The 15th edition of Vivid Sydney, the Australia's largest annual celebration of light, music, and ideas, concluded on Saturday, dazzling millions with its luminous dreamscape.
This year's festival, themed "Dream," transformed the city into five immersive zones, with iconic landmarks like the Sydney Opera House and Harbor Bridge illuminated nightly in a symphony of light and sound.
From 18:00 to 23:00 each evening, cutting-edge 3D projections, interactive installations, and a giant "Fly to the Moon" installation by a Chinese artist transported visitors into cosmic realms.
"The pictures are really great, so we are really really happy," said Chitransh, a tourist from India.
Since its 2009 debut, Vivid Sydney has evolved into a global drawcard. Preliminary estimates suggest this year's 23-day event attracted 3.2 million visitors, injecting 180 million Australian dollars (about 117.2 million U.S. dollars) into the local economy.
"For Vivid Sydney, I think it will go from strength to strength. It's a fantastic event. We have terrific visitation from China and all over the world and within Australia," said festival director Gill Minervini.
The festival's fusion of art, technology, and gastronomy continues to cement Sydney's reputation as a must-visit touristic destination.
Vivid Sydney illuminates city's night skies with breathtaking light show spectacles
Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez said on Sunday that the country is at a critical stage and must achieve national unity, emphasizing that maintaining internal cohesion is of utmost importance.
In a televised address, Rodriguez called on the public to continue trusting the government under the current highly complex political circumstances.
Her statement comes in the wake of a January 3 military operation conducted by the United States, during which Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were taken into custody and flown out of the country.
The operation resulted in at least 100 fatalities.
Rodriguez, who was sworn in as acting president two days later on January 5, framed her appeal for unity against this backdrop of external intervention.
Meanwhile, Venezuelan Minister of Communication and Information Freddy Nanez denounced the U.S. actions as a "war crime of the 21st century" when speaking at an international cultural event on Sunday.
Nanez condemned not only the January 3 airstrikes but also the associated cyber and electromagnetic attacks.
He accused the United States of violating international law through the forced removal of President Maduro and his wife, while attacks on civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities, represent a flagrant breach of humanitarian norms.
He reiterated that the stigmatization and military attacks against Venezuela are driven by economic interests, particularly the desire to control its abundant natural resources.
Venezuelan acting president calls for national unity amid complex situation
