TDC deploys Barco and ROE across Vivid Sydney 2026
TDC deploys Barco and ROE across Vivid Sydney 2026
Technical Direction Company (TDC) delivered the technology infrastructure behind 11 major installations at Vivid Sydney 2026, deploying a combination of Barco projection systems, ROE Visual LED technology, LiDAR scanning and centralised monitoring tools across some of the festival’s most prominent locations.
Vivid Sydney is Australia's annual festival of light, music, ideas and food. Running from 22 May – 13 June, the 2026 event featured a city wide programme of projection mapping, interactive installations and immersive experiences that transformed Sydney's iconic landmarks and public spaces into large-scale canvases for artists and technologists.
Regarded as TDC’s largest deployment to date, the event included projection mapped artworks and interactive experiences spanning Circular Quay, The Rocks, Barangaroo and Darling Harbour, supporting millions of visitors over the festival’s 23-night run.
Among the installations was The Daydream Machine, an AI-powered interactive artwork located in Darling Harbour’s Pier Street Underpass. Created by TDC’s creative technologists Harrison Dow, Alex Rendell and Drew Ferors, the installation used AI and real-time rendering technology to generate an evolving digital environment that responded to audience participation.
“Using AI systems and live rendering, the installation reacts and evolves with every person who walks through it, creating an experience that is constantly changing and never behaves the same way twice,” said Dow.
Beyond the interactive work, TDC supplied technology for a range of projection mapped installations, including Lighting of the Sails: Opera Mundi on the Sydney Opera House, Vaiola at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Fringe of Infinity at Customs House, Time: Warped at the Argyle Cut and Deep Time at Garrison Church.
The deployment featured Barco laser projectors across nine projection mapped sites, while ROE Visual LED tiles were used to power interactive installations including The Daydream Machine. In total, TDC delivered more than 547 million projected pixels and over 1.45 million ANSI lumens of projection brightness across the festival.
To support the large-scale operation, TDC utilised a centralised master control system providing real-time oversight of installations throughout Sydney. The company also deployed 13 live monitoring cameras, 11 automation systems and its TDC Live View monitoring platform to maintain performance across all sites.
A key element of the project was the use of LiDAR scanning technology during the development phase where TDC rescanned both Garrison Church and the Argyle Cut to create digital replicas, allowing artists to design, test and refine content remotely before arriving onsite. “The process helps artists better understand scale, surfaces, proportions and architectural details while significantly reducing development time and increasing projection accuracy,” noted Ferors, head of innovation and training at TDC.
Rendell, who serves as creative technologist and technical project manager, said TDC’s role extended beyond equipment supply to integrating the various technical and creative elements behind each installation: “Our role is bringing all those creative and technical systems together, from advanced projection and LED systems through to media servers, TDC Live View monitoring and interactive technologies, so the artwork can come seamlessly to life for everyone’s enjoyment.”
