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The official soundtrack of Sydney' s winter 2014 has been announced -- with some degree of fanfare -- to the glitterati of Sydney's arts and media scene, when they collectively descended on Sydney harbor Tuesday, for their first taste of the now celebrated Sydney Vivid Festival.
On cue, a ridiculously bright Sydney harbor morning sighed a winter breeze as Sydney Opera House CEO Louise Herron, and festival director Fergus Linehan unveiled the first international headline acts for the festival that has come to dominate Australia 's winter.
Herron said Vivid had become the 'soundtrack of Sydney' with every corner of Sydney now playing host to local and international musicians, artists and techno-creatives for 18 days in May, with the Sydney Opera House displaying the now instantly recognizable multi-million dollar laser kaleidoscope on its iconic sails throughout.
Cheers went up inside the Opera House as Linehan announced British pop-duo, the Pet Shop Boys will perform as part of Modulations, an extended 'three days of exclusive music performances, art, installations and contemporary ideas.'
Although only in its sixth year, the multi-layered Vivid festival has become as much a part of the fabric of Sydney as gourmet pub food or the harbor bridge.
A delighted state deputy Premier and Minister for Trade and Investment Andrew Stoner told a standing room only press gallery that Vivid encapsulated what was 'unique and special about the city, omitting that the internationally acclaimed series of events would inject millions of dollars into the state economy.
"Vivid Sydney brings together the best creative talent from around the world.... Vivid LIVE is bringing an exciting line up of musical and creative talent and the Lighting of the Sails will be unlike anything we've ever seen before." Stoner said.
Other key announcements included headline appearances from The Presets, 74-year old disco legend Giorgia Morodor and The Pixies performing at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall in their only Australian show.
Every year the massive production grows in ambition and scale, with four core umbrella festivals beneath the mother-ship 'Vivid' name, effectively allowing Sydney to crown itself as the creative hub of the Asia-Pacific.
Vivid Light -- large scale light installations and projections; Vivid Ideas -- creative discussion and debate; Vivid Music -- concerts and collaborations, now including Vivid LIVE at the Sydney Opera House.
From 23 May to 1 June, Sydney Opera House will open its doors to the 'most ambitious and innovative local and international artists' for Vivid LIVE -- a 10-day binge of music on the nation's most famous stages.
Under the auspices of the influential Destination NSW (DNSW) -- a quasi-corporate arm of the state government's tourism and major events portfolio, given extraordinary license to take Sydney and the state to a global market -- the intensifying event is now being billed as the world's largest festival of light, music and ideas.
A spokesman for DNSW told Xinhua that while an array of headline acts had already confirmed appearances but said the full 2014 Vivid LIVE program would not be announced until 24 March.
