Food trucks, diners and fire pits: The Vivid food events not to miss

Kassia Byrnes Kassia Byrnes
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More than just lights are lighting up this year’s Vivid Sydney Festival.

A roaring fire to warm up the night, the scent of roasting meat floating on the air and food trucks lining the city: Vivid kicks off tonight and the light displays aren’t the only drawcard. In fact, the Vivid food lineup is worth a trip on its own.

Vivid Fire Kitchen

Returning to The Goods Line in Ultimo, Vivid Fire Kitchen will share 23 nights of live fire cooking as part of Vivid Food 2025. See leading some of Australia’s finest chefs, as well as pitmasters and barbecue experts from around the world show you how it’s done, all following the Vivid theme of ‘Dream’.

“It’s fantastic being back in the fire kitchen for the third year running," said live fire cook Jess Pryles, who will appear at Vivid Fire Kitchen in 2025 for the third year running. “Getting to work with amazing Aussie produce over an incredible live fire rig is a dream. I think sharing the crowd samplers from the demo is easily my favorite part – and you can count on us to be grilling up some tasty treats".

Also on this year’s program, catch acclaimed American chef and TV personality Nyesha Arrington, the award-winning chef behind Viand, Annita Potter, organ McGlone of Bar Copains and many more.

a demonstration at Vivif Fire Kitchen
See live demonstrations. (Image: Destination NSW)

Free to attend, a continual lineup of food trucks – including Hoy Pinoy’s Filipino skewers, Burn City Smokers with South American-style BBQ, Pocket Rocketz’ unique take on vegetarian Indian cuisine and dessert ooptions like Mapo Gelato, Mr Spanish Churro, Miss Sina Korean Donuts and many more – will keep guests well fed each night. If you’re more seafood than barbeque, stop by the seafood BBQ stand for flame-grilled favourites like seared prawns and smoky grilled fish.

A dedicated wine bar will showcase a selection of NSW wines. Check the schedule to catch a masterclass at the bar, led by expert Mike Bennie, as well as curated wine pairings by NSW Wine Industry Association with dishes prepared by local and international pitmasters at the fire pit stage.

vivid food at vivid fire kitchen
Taste delicious flavours. (Image: Destination NSW)

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Food trucks

Speaking of food trucks, you’ll find plenty around the festival outside of Vivid Fire Kitchen. Explore global flavours (in between global sounds) at Tumbalong Park. Enter an archway of light into this mini food hub with tasty wines, beers and cocktails, Korean fried chicken from Birdman, Mexican from Ash’s Nachos, Japanese doughnuts from Mochii Mochii and more.

Or, take a mid-light walk break at Barangaroo. Here, the highlight has to be blacklight-reactive desserts at the immersive Blacklight Dessert Lab. Think doughnuts, cheesecake and ice cream that glow under a UV light.

Dream Mist

Book a seat at this Botanic Gardens of Sydney table for an after-dark three-course Vietnamese-inspired menu by chef Luke Nguyen. Expect blending bold flavours and personal storytelling, as well as an interactive wishing tree for guests to share their dreams with. Oh, and keep the experience going with a take-home bottle of Dream Mist botanical perfume.

Neon Dreams

Not only is this event a roller-disco dream, it will feature a delicious plant-based dinner by vegan masterchef Shannon Martinez and Trolley’d, exclusively for Vivid. Wash down your veggie burger with a milkshake or cocktail whipped up by Trolly’d bar.

neon dreams diner at vivid
Grab a milkshake and burger. (Image: Destination NSW)

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Hollywood Dreaming

If your nostalgia and neon cravings aren’t yet satisfied, head to Foster Street in Surry Hills on 31 May for Hollywood Dreaming. The street will shut down to traffic to make way for an al fresco food festival within a festival. Watch live music and roving performers while feasting on the best of Sydney dishes from the likes of Firedoor, Nomad, Gildas, Nel, Kiln, Poly, Brooklyn Boy Bagels and Butter.

Rooftop dining

Be sure to check out the best of Sydney’s rooftop bars for drinks, snacks and a delectable view of the Vivid lights, all festival long. You’ll find our top picks here.

a couple watching the lights of Vivid Sydney at Aster, InterContinental Sydney
Watch the dancing lights of Vivid Sydney atop the InterContinental Sydney.

The Native Food Experience

Celebrate First Nations culture and cuisine at The Native Food Experience. Held at NSW Parliament House, Parliament of NSW executive chef Vanessa Harcourt will collaborate with pioneering First Nations chef Dwayne Bannon-Harrison to create an equal parts tasty and thought-provoking degustation. Expect a menu that heroes native Australian produce, from rainforest fruits and coastal seafood to game meats and desert botanicals, all to tell a story of Country, culture and community.

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Kassia Byrnes
Kassia Byrnes is the Native Content Editor for Australian Traveller and International Traveller. She's come a long way since writing in her diary about family trips to Grandma's. After graduating a BA of Communication from University of Technology Sydney, she has been writing about her travels (and more) professionally for over 10 years for titles like AWOL, News.com.au, Pedestrian.TV, Body + Soul and Punkee. She's addicted to travel but has a terrible sense of direction, so you can usually find her getting lost somewhere new around the world. Luckily, she loves to explore and have new adventures – whether that’s exploring the backstreets, bungee jumping off a bridge or hiking for days. You can follow her adventures on Instagram @probably_kassia.
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Art, wine & fireplaces: 8 reasons Bowral is the ultimate winter getaway

(Credit: Destination NSW)

    Carla Grossetti Carla Grossetti
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    The Southern Highlands earns its title as Australia’s top country town in the cooler months, and it’s worth every minute of the 90-minute drive from Sydney.

    Many Sydneysiders head to the Southern Highlands in spring for the tulips. It’s one of the most stunning spring carnivals in Australia. But the ones in the know come to Bowral in winter.

    The first thing you notice at this time of year is the quality of the light. It catches the tangled limbs of the gums and tints the fields, farms and forests a pretty shade of Granny Smith green. And then, a world-class art museum, an impressive network of walking trails, great shops, cosy restaurants and bars and luxury accommodation take centre stage, making Bowral a place you want to linger as the mercury drops.

    Just 90 minutes south of Sydney, a Bowral winter getaway is the coolcation city folk desperately need. Here are eight reasons to pack a good coat and head for the Southern Highlands.

    1. Check in

    aerial of Ardour Milton Park Bowral in winter
    Check in to the gorgeous Ardour Milton Park Bowral. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    Ardour Milton Park Bowral rises like a hologram in the hazy green light as you turn onto Horderns Road. A $10 million refurbishment of the grand 1910 estate was completed in early 2026, and the beautifully restored hotel now includes 44 guest rooms washed in sage green, cobalt blue and dusty blush. The dining room at Horderns Restaurant continues with a botanical theme – earthy banquettes, floral touches throughout – and a menu that moves with the seasons.

    After enjoying slow-braised Cowra lamb and a second glass of red, move to the Polo Bar, which has a fireplace and views across the estate gardens. Build a grazing board from the dedicated Charcuterie Room and take it outside while the light lasts. If the sky clouds over, use this as your cue to enjoy a next-level spa experience at Èliva.

    2. Hunt for treasure

    couple exploring Dirty Janes bowral
    Find vintage treasures in Dirty Janes. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    Winter is the perfect season to lose an afternoon inside Dirty Janes Bowral. Over 1600 square metres of covered space houses 90 individual sellers of everything from mid-century furniture to industrial lighting, antique silverware, vintage clothing and objects whose previous lives you can only imagine. Enjoy a bit of off-the-cuff banter with your fellow fossickers in between searching for that must-have military jacket or vintage silk scarf.

    Around the corner, find the Instagram-famous front door of FoundAntiques, though the real finds are deeper inside. Bring cash, wear comfortable shoes and leave some room in the boot.

    3. Slow down in a beautiful gallery

    kids posing with donald bradman statue in bowral's The Bradman Museum
    Learn about an Aussie legend at The Bradman Museum. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    Ngununggula – meaning ’belonging’ in the language of the Gundungurra First Nations people – is the region’s first dedicated regional gallery, housed inside the sustainably transformed old dairy building at historic Retford Park. The onsite White Cottage Gallery and restored grounds of the former Fairfax estate reward a slow wander. Find a spot to sit in the courtyard filled with rivulets of winter light and enjoy the plaintive call of a currawong carrying across the heritage-listed grounds. It’s one of the best things to do in Bowral.

    Add Bowral Honey Farm for a hands-on harvest experience, then continue into town to the Milk Factory Gallery to admire eclectic works by local artists in a converted industrial space. The Bradman Museum also knocks it out of the park. Australia’s largest dedicated cricket museum sits beside the heritage-listed Bradman Oval, where a young Sir Donald Bradman first picked up a bat.

    4. A taste of France

    table spread at Lucette bowral
    Enjoy a taste of France at Lucette.

    For a taste of France without the airfare, husband-and-wife team Julien and Romy Besnard – of long-loved Franquette Crêperie – have opened Lucette, a French cafe-bistro with Paris-born chef Guillaume Dubois at the helm. Dubois brings serious pedigree from Michelin-starred kitchens in France and Sydney’s former two-hatted Monopole, and it shows. Start your day with pastries for breakfast and bookend it with boeuf bourguignon for dinner. The chocolate mousse, freckled with Guerande Salt, is the kind of dish that will make you feel smug about the decision to drive south. Join the Sydneysiders dressed in charcoal coats, boots and black tights who’ve already worked this out; the whole scene is worthy of splicing it into an Instagram reel.

    Francophiles should also be across Julien’s Bowral Brasserie – led by Frenchman Julien Viel, who also found his way to the Southern Highlands and stayed.

    5. Indulge in a tipple

    Centennial Vineyards bowral in winter
    Spend time amongst the local vines. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    The drive to Centennial Vineyards passes through a beautiful woodland idyll, the countryside a fuzz of green all around. Inside the Barrel Room, a tasting flight of cool-climate pinot noir, chardonnay and reserve shiraz viognier flaunts how well the Southern Highlands does winter.

    This is a region that takes its cool-climate wines seriously, and the pinot noir is one of the stars – a gentle, easy-drinking style with red cherry aromas. Follow your tutored cellar door tasting with another glass of wine in the Terrace Bar, which overlooks the vineyard and manicured grounds.

    6. Blend your own gin

    Millsheds Distillery & Bar
    Pop into Millsheds Distillery & Bar. (Credit: Mattia Panunzio)

    Millsheds Distillery & Bar is somewhat of a local secret. The award-winning small-batch operation produces gin, vodka and liqueurs using Australian botanicals and has picked up silver medals at both the London Spirits Competition and International Wine & Spirit Competition. Beyond the tasting paddle, the hands-on blending masterclass – where you design and leave with two bottles of your own custom gin – is the experience to book, while the terrace bar that wraps around the courtyard is a fine place to settle in afterwards.

    7. Go for a walk at dawn

    Switch your phone off sleep mode and set your alarm to early. Mt Gibraltar rises to 864 metres just east of Bowral’s main street and offers the best views in town. You will pass a raggle-taggle bunch of hikers on the way up to the summit, all making the same quiet pilgrimage into the crisp high-altitude air. On a clear morning, the bony ridges of the ranges come into sharp relief against the light. The return loop takes roughly 90 minutes. A flat white in Bowral tastes considerably better after completing one of the scenic walking trails.

    8. Cosy up by the fireplace

    Aspinalls Whisky Bar & Lounge at the Berida Hotel
    Get cosy in the Berida Hotel’s whiskey bar.

    A cosy bar is the perfect complement to winter in Bowral, and there are a few worth committing to. Aspinalls Whisky Bar & Lounge at the Berida Hotel is built for long, languorous evenings. Take a seat beside the fireplace laden with gnarled logs and work your way through a few whiskies and bar bites like Rangers Valley beef tartare, or salt cod and potato croquettes.

    At Hickory’s within Peppers Craigieburn, well-dressed waiters in denim and leather move quietly between tables, and the cosy fireplace in the adjoining guest lounge attracts an Escape to the Country crowd.

    Start planning your Bowral escape at visitsouthernhighlands.com.au.