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Vivid LIVE 2023 — Artist Picks

Australia's largest festival of light and music takes over Sydney from May 26 and homegrown artists are well represented. We caught up with Maina Doe, Jacotene, Becca Hatch, Birdz, and Ashli to get their picks from this years Vivid program.

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Australia’s largest festival of light, music, ideas and (this year) food — Vivid Sydney, will take over the city starting from May 26. In addition to the stunning light installations, 45 artists, including 19 international artists, 6 Australian exclusives, 3 orchestral collaborations, and 4 party collectives, the festival will also feature a stellar lineup of homegrown artists. We spoke with some of our local performers to get their top picks from this year’s Vivid program. The consensus: Thundercat is a must-see. Maina Doe recommends Alfa Mist and Dev Hynes, while Jacotene is excited to see Kimbra’s powerful performance. Becca Hatch is a huge fan of Yaeji’s playful and genre-bending music, while Birdz recommends catching Budjerah’s show for his unique sound and incredible performance. Check out the full picks below and visit vividsydney.com for more.

01. Maina Doe

Vivid Pick: Alfa Mist

“I’ve been listening to Alfa Mist for a long minute and they strike my imagination so much, I am so keen to see them live at Vivid 2023. Another huge act is Dev Hynes, who always hits me with his originality and can’t wait to see how his music is brought to life with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra”

02. JACOTÉNE

Vivid Pick: Thundercat

“Thundercat is a musical genius I have recently discovered. He returns to Australia for the first time in 5 years, and I CANNOT miss it!!!! His music is fun whilst containing an element of skill. I respect his work, and I’m so looking forward to possibly catching his live set, to watch him work his magic on the concert hall stage.”

Vivid Pick: KIMBRA

“Kimbra is a cool, unique and talented singer who I’m very keen to catch live. She’s an inspiration when it comes to her delivery of powerful performances which are also full of emotional depth.”

03. BECCA HATCH

Vivid Pick: Yaeji

“I’ve never seen Yaeji play before but I’ve been such a huge fan of her for a long time since ‘Raingurl’! I can imagine her show being super playful, fun and genre-bending!”

04. BIRDZ

Vivid Pick: Budjerah

“Love Budjerah and everything he’s released so far. He has such a dope sound, and he’s really carving his own lane as one of the better singers and performers in the country right now. I’ve caught a couple of his shows, and he just gets better every time. This is definitely one you don’t want to miss.”

Vivid: Thundercat

“The funk. The soul. The song ‘Them Changes’ alone should be enough to put Thundercat high on everyone’s list. ‘Drunk’ is an incredible album. I’ve never seen him live but I can only imagine it’d be an epic journey.” 

05. Ashli

Vivid Pick: Thundercat

“Undoubtedly one of my favourite artists of all time. An authentic and unforgettable musician. I really couldn’t pass on the opportunity to see him live!”

Vivid Pick: Hiatus Kaiyote

“I remember listening to ‘Fingerprints’ for the first time, it was like a door unlocked before me and in that room were a plethora of lyrics and melodies intricately strung together by the absolutely ingenious band that is Hiatus Kaiyote. I can’t imagine how breathtaking they will be alongside the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. A show not to be missed!”