the sails of the Opera House is about more than creating a spectacle – it’s about carrying his vision into the present and ensuring his voice remains as unfiltered and urgent as ever.”

Vivid Sydney Festival Director Gill Minervini said “Having worked with David McDiarmid and been witness to his bold and unapologetic artistry, this year’s Lighting of the Sails will be extra special. We can’t wait to showcase his beautiful work to the millions set to visit Vivid Sydney this winter.

Lighting of the Sails: Kiss of Light is co-commissioned by Destination NSW and Sydney Opera House for Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House. With VANDAL’s expertise in pushing creative boundaries, this year’s Lighting of the Sails promises to be a powerful and provocative homage to a visionary artist whose work continues to inspire.

About Vivid Sydney

Vivid Sydney, the Southern Hemisphere’s leading multi-artform festival, transforms Sydney into a vibrant hub of creativity, innovation and community connection. Over 23 nights, light installations, music, ideas and food inspire global audiences and drive cultural exchange. The 2025 theme, ‘Dream’, sparks imagination and engagement, attracting visitors and fuelling economic growth. Proudly owned by Destination NSW, Vivid Sydney showcases NSW’s cultural vibrancy and positions it as a global leader in artistic innovation.

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