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Footage of Vivid crowds horrifies viewers

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos -  Picture: NCA NewsWire /, Nicholas Eagar
Many Sydneysiders are turning away from one of the city’s favourite festivals due to mammoth crowds that people have compared to Tokyo or New Dehli. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nicholas Eagar

The crowds at Vivid have been described as a “nightmare” after footage of thousands of attendees trying to go home went viral.

Throngs of people were filmed flooding into Circular Quay train station, the major public transport option at the heart of the light walk.

The crowd was filmed slowly shuffling through the ticket gates, leading some viewers to compare it to crowded cities such as New Delhi or Tokyo.

Thousands of people crammed into Circular Quay station trying to get home after Vivid.
Thousands of people crammed into Circular Quay station trying to get home after Vivid.
Thousands of people crammed into Circular Quay station trying to get home after Vivid.
One person described the scene as their “worst nightmare”.

Many were quick to say they didn’t believe the crowds made Vivid worth the trip, with one commenter saying it was a “big reason why I hate going to Vivid”.

“I would rather be anywhere else but there,” another said.

“I’ll pass, everyone just wants their new TikTok video and Instagram photo.”

“The last time I went OMG the crowds were so bad will never go again,” one person commented

The popular light festival is a highlight of Sydney’s event calendar, and those keen to get in on the action have long been warned of huge crowds throughout the city while it is on.

Thousands of people crammed into Circular Quay station trying to get home after Vivid.
“I would rather be anywhere else but there,” one person said.

The video is believed to have been taken on the weekend, when crowd numbers are at their highest.

“Generally, Friday, Saturday, Sunday nights and the Monday public holiday night (June 12) attract the largest crowds,” the Vivid website reads.

The festival has handed out some tips on how to avoid the crowds for those still keen to look at the lights.

“Those with young families and strollers should also consider coming to Vivid Sydney on weeknights when visitor numbers are expected to be lower than the weekends, and earlier in the night,” the organisation said.

Some Sydneysiders also commented on the TikTok with tips of their own, urging others to walk to either Wynyard or St James stations to avoid the masses.