Vivid wasn't great.

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I went to the Vivid Sydney winter lights festival the other night after I had finished up with a meeting in Sydney.

It was a bit shit, to be honest.

Granted, I went during high-peak hour - a Sunday evening during a long weekend. Couple that with the fact that Circular Quay really isn't a great place for big crowds despite the high-profile events that take place there and I was in for a Bad Time. The crowds were massive and crowd control marshals couldn't control the crowd, believe it or not. The vibe was just off.

It's supposed to be an event that would bring the tourists from all over the world, but afterwards I said to myself, "I would not recommend tourists come here. At all."

I thought maybe it was just the wrong time, but I was told it's just as bad on a weeknight.

I didn't go to the inaugural festival in 2009 but I did go in 2010. It was very much different. On Saturday evening, I could just stroll around the harbour and take some shots of the light display and just chill. Now - not so much. I guess that's what happens when you amp up your marketing and advertising with the intention of drawing in the crowds.

And to top it all off: the lights show wasn't that impressive at all. You're supposed to illuminate the entire Opera House. It's not supposed to be a projection screen for some crappy cartoons.

Vivid used to be great. I was just disappointed because the vibe/atmosphere from when I first went in 2010 is much different to the vibe/atmosphere of the festival now. Maybe it's just not my thing anymore.

Here are some photos I took when I wasn't elbowing my way through the crowd:




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