8.30pm
Thursday 25 January 2024
45 mins (no interval)
At Sydney Festival, this year’s Vigil is about hope, empowering young voices and giving them a platform to share their messages to the people of Australia.
A large-scale installation at Barangaroo Reserve will come to life with a choir of First Nations young people, as they sing of their dreams, realities and hopes for the future.
In a unique festival collaboration, the Marliya Choir has joined the annual Vigil event held on the Stargazer Lawn. For this year’s ceremony, the group of young Indigenous singers from Cairns will sing existing songs from their Spinifex Gum works, performed in traditional language that recognise land, water and communities alongside a brand-new commission for Vigil: The Future feat. Marliya Choir. Working closely with the festival, choir members have been asked to reflect on how they see the future Australia they want to live in, with their answers shared in song.
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Due to unforeseen logistical challenges, the drone element of this year's Vigil event, will no longer proceed. However, the Stargazer Lawn at Barangaroo will still resonate with the powerful voices of the Marliya Choir, offering an inspiring rendition of dreams, realities, and hopes for the future, ensuring a unique and uplifting experience for the audience.
Livestream
This event will also be available to watch via livestream as part of Sydney Festival's AT HOME digital program.
Vigil asks people to come together to witness and participate in ceremony. The 2024 event will run for approximately 45 minutes and, unlike earlier years, will not have infrastructure or services at Barangaroo Reserve for anyone wanting to stay after its conclusion.
We recommend arriving between 7.30 – 8pm. The Vigil Ceremony commences at 8:30pm (dusk) on 25 January and the official proceedings will finish at 9.00pm.
No. This year Vigil is free and unticketed.
Yes, there are toilets located at the Towns Place entrance of Barangaroo Reserve, as well as in The Cutaway.
Yes, there will be a coffee and ice cream vendor on-site. There are also several restaurants and shops near Towns Place/Walsh Bay or at Barangaroo South.
Yes, Barangaroo strives to be accessible to all visitors of all ages, including those with additional mobility requirements. Please see the Accessibility section for detailed information on getting to Barangaroo Reserve. There will be an accessible seating area for patrons with wheelchairs to view the ceremony.
No: shade tents, tents, and overhead structures are not permitted. There is no fixed seating, but you are welcome to bring blankets or pillows to sit on the grass.
The event will be live-streamed and also on-demand after the Ceremony.
Yes, photography is allowed.
All ages are welcome.
In case of an emergency, please see a member of security, or a staff member from Sydney Festival or Barangaroo.
Yes, free drinking water will be available for you to refill portable water bottles.
Wilson Parking operates a public car park with 300 spaces beneath Barangaroo Reserve. The car park operates between 6am–midnight, seven days a week. Enter the carpark at Towns Place and take the lift to Level G to The Cutaway and walk around to the Barangaroo Headland, where The Vigil takes place. There is also street parking and another Wilson Parking station on Hickson Road, called “Barangaroo Point Parking”.
There is no swimming at the event site or at Barangaroo Headland. There is a designated beach area for harbour swimming at the Towns Place entrance of the Barangaroo Reserve site, near the public toilets.
The best way to plan your travel is via the NSW Transport website. The closest train station is Wynyard and ferry is Barangaroo Wharf.
Please bring warm clothing or a blanket with you to Barangaroo Reserve, as it may get cold after dusk. Bring water and your own water bottle, which can be filled on site. Please note that dogs are not permitted at the event, except for assistance animals.
As this is an outdoor event, it is subject to weather conditions. Please check the website and Sydney Festival socials for updates.
Please see any volunteer, front of house or volunteer staff, who will communicate to other staff on the day. All lost property will be recorded and logged by Sydney Festival and the Venue. Please contact Sydney Festival on the Friday following the event.
There is no pick-up or drop-off zone at Barangaroo. The best location is near the Towns Place entrance of Barangaroo Reserve, which is a short walk to the event area.
Vigil: The Future will be an immersive audio and performance experience, looking out to the water. The seating will be around the Star Gazers Lawn.
Seating is unreserved, so come early to get a good spot (we will fill audience from the front to back). You can bring your own picnic blankets, rugs, cushions or pillows to sit on the grass but nothing too big, as people will likely be sitting behind, in front and beside you and need to see the ceremony too. Thank you for your understanding.
In the interest of public safety, these items are not permitted at the event and will need to be surrendered on entry to the Reserve.
• Candles, fireworks or sparklers
• Tarps, tents or shade structures
• Chairs (folding or camping chairs)
• Barbecues or cooking equipment
• Tables
• Offensive weapons including large knives and laser pointers
• Illicit substances
• Glass
• Eskies and bags of abnormally large dimensions will not be permitted entry
• Frisbees, bicycles, skateboards, skates, scooters, laser pens/pointers
You can bring your own food and drink to this event. There will also be a coffee and ice cream vendor on-site at Barangaroo Reserve. For something more substantial, book a table with our Festival Feasts partner Henry Deane within Hotel Palisade, and enjoy a $55 banquet only a short walk away. Or visit the bars and restaurants at Crown Sydney and The Streets of Barangaroo.
If you have additional questions, please email us at mail@sydneyfestival.org.au