9 rooftop bars that are basically front-row seats to Vivid

Beat the crowds and watch the city light up at one of these sky-high venues.

Vivid Sydney is once again illuminating the city, and this year’s lineup promises dazzling displays. But if you prefer to view the action away from the crowds, your best bet is to head to one of Sydney’s fabulous rooftop bars. You can be as sky-high and lit as you like when you’re sipping a Negroni and surveying the neon night. Here are 10 of the best rooftop bars to view Vivid 2025.

1. Aster, InterContinental Sydney

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

Aster is on level 32 of the InterContinental Sydney hotel and is one of the best rooftop bars in Australia for winter drinks. The view from Aster is giving ‘Ken Done limited edition’ with views over the twinkly Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House and Royal Botanic Gardens. The Dreamscapes at Aster experience invites guests to watch the lights of Vivid Sydney dancing from on high. For just $169 per person, kick off with a themed cocktail and canapé on arrival then settle in for a share-style starter and main complemented by two perfectly paired glasses of wine. Up the ante with a Vivid Sydney Staycation offer of $469 per room, per night which includes overnight accommodation, a themed Vivid cocktail bar at Treasury Bar and a curated goodie bag and breakfast for two.

2. Blu Bar on 36

views of Vivid Sydney as seen from Blu Bar on 36 — Soak up the city lights from the 36th floor of the Shangri-la Sydney.

The Vivid theme for 2025 is ‘Dream’. And the Shangri-la Sydney has taken that concept and run with it with a dreamy bespoke menu dedicated to this night of nights and lights. Ask the waiters to shake you up a Lucid Projection cocktail ($26) that will see your night get off to an impeccable start while surveying the horizon and views over Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. Sip on the cocktail, which is a mix of gin, peach liqueur and blue curaçao syrup, while surveying the horizon from the 36th floor of the hotel. Order the Vivid Platter ($99) which includes East 33 Sydney rock oysters from Merimbula, tuna sashimi with pickled ginger and shoyu, WA Shark Bay scampi caviar and meltingly tender Wagyu MB8+.

3. Paramount House

Paramount House is prone to fits of fancy and what better excuse to loosen the necktie than at Vivid Sydney 2025. The Surry Hills hotel is one of many inspired spots along the Hollywood Dreaming Gig Trail. You’ll do well to head to Paramount House to watch Wall Life with Sonny Day interactive art, design and music experience. The celebrated artist is known for his large scale murals and posters and is inviting punters aged between 10 and 18 to a workshop to design their very own alternative tour poster. It’s all about art, pizza and prizes at the Paramount House, one of the best venues to enjoy the festival.

4. Bar 83 at Sydney Tower

red velvet chairs and white Tulip tables at Bar 83, Sydney Tower — Bar 83 is all red velvet chairs and white Tulip tables.

Change out of your footie mum uniform and frock up for a night spent well at Sydney’s highest bar. The climax will build as you climb 83 floors (245 metres) above street level in the capsule lift that will shoot you to the top of the iconic Sydney Tower. The vibe at Bar 83 is all red velvet chairs and white Tulip tables, brushed gold and white curving archways. It’s like something out of a science fiction movie. While Infinity restaurant and the more low-key Skyfeast below both revolve, Bar 83 does not. It’s your head that will be doing the swivelling while enjoying panoramic views of the city lit up below over cocktails and bar bites from sister venue Infinity.

5. Smoke Bar, Barangaroo House

Enjoy watching the quivering rivers of light from above at Smoke at Barangaroo House , which has one of the best vantage points overlooking Vivid. The Level 2 rooftop bar looks out over the Vivid lightwalk, one of the highlights of the 2025 program. The whimsical building is right on brand for this year’s Dream theme. The bright sparks in the kitchen have curated a zero-waste menu which includes cocktails such as the Sunset ($23) and Hummingbird ($23) and snacks of the highest order – Pacific oysters ($7.50 each) and duck spring rolls ($16).

6. Hacienda

the dining at Hacienda with harbour views — Revel in incredible harbour views at Hacienda. (Image: Steven Woodburn)

Most Sydneysiders don’t have access to harbour views. So embrace the occasion and head to Hacienda . You’ll find yourself at an enviable vantage point as the city lights up with Dream Hour designed to run throughout Vivid Sydney 2025 from 4-6pm. It’s the perfect prelude to a night spent enjoying Sydney in the limelight. Drinking margaritas is fun. And the mixologists at Hacienda have dreamt up a Dream Hour that includes a Margarita your Way for $15. There are also vibrant dishes that are on-brand for Vivid Sydney such as oysters with blood plum, lobster and prawn empanadas with a hit of Fancy Hank’s hot sauce.

7. The Rook

the cocktail selection at The Rook, Sydney — Kick off with next-level cocktails at The Rook.

Start your Vivid Sydney 2025 adventure at Vivid Liftoff at The Rook, a hidden rooftop nook in the heart of the CBD because you’re cultured dang it. The Rook takes Vivid views to the next level with its Rooftop Cocktails, Bites & City Lights, where it offers an enviable selection of iridescent cocktails such as the Lunar Lagoon, Starlight Spritz and Firefly Glow. The Rook does not have Vivid views, per se, it’s in perfect proximity to the action. And it’s akin to sitting in your own Vivid installation with twinkling strings of lights. The drinks are also next-level. Dial it back by inhaling a few southern-style buffalo chicken wings with blue-cheese mayo ($15 each) while the resident DJ is spinning tracks.

8. Untied

hands holding cocktail glasses on pink background — Get together with the girls for a shimmering night out. (Image: One Cut Studios)

You don’t need to be tethered to roaming the streets every night during Vivid Sydney 2025 . Some of us are just as happy to get our glow on at a rooftop bar such as Untied, which shifts the needle during the annual Light, Music, Ideas & Food festival with its whimsical twist on Champagne. Choose your flavour: Blue Raspberry, Green Sour Apple, Pink Watermelon or Purple Berry Crunch and watch your drink shimmer against the neon night. Sip, sparkle and shine at Vivid Sydney for the Bubbles & Fairy Floss fun available May 23 to June 14.

9. Bungalow 8

a DJ sets the party mood at Bungalow 8, Sydney — Get the party started with pumping disco music at Bungalow 8.

There are new bars popping up all over the city but this sprawling venue is one of the best as it transitions from having some of the most fabulous sunset views in Sydney into a beacon for the party hearty as the night falls.  Bungalow 8 has a balcony boasting views of Darling Harbour and is one of the best places to party before or after Vivid during its Neon Nights & Pop-Up Bites at Bungalow 8 every Saturday. Expect an explosion of colour at the bar every Saturday night with its roster of DJs, glow-in-the-dark cocktails, trippy neon tunnels, free face painting and all the main-character energy you can handle. Dress as your favourite avatar and hold court making shapes with your glow stick. It’s your time to shine!

Aussies might think they know what Port Stephens is all about – but it’s time to take another look.

You might’ve driven through this NSW coast town. Maybe even stopped for fish and chips or a quick dip. But spend a long weekend in the new Port Stephens , and you’ll seriously regret not doing it sooner. We’re talking treks across beaches, reef dives and up-close time with rescued koalas.

All in all? It only takes a day before you see Port Stephens in a whole new light, and not much longer until it’s locked in as your favourite family destination.

1. Stockton Sand Dunes

Port Stephens incredible Stockton Sand Dunes are the largest moving sand mass in the Southern Hemisphere. They shift like an endless magic trick across the Worimi Conservation Lands , a 4200-hectare coastal co-managed by the Traditional Owners.

Tear over them in a 4WD. Rev through valleys soft as melting ice cream on a quad. Carve down 30-metre slopes on a sandboard. However you choose to cross them, you’re guaranteed a seriously wild ride.

Four rugged 4WDs kick up trails of golden dust as they charge across the sweeping desert landscape. — Chase thrills across shifting sands. (Image: Destination NSW)

2. Scale Tomaree Head Summit Walk

A short climb through bushland opens up to the coastal drama of Tomaree Head . Spot Zenith, Wreck and Box Beaches. See the Fingal Island lighthouse and offshore rookeries where Australia’s rarest seabird, the Gould’s petrel, nests.

History buffs can’t miss the WWII gun emplacements. And if you’re hiking between May and November, bring binoculars. Travelling whales might just be breaching below.

Friends enjoying a scenic walk along the Tomaree Head Summit Walk in Tomaree National Park, Port Stephens. — Climb Tomaree Head for jaw-dropping coastal views. (Image: Destination NSW)

3. Watch out for whales

You’ve seen the spouts of migrating humpbacks and southern right whales from shore. Set sail from Nelson Bay to see them up close. Cruise straight into the action, with tail-slaps, barrel rolls and all.

And they’ve got competition from the local show-offs. Port Stephens bottlenose dolphins leap and play. Some tours even spot pudgy fur seals, spending lazy days soaking up the sun on Cabbage Tree Island.

A whale’s tail on the sea’s surface. — Watch for ocean tails. (Image: Destination NSW)

4. Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary

Pop into the Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary to learn about the rescued koalas who climb, nap, snack and heal in this natural patch of bushland. Wander the immersive Sanctuary Story Walk to discover more about their habits, then head to the SKYwalk – a treetop platform constructed for spotting these eucalyptus-loving locals. Peek into the hospital’s viewing window, where sick or injured koalas may be resting in their recovery enclosures.

Not enough time around these adorable marsupials? Stay overnight in silk-lined glamping tents.

Koala sleeping in a tree at Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary, One Mile — See koalas in their natural habitat. (Image: Destination NSW)

5. Diving Port Stephens

Port Stephens has some of NSW’s best dive spots. At Fly Point, float through sponge gardens and coral castles thick with nudibranchs (AKA sea slugs). Halifax Park has blue gropers and crimson-banded wrasse, while Shoal Bay’s seagrass meadows hide pipefish, cuttlefish and octopus.

Accessible only by boat, Broughton Island is home to a vast array of marine (and bird) life. Snorkel with blue devilfish and stingrays at sites like The Looking Glass and North Rock. More experienced divers can head out with one of the many PADI-certified operators.

At nearby Cabbage Tree Island, expect to see shaggy-faced wobbegongs cruising along.

A couple suited up and ready to dive into adventure. — Suit up and dive into Port Stephens’ vibrant marine life. (Image: Destination NSW)

6. Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters

Not quite ready to dive in? Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters is the perfect way to spot local marine life without getting too deep. But there’s no obnoxious glass tank tapping here. Instead, this interactive aquarium allows guests to wade into natural-style lagoons that mimic the real thing.

Gently pat Port Jackson and bamboo sharks, hand-feed rays, and feel their sandpapery skin with your fingertips. It is all under expert guidance. If you want to go deeper, pop on a wetsuit and swim alongside tawny nurse sharks, white-tipped reef sharks and zebra sharks in the lagoon.

Family enjoying an animal feeding experience at Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters, Anna Bay. — Meet the ocean’s friendliest faces at Irukandji. (Image: Destination NSW)

7. Fish the estuaries

Fishing fanatics will fall for Port Stephens hook, line and sinker. Here, one of the largest estuary systems in the whole state sees tidal rivers and mangrove ecosystems. Waterfronts are thick with oysters, and residential fish that might include anything from bream, whiting and flathead, to blue swimmer crabs, kingfish and longtail tuna.

If you prefer to choose your own adventure and fish offshore, you can hire a boat from one of the marinas and set your own course.

three men fishing on a boat in port stephens — Join a tour or chart your own fishing trip. (Image: Destination NSW)

8. Taste new Port Stephens flavours

With plenty of activity to fill your days, refuelling on delectable cuisine becomes equally important. And Port Stephens answers the call.

Pop into Holbert’s Oyster Farm for fresh-farmed Port Stephens rock oysters and Pacific oysters, Australian king and tiger prawns, as well as a variety of tasty sauces to try them with.

Take a group to Atmos for an authentic Greek experience over large shared dishes and Greek-inspired cocktails. Or feast on sea-to-plate, modern Australian dishes at the pet-friendly Restaurant 2317.

A plate of fresh oysters. — Slurp your way through the region’s best oysters. (Image: Destination NSW)

Start planning your Port Stephens getaway at portstephens.org.au .

10 rooftop bars that are basically front-row seats to Vivid