Vivid Sydney helped drive record-breaking hotel occupancy in May 2025 according to insights from Accommodation Australia.
The NSW Government reports that each of the four Saturdays of the festival drew crowds of nearly 200,000, with hotel occupancy just shy of 90% on peak weekend nights, according to the accommodation industry body.
“Each and every year Vivid Sydney continues to deliver for Sydney accommodation hotels,” said Accommodation Australia NSW General Manager, Stacey McBride.
“The event has turned what was traditionally a quiet few weeks in winter into a boom period for our hotels.
“During the peak weekend nights of the festival, occupancy in the city was just shy of 90%.
“These are the type of figures we rarely see outside of peak summer holiday period and a credit to the hard work of the NSW Government and Destination NSW.”
Tourism and Transport Forum (TTF) CEO, Margy Osmond, also highlighted the positive impact the festival has on local businesses.
“This festival not only makes Sydney shine, it’s a tremendous boost for the visitor economy and plays a huge role in showing off the icons and hidden gems alike,” she said.
The NSW Government reports that since its inception in 2009, Vivid Sydney has pushed total visitation beyond 25 million people, with more than $1.3 billion generated in visitor expenditure over its lifetime.
Vivid Sydney is set to return in 2026, running from Friday 22 May to Saturday 13 June.