Airbnb data reveals surge in visitors flocking to Vivid Sydney

Vivid Sydney 2024 promises to be another bumper edition, with Airbnb data revealing searches increased by almost 100 per cent¹ on the same period last year, demonstrating the increasing popularity of the Southern Hemisphere’s leading multi-artform festival which saw record crowds last year. 

The largest festival of light, music, food and ideas in the Southern Hemisphere returns to Sydney for its 14th year, offering a vital economic boost to the city.

In 2023, Vivid Sydney saw record breaking attendance with over 3.48 million festival-goers², and the largest visitor expenditure in the festival’s history, with more than $206 million spent³.

This year, Airbnb is proud to support Vivid Sydney as the festival’s inaugural Community Partner and proud sponsor of the Volunteer Program. Each year, hundreds of people from diverse backgrounds come together to experience and participate in the Vivid Sydney Volunteer Program. The volunteers play an integral role in providing exceptional customer service and directional information, assisting in the management of installations and events, and helping to ensure the public has a safe and memorable time.

Susan Wheeldon, Airbnb Country Manager for Australia and New Zealand, said the spike in searches is an example of the powerful potential economic ripple effect of Airbnb and its importance to the NSW visitor economy.  

“Airbnb is proud to partner with Vivid Sydney and support the hundreds of volunteers who make it such an enjoyable experience for the millions of visitors who come every year to this amazing festival. 

“In the current economic climate, people are looking for more affordable and authentic ways to enjoy new experiences, which is why they are choosing to stay in an Airbnb.

“The overwhelming majority of Airbnb hosts are mum and dads and hosting during Vivid Sydney helps them pay the bills while also showcasing Sydney at its creative best.

“During Vivid Sydney last year the average guest stay was around 4 days, with visitors taking the opportunity to enjoy the festival plus take in all the other great experiences Sydney has to offer providing retailers, bars and restaurants with an important economic boost during the colder months.

“Airbnb hosts have a long history of helping cities accommodate big events, while generating benefits for local families and communities with home sharing allowing cities the flexibility to increase their accommodation providing a sustainable way of catering for a surge in visitors.”

According to Oxford Economics, in the year to March 2023, guests on Airbnb spent a staggering $3.65 billion in New South Wales, supporting 27,900 jobs and contributing $4.36 billion to Gross State Product.

Domestic travellers continue to make up the largest number of visitors coming to see Vivid Sydney⁴ with overseas visitors drawn to the festival from the United States, United Kingdom, Singapore, New Zealand and South Korea accounting for the majority of international Airbnb searches⁵.   

Jacqueline Gualdi is a Sydney host who is opening her Bondi home to guests for this year’s Vivid Sydney event.

“We absolutely love being Airbnb hosts. We started opening our home to guests about eight months ago and have three groups coming to stay over the Vivid Sydney festival. 

“We love the opportunity to showcase the best of what Sydney has to offer and have incorporated some special Vivid Sydney touches for our guests who are staying. 

“Although we don’t have views of the Vivid Sydney lights from our home, we are really close to public transport to be able to easily get into the city and offer the space and facilities that families and groups need for a truly relaxing stay.”

Airbnb is working with governments to ensure the benefits of hosting on Airbnb, and the economic activity it creates, continues to benefit communities and make them stronger.

A recent report from independent research firm Urbis found approximately 67 percent of Aussie hosts listed their homes on short-term rental platforms to help combat financial pressures. According to ​​surveys of Airbnb guests and hosts across Australia undertaken in June and July 2023 around 30 percent primarily use the income generated to make ends meet, 23 percent to maintain and renovate their property, and 14 percent to afford the rising cost of living.

For more information on Vivid Sydney and to view the full program go to www.vividsydney.com. Get social using @vividsydney #vividsydney