Vivid Chef Series and Vivid Fire Kitchen make their delicious return with Vivid Food during Vivid Sydney 2025.
As Sydney continues its rise as one of the world’s most exciting dining capitals, Vivid Sydney 2025 will be stoking the flames of that ascent — literally and figuratively — with Vivid Food, the festival’s culinary arm that’s fast becoming as iconic as its light shows.
Vivid Food was first introduced in 2023 at the leading multi-disciplinary festival to celebrate Sydney as one of the world’s most vibrant dining capitals. Among the latest food events to champion Australia’s gastronomic credentials, last year’s edition saw visiting international chefs, one-of-a-kind menus, and multi-sensory dégustation experiences light up Sydney’s dining scene.
It will be the same, and more, this year. Running from 23 May to 14 June, Vivid Food aligns with the Vivid Sydney’s overarching festival theme, ‘Dream’, and looks to dream up some of the most unique and innovative menus — from exclusive fine dining experiences to casual fire-cooked meals that celebrating NSW food and produce — to land on our plates with the return of its two headline events, Vivid Fire Kitchen and the Vivid Chef Series.
Vivid Fire Kitchen: Setting the festival aflame with flavour
Taking over The Goods Line in Ultimo, Vivid Fire Kitchen transforms this urban laneway into an open-air theatre of smoke and fire every single night of Vivid Sydney. Serious gourmands and casual epicureans alike can expect live fire demonstrations, grill-to-plate experiences, and some of the world’s most exciting chefs going primal with flame and smoke.
Among the star-studded roster of chefs at Vivid Fire Kitchen? You’ll find the likes of US-based Australian live-fire chef and TV host Jess Pryles and acclaimed American chef and TV personality Nyesha Arrington drop in on the action, while local chefs include Oscar Solomon of The Apollo Group, Firedoor’s Lennox Hastie, award-winning Annita Potter of Viand, Paul Farag of two-hatted fine dining Middle Eastern restaurant AALIA, Sunday Kitchen’s Karima Hazim, vegan champion and pop-up chef Elijah Attard (pictured above), Morgan McGlone of Bar Copains and Bessie’s, and more.
A key highlight this year for Vivid Fire Kitchen will be ‘First Nation Nights’, which will offer a unique insight into the cultural significance of fire to the First Nations. On special nights, indigenous chefs will demonstrate traditional cooking techniques using fire while fostering an understanding of the deep symbolism between food, ceremony, and land management in First Nation culture.
Australia’s exceptional seafood gets a glow up with its own dedicated seafood barbecue stand, serving up fiery delights — from freshly seared prawns to smoky grilled fish — to shine the spotlight on the country’s coastal produce. Sydney’s cosmopolitan food scene will also on full display at Vivid Fire Kitchen, ranging from Filipino skewers and South American-style barbecue from its eccentrically delicious food truck lineup to Indian vegetarian fritters and dessert vendors peddling Spanish churros, Korean donuts, and more.
Wine lovers can also expect to soak in a selection of NSW wines at a dedicated wine bar, with masterclasses providing visitors valuable insight into the state’s wine producing regions.
Vivid Chef Series: bringing in the (culinary) stars
And for those clamouring for some white tablecloth dining? The Vivid Chef Series returns this year with once-in-a-lifetime collaborations between some of the world’s top chefs and Sydney’s brightest culinary stars.
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James Lowe (pictured above) of London’s Lyle’s (ranked #87 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants) joins Mat Lindsay at Ester for three nights running (27 to 29 May). Expect wood-fired brilliance with NSW’s best produce — think local fish and shellfish reimagined through a London lens (AUD250++ per person).
- Claude Bosi of Josephine Bouchon and the two-Michelin-starred Claude Bosi at Bibendum in London partners with Brent Savage at Eleven Bridge on 10 and 11 June 10–11. This intimate collaborative six-course menu promises French finesse layered over Australian terroir, and will feature Bosi’s signature camembert soufflé with winter black truffle, while Savage will deliver duck liver choux au craquelin and a wagyu consommé and soft poached quail egg tart (From AUD$185 lunch /AUD$285 dinner per person).
“Vivid Food is quickly becoming one of the most exciting parts of Vivid Sydney and this year’s program is shaping up to be our biggest and boldest yet,” said NSW Minister for Jobs and Tourism Steve Kamper.
“From top chefs cooking over open flames at Vivid Fire Kitchen to once-in-a-lifetime fine dining experiences with global culinary stars, there’s something for everyone to enjoy,” Kamper added.
“2025’s lineup reflects the dynamic and evolving global food scene, while showcasing the best of Sydney’s diverse culinary talent. With these events, we’re proud to offer so many experiences at different price points, making the festival accessible for everyone to enjoy,” declared Gill Minervini, Vivid Sydney Festival Director and Vivid Food curator
So whether you’re tucking into smoky skewers under fairy lights or sipping natural wine between tasting menus crafted by the best in the business, Vivid Food at Vivid Festival 2025 is a bold reminder that Sydney doesn’t just shine bright — it tastes incredible too.
Tickets for Vivid Food 2025 events and dining experiences are now available at www.vividsydney.com/food.
[Photos courtesy of Vivid Sydney]
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