In 2026 the Australian National Maritime Museum is proud to announce its largest Vivid Sydney program to date, celebrating Indigenous artforms and storytelling.
From 22 May to 13 June, the Museum will be championing the incredible work of renowned Zenadth Kes (Torres Strait Island) artist Brian Robinson, with the precinct being illuminated after dark by Mythical Mashup: The Graphic Worlds of Brian Robinson.
Robinson's work already is celebrated in his collaborative exhibition Ur Wayii (Incoming Tide) on show in the Museum.
Mythical Mashup: The Graphic Worlds of Brian Robinson, brings two monumental installations to the Museum's waterfront precinct, blending humour, marine life, and pop-culture icons.
The first of these two installations, Cosmic Chase, transforms the Museum rooftop into an animated battleground where Brian Robinson's Torres Strait motifs collide with pop culture. This Pac Man-style pursuit weaves ancestral mythology with gaming lore, reimagining tradition through a kinetic, retro-futurist lens of light and motion. Cosmic Chase has been developed by S1T2.
The second is Floating Realm, which unfolds across the harbour and Cape Bowling Green Lighthouse as a sculptural landscape of LED-lit forms, hovering on the water's surface and suspended in the sky. Monumental tentacles curl and rise from the harbour, joined by drifting fish, a glowing moon, and other forms drawn from Robinson's visual world. Floating Realm has been developed by Junior Major.
These immersive experiences of animation, illumination and storytelling will be visible at the Museum nightly from May 22 to June 13 between 6pm until 11pm, with optimal vantage points at Pyrmont Bridge or King Street Wharf as part of the famous Vivid Light Walk.
As well as the light displays, the Museum will also be hosting two events as part of its Vivid Sydney 2026, Sea Gathering: Myth and Modernity and Big Blue Ideas: Beyond the Bleach.
Sea Gathering: Myth and Modernity (Tuesday June 2) is a free one-night immersive program which brings together light, music, making, food, and storytelling in a shared harbourside setting. The program combines contemporary visual art, live performance, digital play, hands-on workshops, and cultural storytelling. It operates as a hybrid between a night festival, exhibition activation, and community gathering, offering audiences a flexible and social experience.
As part of the Vivid Minds program the museum will present the 5th installment of the Big Blue Ideas program – Beyond the Bleach on June 10.
The Great Barrier Reef's demise is widely seen as a foregone conclusion – but is that framing limiting our imagination of what comes next? A panel including Brian Robinson and marine biologist Emma Camp considers how we can best look after the Great Barrier Reef, incorporating Indigenous knowledge of the seas alongside Camp's leading research of coral reef recovery. This event is supported by major partner, Rolex, through their Perpetual Planet initiative.
The Museum is also pleased to host Wonderverse by Patch Theatre and a Vivid Moonlight Sea Kayaking Experience by Sydney Harbour Kayas as part of the VIVID Sydney 2026 program.
Wonderverse explores a universe of light in this immersive, awe-inspiring and interactive adventure for young children and their families, travelling across worlds of colour and imagination.
This innovative 40-minute adventure, created by children's theatre experts Patch Theatre, blends theatre, visual spectacle and play for a memorable and educational experience.
Vivid Moonlight Sea Kayaking Experience - Step into an enchanting world with Sydney Harbour Kayaks on an unforgettable 90-minute night-time sea kayaking journey: the Sydney Vivid Moonlight Kayaking Experience.
The leisurely paddle adventure begins and concludes at the Australian National Maritime Museum. These guided kayaking expeditions offer a rare opportunity to traverse Darling Harbour on a moonlit escapade, granting you an unparalleled, and unique perspective of Vivid Sydney.
Museum Director and CEO, Ms Daryl Karp AM said, 'Vivid Sydney is always a special time for our calendar, and we are so proud to have such a comprehensive offering both day and night over the Vivid Sydney 2026 program. It is pleasure to extend the joy that Brian Robinson's work brings to all of Sydney.'
Festival Director, Brett Sheehy AO said, 'Brian Robinson's work holds a remarkable ability to bridge ancient stories and contemporary culture, and we are thrilled to see his imagination brought to life on such a monumental scale at the Australian National Maritime Museum for Vivid Sydney 2026. This year's program at the Museum is one of its most ambitious yet, and as a valued Vivid Sydney Program Partner across our Light and Minds pillars, their 2026 offering enriches the festival with imagination, depth and creative excellence.'
Minister for Jobs and Tourism Steve Kamper said, 'Vivid Sydney 2026 will be bigger and bolder than ever, and one of this year's unmissable program highlights is at the Australian National Maritime Museum, which is delivering its largest Vivid Sydney program to date.
'The Museum will present an impressive suite of experiences – from transforming its rooftop into an animated battleground in Cosmic Chase to delighting young audiences in a 40-minute interactive journey through Wonderverse. With something for the whole family, this year's program showcases NSW's cultural vibrancy and creative brilliance to the world.'
