Eager festival-goers are outraged by the “ridiculous” prices of food and drink, and say the once free event would now cost families hundreds of dollars.
The annual outdoor lighting festival returned to Sydney on May 24, but many were left in disbelief at the exorbitant prices at food stalls.
Social media influencer Lily Huynh showed off everything she ate at the festival in a TikTok video with prices that left her 882,000 followers stunned.
One item in particular drew condemnation for its exorbitant cost after Huynh revealed that a lemonade cost $12.
“I started my night at Fire Kitchen on Central, which has great food options,” he said.
Vivid festival-goers are outraged by the “ridiculous” prices of food and drink, and say the once free event would now cost families a few hundred dollars.
“This store smelled amazing, so I bought their $35 Brazilian steak box with beef, chicken, and chorizo…then, I bought these $23 Birria tacos and added cheese to them for another two dollars.”
She also picked up a $20 butter chicken jaffle and a $7 masala chai from an Indian-inspired food truck before grabbing a $13 crème brûlée churro cone for dessert.
‘After this I went to Circular Quay. Many shops here are similar to those at the Easter Show,” Ms Huynh said.
‘I bought a huge $14 watermelon with ice cream. The ice cream was okay, but the watermelon itself was fresh, crisp and juicy.
“I skipped flossing this year, it’s $18…I ended my night with a $12 lemonade.”
Social media users criticized the sky-high prices, calling them “crazy” and “expensive.”
“Vivid is just a scam nowadays,” said one.
“I’m going to get a bank loan and go to Vivid,” joked another.
“That’s my entire weekly shopping budget spent in one day,” a third person commented.
“We’ve surpassed $100 worth of street food in one night at Vivid,” wrote another.
“It’s crazy that a few years ago this wouldn’t have cost more than $15,” said one more.
This comes after a recent outcry over the obscene fare at one of its attractions.
Sydney resident Nariman Dien, 22, was looking forward to going to Dark Spectrum: A New Journey at the Wynyard Tunnels over the weekend until the price put her off.
“You’re telling me that in this economy, if I had one or two kids, I’d have to pay that kind of money just to look at the lights and then also pay for food and all that,” he said.
‘Are you serious? Actually?’
Adult ticket prices range from $42 to $51, child ticket prices for ages 6 to 12 range from $24 to $35, while family tickets range from $98 to $154.
Ticket prices vary depending on whether visitors attend during peak or off-peak times, and spectators also incur a $5 per person surcharge if they purchase same-day tickets.
“There will be a lot of people in town…they will charge $10,” Mrs. Dien said.
‘Are you really going to spend $51 per person for something that’s 20 minutes long?’
Ms Dien questioned why festival-goers are charged so much for people to visit the city.
“You may not agree with me, but I feel like because of the cost of living people don’t go out as much,” he said.
‘Now that Vivid exists and people are eager to see it, are you going to make people pay that much? You could have done it cheaper.
A Destination NSW spokesperson said Vivid Sydney strived to offer a variety of experiences, including free and ticketed events throughout the festival.
A Destination NSW spokesperson said Vivid Sydney strived to offer a variety of experiences, including free and ticketed events throughout the festival.
‘From the 8km Vivid Light Walk with over 30 light installations and 3D projections, Vivid Music nightly at Tumbalong Park to the ‘After the Fact’ panel at Barangaroo House – these are all examples of free events that will have place throughout the festival. ,’ he said yahoo.
“For foodies, there is also Vivid Sydney Fire Kitchen, offering free entry to barbecue demonstrations and masterclasses ensuring accessibility for all across Vivid Sydney’s four pillars.”
Vivid is understood to be partnering with artists and organizations for some events and ticket sales are recovering.
But this is not the first time that festival prices have been analyzed.
It is understood that Vivid partners with artists and organizations for some events and ticket sales help recover some of the costs.
Sydneysiders have lashed out at event organizers for charging sponsors an exorbitant amount for tickets to Lightscape at the Royal Botanic Gardens, costing families $128.
“It’s almost an hour walk with quite a few exhibits and MUCH better than what they had last time,” said one on Reddit.
‘Most of them were nice, I’d say one or two were really nice to watch. In my opinion, the $40 bill is definitely overkill.’
“It’s not worth paying $40 to be herded like cattle across a crowded road to look at LEDs just lying on the ground,” said another.
Lightscape is back again this year, with adult tickets costing up to $38 and family tickets up to $128. A $4 per person surcharge applies to same-day tickets.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Vivid for comment.