Sydney Opera House to stream Vivid LIVE performances on YouTube

Listen up kids, this is exciting. Sydney Opera House, in partnership with Google, are set to stream selected performances on YouTube during Vivid LIVE - the annual ten-day music event within Vivid Sydney (May 25 – June 11), the city’s annual festival of light, music and ideas.

So, if you aren't in Sydney, or if you are but don't have the dollar for tickets, then you'll still be able to see Bobbysix's old chums The Temper Trap showcase their new album in the Concert Hall, witness Imogen Heap perform an intimate recital with a spectacular Sydney harbour backdrop, experience Amon Tobin's Live Beyond 3D and watch the iconic sails of Sydney Opera House be transformed with digital mapping technology by multi-award winning German design collective URBANSCREEN. Which, we think you'll agree, beats watching this for the millionth time.

In snazzy, 21st Century news, the live stream series will premiere a custom camera application called FRONTROW, which will allow the audience to use pan and zoom features to change their view and take photos during the live stream, apply lens filters and immediately share with their friends through Twitter, Facebook and Google+. Not too shabby, hey?

“Sydney Opera House is committed to taking the content from its stages to people wherever they are," Victoria Doidge, Director of Marketing and Communications told us. "We are excited to partner with Google to create a truly innovative virtual experience of these concerts. We imagine that the ability for viewers to take pictures throughout the concert will really add to their sense of ‘being there’ as it happens.” 

2012 Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House 2012 program announced!

KAREN O IN ‘STOP THE VIRGENS’/ FLORENCE + THE MACHINE / THE TEMPER TRAP / BRYCE DESSNER, NICO MUHLY, SUFJAN STEVENS / JANELLE MONAE & THE ARCHANDROID ORCHESTRA / AMON TOBIN LIVE BEYOND 3D ‘ISAM’ / EFTERKLANG & SYDNEY SYMPHONY / PVT / SHUT UP AND PLAY THE HITS / MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND / SEEKAE / DANNY BROWN / MED/ ELLESQUIRE / HALFWAY CROOKS DJS / ZOLA JESUS/ LIGHT ASYLUM / FORCES/ MODULAR / FUTURE CLASSIC / GOODGOD DANCETERIA / URBANSCREEN

What a line-up! Sydney Opera House today announced a stunning program for Vivid LIVE 2012, including Karen O, Florence and The Temper Trap. Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House (May 25 – June 3) is part of Vivid Sydney (May 25 – June 11), the city’s annual festival of light, music and ideas. Now in its fourth year, Vivid Sydney has become Australia’s major festival in winter and is one of five signature events on the NSW Events Calendar developed by Destination NSW on behalf of the NSW Government.

From May 25 – June 3, Vivid LIVE will take over the Sydney Opera House with an extraordinary series of performances including exclusive concerts, unique collaborations and one-off projects. With over 22 events including 11 Australian premieres, 2 world premieres and many artists exclusive to Sydney, Vivid LIVE 2012 reinforces Sydney Opera House as the ultimate winter destination for music fans across Australia. As the centrepiece to Vivid Sydney, each year a Vivid LIVE artist is invited to transform the sails of Sydney Opera House with digital mapping technology. In 2012, Vivid LIVE has commissioned multi-award winning German design collective, URBANSCREEN to create a new artwork that will explore both the iconic sculptural form of Sydney Opera House, as well as its place as a home for music, dance and drama.

There is so much good shit going down at the festival that we can't possibly tell you about it all here, so visit the Vivid website for full deets. Tickets go on sale to the General Public Thursday 22 March, 9am (Insiders: 19 March, Vivid LIVE subscribers: 20 March) 

Vivid Sydney 2011 announces awesome line-up!

Curated this year by legendary Modular founder Stephen Pavlovic, Vivid Sydney has announced its best line-up yet! From May 27th to June 5th the iconic Sydney Opera House will play host to an eclectic and oustanding mix of local and international talent.

Top of the attractions is a live performance of 1997 album, Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space, by Spiritualized (below). Never a band to do things by halves, they will be getting a helping hand from a gospel choir and orchestra. It is set to be abso-bloody-lutely mind-blowing.

Elsewhere, Vivid 2011 sees the long-awaited debut Australian appearance from Bat for Lashes (pictured, above). Other highlights will include Yo Gabba Gabba! bringing their particular brand of kaleidoscopic madness to the Opera House and Chris Cunningham offering an intense music and video performance in the Opera Theatre.

Looking more locally, Tame Impala will be beating the festival around the ears with their epic psych-groove sound, while Cut Copy and Architecture in Helsinki also make very welcome appearances. As well as all this good shit, there is heaps of free stuff to get involved in. All the deets about the full line-up and tickets and stuff can be found here, and the facebook page is here. Oh, and a heads-up, tickets go on sale on Monday 4th April at 9am. So, you know the drill. You snooze, you lose.

Get involved. It's gonna be AMAZING.