Sydney’s nightlife is vividly expensive … so we snuck into the Botanic Garden*

The answer is probably all three.

In some ways, it makes sense that nightlife isn’t a priority right now. When the Reserve Bank is trying to bring down inflation, there’s little incentive to encourage consumer spending and more of an incentive for governments to show spending restraint themselves, especially on things that aren’t strictly necessary.

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But the previous state government’s decision to sign a multi-year contract with Sony Music has resulted in a jarring jump in the price of an activity that used to be free as part of Sydney’s Vivid light festival, at a time when affordable nightlife options have become rare and many people are seeking light relief from a crunch in their finances.

Vivid is one of those few things that everyone, regardless of their financial situation, can enjoy and come together for. While the Botanic Garden is just one part of the festival, it has become a staple in recent years, and there’s something a little cold-hearted about charging people to enter a public space.

Premier Chris Minns defended the decision to keep the contract with Sony in place for the sake of “commercial stability in the state”, though it comes at the expense of consumers. A price hike from $0 to $40 seems anything but stable.

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Partnering with a private company to deliver services has its benefits: less taxpayer-funded spending, perhaps a marginally better-quality service and, in the case of Vivid, the double-edged sword of fewer people (and therefore less crowding).

But the costs arguably outweighed the benefits in this case, and the contract, or what we know of it, suggests the Harbour City wasn’t especially strategic in its negotiations. Both Melbourne and Perth have their own Lightscapes, also in partnership with Sony, charging identical prices for a single adult at $40 a head during peak times. But neither of these cities runs their Lightscape as part of an event that draws millions of visitors.

Last year, nearly 2.6 million people attended Vivid, according to Destination NSW. That should surely have given the NSW government leverage to negotiate a lower price point for tickets. Or, if not, it could have hosted the Lightscape on a separate occasion, put on its own light show in the Botanic Garden, and kept the entry fee affordable.

My friend and I stood in our leafy hiding spot for some time. But even the epic orchestral music booming from the installation beside us wasn’t enough to embolden two wannabe rebels. We flew past a shimmering whale, a glowing archway and giant dandelions before the exhibition opened and were back home, asleep, long before the lights turned off.

Millie Muroi is a business reporter.

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