The Beating Heart Of Sydney – Introducing QVB After Dark Live

The Queen Victoria Building (QVB) will play a key part in the after dark activities of Sydney on Thursday 22 August, when it presents QVB After Dark LIVE; a major event that will shine a spotlight on the complex's rich heritage and cultural significance.

The activation will provide the public with a fully immersive and interactive multi-floor sensory experience that's sure to delight and inspire. Open from 6pm – 9pm, QVB After Dark LIVE will run three 1-hour sessions (6pm, 7pm, 8pm), where guests are led through the historic building by roving artists including ØFFERINGS and Twisted Elements, with select audience members invited to participate in the performances. Much of the internal building will glow red, having been lit up in an eye-catching way never-before-seen at the QVB.

Ginger and the Ghost will present a live music show and an array of creatively engaging retailer activations will be on offer, such as 'Close Shaves' Story Sessions at Truefitt and Hill barber's shop and After Dark Glamour Sessions at Inglot and the newly opened Dyson Beauty Lab. Additionally, popular dining destinations Reign and Esquire will be offering themed dining to those needing to refuel after the performances. Bookings are recommended.

Central to the evening is the Heart of the QVB, a large-scale installation that will be raised within the ceiling's dome. Filled with messages from the public and standing at an awe-inspiring 3.6m x 3.6m in size, the installation will serve as a shrine for the community's visions for the future of the building.

Ticketed After Dark Tours will also be running (6.40pm, 7.40pm, 8.40pm), giving guests the opportunity to visit parts of the building usually closed to the public. They'll also learn about its supernatural elements and resident ghost – Mei Quong Tart – a former QVB merchant tragically killed following a botched robbery attempt in 1903.

Responsible for the creative direction of QVB After Dark LIVE, ØFFERINGS AKA Missy Gilbert has a rich background in the arts, having recently performed at Dark MOFO festival in Hobart. Closer to home, she ran immersive dining sessions at Chin Chin, which stretched the boundaries of a routine dining experience and saw the restaurant transformed into a creative wonderland.

QVB After Dark LIVE represents a change in direction for the QVB, towards a more inclusive, connected and creative future – using dramatic arts to welcome new audiences and to humanise the treasured 121-year-old space.

QVB After Dark LIVE is part of the QVB After Dark arts and culture program that runs from 1 August – early September 2019.

For more information, please visit: https://www.qvb.com.au/#after-dark