Riverina produce comes to Sydney tables in Vivid dinner series

Sydney's Vivid program is putting regional NSW produce in front of harbour diners this weekend, with Riverina flavours taking centre stage in a two-night dinner series on 7 and 8 June.

Griffith City Council says acclaimed Griffith restaurateur Luke Piccolo is collaborating with chef and restaurateur Giovanni Pilu for dinners at Flaminia, Pilu's Circular Quay restaurant. The events form part of Vivid Food's Regional Dinner Series, a program designed to showcase regional produce and culinary stories inside Sydney venues.

The Sydney angle is significant. Vivid is often viewed through its light installations and music program, but the food pillar is increasingly being used to connect the city with regional NSW. Bringing Riverina produce into a Circular Quay restaurant places regional growers, chefs and food identities in front of a metropolitan audience at a time when the city is full of festival visitors.

For Griffith and the Riverina, the dinner series is a form of exposure that goes beyond tourism brochures. A city dinner built around regional ingredients can introduce Sydney diners to produce, wine and food culture they may not otherwise seek out. It also gives regional chefs a platform inside one of the state's highest-profile winter events.

The timing is well chosen. Sunday 7 June falls during the long weekend and in the middle of Vivid's busiest period. Diners heading into Circular Quay are likely to combine food with the Light Walk, harbour viewing or other festival programming. That turns dinner into part of a broader city itinerary.

The event also points to a broader hospitality trend. Sydney restaurants are increasingly being used as stages for regional collaboration, not just as city businesses serving local customers. The Regional Dinner Series gives venues a reason to tell a wider NSW food story, while regional producers gain access to audiences who may be visiting from interstate or overseas.

For the city, this kind of programming helps Vivid feel less one-dimensional. Light installations draw the crowds, but food events give people a reason to book, stay longer and spend across hospitality venues. For regional NSW, the benefit is visibility and credibility in a competitive dining market.

As the dinners begin, the Riverina collaboration is a reminder that Sydney's major events can carry stories from beyond the city. The harbour may be the setting, but the produce, chefs and regional identity give the weekend's food program a wider NSW flavour.