Vivid outrage as Aussies are charged an ‘obscene’ fee to visit the once-free light display
- Visitors charged $40 for Lightscape attraction
- Event in Royal Botanic Gardens will set family back $128
Vivid has sparked outrage after charging an exorbitant entry fee to one of its new attractions.
The event known as Lightscape is on offer to Sydneysiders as part of this year’s Vivid light festival at the Royal Botanic Gardens.
But many have been left in disbelief at the hefty prices of tickets.
Individual tickets for adults during peak times (Wednesday to Sunday) are $40, while a whole family will have to fork out $128, and children get in for $28.
Those who buy at the box office on the day will have to fork out an extra $4 per ticket.
Children under the age of two get in for free, and members get a $4 discount.
The event known as Lightscape is on offer to Sydneysiders as part of this year’s Vivid at the Royal Botanic Gardens
Aussies have been shocked at the price of tickets to an event at Sydney’s Vivid
Lightscape is open from 5.30pm to 10pm each night during Vivid.
The ‘internationally acclaimed’ event is set to ‘wow’ visitors, according to the website.
‘Originally created more than a decade ago, it has become an international sensation, selling out all over the world,’ the description reads.
‘This experience has been developed to enhance the appreciation of Botanic Gardens and the horticultural collections which they hold, allowing you the opportunity to embark on a uniquely curated sensory journey through light and sound, transporting you through the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney like you’ve never seen before, in all its wonder, after the gates would normally be closed.’
Visitors will be able to stroll through the gardens under lit up canopies ‘where shards of light fizz through trees like fireworks’, with the entire experience taking around 90 minutes.
But many Sydneysiders have unleashed on event organisers for charging patrons to walk through the area that was once free.
‘Went to it yesterday. It’s almost an hour long walk with a quite a few displays and WAY better than the displays they had last time,’ one said on Reddit.
‘Most of them were nice, I’d say one or two were really nice to see. The $40 ticket is definitely a stretch in my opinion.’
‘Not worth paying $40 to be herded like cattle through an overcrowded pathway to look at LEDS just plopped on the ground,’ said another.
Some Sydneysiders pointed out there were plenty of free attractions at Vivid for those who were unwilling to pay
‘Plenty of better FREE displays in the rest of Sydney, which is the intended spirit of the festival,’ one person said.
‘I really wanted to go see this but $40+ that’s robbery. It’s absurd. Maybe $10 I’d pay but over 40 you’re taking the p**s,’ another wrote.
Others said the event was well worth the price and made the experience much more pleasant as there were less crowds.
‘I will happily pay. The last time I went to Vivid in the Botanical Gardens it was CHAOS. If this is their way to cut down on crowds, I get it and am happy for it,’ someone said.
Some Sydneysiders pointed out there were plenty of free attractions for those who were unwilling to pay.
Lightscape is an international art installation and is understood to be on offer in conjunction with the Vivid light festival which will run until June 17.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Vivid for comment.