Vivid Festival Sydney

Source: 7 News Sydney 2016, Facebook page, 31 May 2016, accessed 2 June 2016, <https://www.facebook.com/7newssydney/?fref=nf>.

It's that time of the year again. Sydney's Vivid Festival, the world's largest festival of light, music and ideas, wows us and over 1 million of our fellow residents as well as more than 100,000 tourists visiting specifically for the event, with an spectacular show of colour and innovation.

Although I've taken part in the event for years now and often pondered those enormous energy bills, for the first time I've stopped to truly consider the environmental ramifications of such an immense use of electricity. It is the participation of strong sustainability body, Taronga Zoo in the annual light show for the first time that really got me to thinking. How can an organisation working to promote sustainability support such a blatant waste of energy. So I dug a little deeper.

Vivid Sydney (2015) address just how much consideration has been put into the environmental ramifications of the festival. In addition to most installations comprising energy efficient LED globes, Vivid is powered by 100 per cent GreenPower accredited renewable energy. This means that all the power used by installations is offset through an equivalent purchase of renewable energy, essentially an investment in the renewable energy industry. 

Whether Vivid Festival Sydney is entirely powered by renewable energy or not, the educational benefits arguably outweigh the direct environmental repercussions. Sustainable thinking is woven throughout the displays whether they feature innovative ideas for smart cities, low-energy installations or straight-forward sustainability education. Taronga Zoo's own installation promotes education and fundraising for endangered species. Certainly, the economic benefits of the tourism aspect trump the financial energy cost. As long as sustainability remains at the heart of this incredible festival, the long-term outcomes will include positive social, environmental and economic benefits for Sydney.

Source: Vivid Sydney 2015, Vivid Sydney 2015 Lights up with GreenPower, NSW Government, 20 May 2015, accessed 2 June 2016, <http://www.vividsydney.com/sites/default/files/20150520-MR-vivid-sydney-2015-lights-up-with-greenpower_0.pdf>.