Lessons Learned, Crowds Controlled at Sydney’s Vivid

The ’stampede' on the night came about after long weekend crowds flocked to the event.

Lighting of the Sails: Echo by Julia Gutman is projected onto the Sydney Opera House during Vivid Sydney 2024 in Sydney, Australia, on May 30, 2024. Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

Preventative measures have been taken at Sydney’s Vivid light festival in order to avoid a repeat of the bottlenecks that left thousands of people trapped and fearing a stampede or crush.

Police reinforcements were brought in after thousands of people crowded the harbour precinct to see a highly-anticipated drone show around Circular Quay on Saturday night.