Click here for new content package including interviews, and b-roll footage

Click here for images & VNR of Vivid Sydney 2026 Lights On launch moment (including Minister Kamper pressing the button and fireworks across Sydney Harbour) – content will be loaded from 10PM AEST.

Full program and tickets available at www.vividsydney.com

SYDNEY, May 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Sydney harbour and CBD has once again been reimagined as a vibrant city in colour as Vivid Sydney kicks off its 16^th year. In a festival-first, there is no theme for artists and creators to work within, so visitors can expect to see unparalleled creativity across curated Light, Minds, Music, and Food events and experiences this year.

From today, festival-goers can experience more than 200 events over 23 nights that will ignite the senses, stimulate their minds, and tap into unexplored wonder, giving both locals and visitors a unique opportunity to experience Sydney in a whole new light.

This year’s program is home to more than 80% free events across both daytime and evening, a condensed 6.5km light walk with 43 installations, projections and large-scale public artworks, as well as the eagerly-awaited return of the drone show – this year, shining bright over Cockle Bay across 22 performances.

Additionally, the well-loved Vivid Fire Kitchen has a new home in Barangaroo reserve and boasts a significant lineup of culinary heavyweights, while Vivid Minds (formally Ideas) delivers world-class conversations and performances from some of the leading creative minds globally.

Vivid Sydney Festival Director Brett Sheehy AO said, “This year marks the start of an exciting evolution of Vivid Sydney. We’ve expanded the program across all pillars and have opened up the brief for artists and removed the creative limitations of needing to centre around one key theme. 

“Visitors can expect a more immersive and interactive experience that will encourage them to explore new locations, unexpected installations, and spend more time enjoying the festival – both after dark and during the day.

“We’ve gone back to the core of what Vivid Sydney is all about which is tapping into creativity, and through this, there’s this incredible platform to showcase leading Australian talent as well as a chance to bring legendary international talent to the Sydney landscape too.”

Vivid Sydney Partners

Returning as Major Partners for 2026 are Kia and Samsung Electronics Australia.

Kia returns in its 5^th consecutive year as a Major Partner and will display Kia Refraction in Bligh & Barney Reserve.

Samsung will activate with an immersive and interactive sculptural installation, Sky Portal Studio in First Fleet Park for its 5^th year as a Partner.

Joining the Major Partners for 2026 is IREN – proud sponsor of ‘Star-Bound: Vivid Sydney Drone Show’.

Joining as an Official Partner for 2026 is Lilly Australia. Celebrating its 150th Anniversary, Lilly will be presenting a panel as part of Vivid Minds titled A New Horizon of Health.

Uber also joins them as an Official Partner with dedicated pickup and dropoff zones across the footprint.

Dine Out with Uber Eats will also be the presenting partner of the Food for Thought Stage in the Vivid Fire Kitchen.

The festival’s Charity Partner for 2026 is Foodbank NSW & ACT who will be at Tumbalong Park with their interactive installation called Foodbank Truck Packer.

Vivid Sydney runs from Friday 22 May to Saturday 13 June. For more information visit vividsydney.com.

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SYDNEY, May 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Manchester City Women are Women’s Super League Champions and official trading partner Axi is marking the moment in style.

Under head coach Andree Jeglertz, Manchester City Women delivered an outstanding WSL campaign playing direct, explosive football that set the standard the rest of the division could not match. Week after week they raised the bar, and when the title arrived, nobody was surprised. They had earned it.

Today, Axi has launched My Roots a new campaign celebrating the WSL Champions and announced a significant donation to the City Girls Programme, run by City in the Community, the official charity of Manchester City Football Club.

A campaign built around the women who did it

My Roots is built on the shared conviction that great performance comes through preparation, consistency, and the courage to compete when it matters most, values that have always connected Axi and Manchester City. As the club’s official trading partner, Axi has been part of that journey from the very beginning.

Julie Sharova, Head of Global Marketing at Axi, said:

“Manchester City Women are WSL Champions and they have earned every bit of that title. There is something about this team —  the way they carry themselves, the standards they hold themselves to, the way they lift each other — that speaks directly to what we believe in at Axi. My Roots is our way of celebrating them. And our donation to the City Girls Programme is our way of making sure the next generation of women in sport, in trading, in whatever they choose has the chance to create their own defining moments.”

Backing Women in Sport

The City Girls Programme increases female participation in sport, builds leadership pathways, and delivers grassroots opportunities for women and girls across Greater Manchester. Axi’s donation reflects a partnership built on more than branding. It is a long-term commitment to the community Manchester City represents.

About City in the Community: City in the Community is the official charity of Manchester City Football Club, empowering healthier lives with city youth through football across Greater Manchester. For more information, visit www.mancity.com/CITC   

About Axi: Axi is a global online FX and CFD trading brand and Manchester City’s official trading partner, serving clients in more than 100 countries worldwide. Axi combines trading technology, education, and performance-driven programmes to support traders and communities globally.

Media enquiries: mediaenquiries@axi.com  

Learn more: www.axi.com 

Watch video: https://youtu.be/bFLoEmHalAg 

71.25% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

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HONG KONG, May 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Vinexposium is giving its 2026 Hong Kong event a whole new dimension. Vinexpo Asia is growing, restructuring and evolving to align with new consumption trends. Three spaces – Vinexpo Asia, Be Spirits and Be No – will be hosted under the same roof to embrace the ever-expanding range of alcoholic and no-alcohol drinks.

In this volume, you will find all the essential information about this edition:

• Key figures and event highlights.
• Major 2026 trends shaping the W&S industry in Asia.
• Markets overview.
• Practical information to attend and cover the show.

ACCESS THE PRESS KIT HERE

For more information, visit the Vinexpo Asia, Be Spirits and Be No websites
View photos from the previous edition in Hong Kong here 

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• Surpasses 1 billion streams on Spotify, marking a rare milestone for a character-driven global hit
• Averages around 400,000 daily Spotify streams worldwide, or nearly five plays every second

Download images here

SEOUL, South Korea, May 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Pinkfong Company, the global entertainment company behind Baby Shark, today announced that “Baby Shark” has surpassed 1 billion streams on Spotify, joining the platform’s Billions Club and marking a major streaming milestone for the globally beloved song.

Spotify’s Billions Club recognizes songs that have surpassed 1 billion streams on the platform, a milestone reached by tracks from some of the world’s biggest recording artists. For “Baby Shark,” the achievement stands out as a rare milestone for a character-driven global hit, underscoring the strength of Baby Shark as a global content franchise with lasting cultural relevance across markets, platforms and generations.

Over the past 12 months, “Baby Shark” generated 137 million streams, reached 23 million listeners and was added to playlists more than 1 million times on Spotify. On average, the song is streamed around 400,000 times per day worldwide, or nearly five times every second. The track’s latest listening data also reflects its broad global appeal, with top markets spanning North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia and Oceania, led by the U.S., the U.K., Australia and Canada.

“Baby Shark has grown from a viral sensation into a global cultural touchpoint, connecting with audiences across languages, markets and generations,” said Minseok Kim, CEO of The Pinkfong Company. “Reaching 1 billion streams on Spotify is a meaningful milestone that reflects the song’s lasting appeal and continued global listenership. We look forward to expanding Baby Shark through music, stories and experiences that bring joy to fans around the world.”

“Baby Shark hitting 1 billion streams on Spotify is another landmark milestone for this magical song,” said Shabs Jobanputra, Founder of Relentless Records. “We are very proud to be in partnership with Pinkfong and celebrate this moment.”

First released in 2015, “Baby Shark” became a global phenomenon with its catchy melody, playful choreography and universal family appeal. The song has since built a record-breaking legacy across platforms, becoming the most-viewed video in YouTube history with more than 16 billion views, charting for 20 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, and earning RIAA Diamond certification (11x Platinum) and BRIT Certified 5x Platinum. Baby Shark has also expanded into a global franchise spanning animated series, films, consumer products, live shows, and digital experiences.

About The Pinkfong Company

The Pinkfong Company is a global entertainment company that delivers content and entertaining experiences around the world. Driven by award-winning brands and IPs, the company has created and distributed a range of content across genres and formats including original animated series, world live tours, interactive games, and more. Believing in the power of entertaining and engaging content, The Pinkfong Company is committed to connecting people around the world and bringing joy and inspiration to worldwide audiences of all ages. For more information, please visit the website or follow the company on LinkedIn.

*Sony Music Entertainment UK’s Relentless Records are Pinkfong’s global music partner, alongside The Orchard who distribute the catalogue worldwide.

About Relentless Records

Relentless Records is one of the frontline labels at Sony Music Entertainment UK. Sony Music Entertainment is a global recorded music company with a current roster that includes a broad array of both local artists and international superstars. The company boasts a vast catalogue that comprises some of the most important recordings in history. Sony Music Entertainment is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America.

About The Orchard:

The Orchard is a full-service music distribution company operating in more than 50 cities worldwide. The Orchard’s comprehensive artist & label services offering harnesses innovative technology, transparent data analysis, and expertise to reach fans and grow audiences. Offerings include digital and physical sales and marketing, advertising, brand partnerships, rights management, video monetization, collaborator splits and royalty accounting, publishing administration, neighboring rights, and more. Championed by an exceptional community of music lovers and experts, The Orchard empowers creators and entrepreneurs to grow and adapt in the dynamic, global industry. For further information, visit www.theorchard.com.

Media Contact

Hailey Kim

Communications Manager

The Pinkfong Company

hailey@pinkfong.com

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Following heavy debate at the Los Angeles Vertical Drama Market, the AI-native pioneer scales its $2M incubator to empower creators producing social thrillers, sports dramas, and fantasy adventures at 3% of legacy production costs

LOS ANGELES, May 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Returning from the frontline of the Los Angeles Vertical Drama Market (LAVDM), Anamana, the world’s first integrated creator ecosystem for AI-native micro-serials, today issued an industry-wide challenge to the ROI-driven incumbents dominating the $5 billion global short-drama market outside of China. 

While Chinese-led market titans like DramaBox used the four-day event to double down on highly profitable, formulaic “romantasy” tropes , Anamana is scaling its Anamana 100 Creator Incubator to prove that vertical, 9:16 mobile storytelling can successfully hold expansive narratives that captivate broader, diversified audiences. Backed by its proprietary agentic AI production platform, Anamana Studio, the company enables independent creators to bypass traditional cost bottlenecks — reducing production barriers by 97% and providing the economic freedom to take narrative risks.

According to Kai Pan, the Anamana executive who represented the company at LAVDM, the prevailing wisdom at the industry event was that micro-dramas are forever bound to pulp-romance playbooks. Anamana publicly rejects this limitation, pointing to a creative ceiling hit by traditional content factories that rely heavily on translating or “reskinning” identical scripts.

This commitment to creative diversification is reflected across Anamana’s global cohort, where creators are actively pushing past conventional genre boundaries: 

In Tokyo, Japan, director Masashi Kawamata is developing I am AI, a social media thriller tracking an influencer whose identity is weaponized against her via deepfake technology. 

“Micro-dramas today are built around very specific emotional transactions that have become commodified and safe,” said Masashi Kawamata. “The industry relies on billionaire CEOs and revenge marriages because they are emotionally efficient. The ceiling for this medium is much higher than what most platforms are willing to test, and Anamana understands that recognition and honesty create viewer loyalty in a way that cheap wish-fulfillment cannot.” 

In Bristol, UK, screenwriter Aishwarya Shah is producing Thin Ice, a high-stakes sports drama within a story about corruption, property redevelopment and family pressure.

“I think a lot of platforms would’ve wanted my concept flattened into a much safer, more straightforward romance very quickly,” added Aishwarya Shah. “But Anamana is committed to treating their audiences as intelligent and recognizes the hunger for stronger stories in more compelling worlds, while maintaining the pace and drama of the format.” 

In Berlin, Germany, filmmakers Markus and Tanja Laukkanen are directing Epic Quest Saga, a whimsical fantasy adventure inspired by Nordic mythology and folklore.

“Instead of making the story safer or smaller, Anamana pushed us to make it stranger, faster-paced, funnier, and more entertaining,” shared the Laukkanens. “That creative freedom is rare, especially in a market that can become overly focused on repeating existing formulas, and has been incredibly refreshing for us as filmmakers!”

On a smartphone, an audience is always a single “muscle twitch” away from abandoning content for a push notification or a social feed. While incumbents fight this distraction with endless melodramatic tropes , Anamana’s platform relies on high-resonance, diverse storytelling to drive audience retention. 

Anamana is currently deploying its initial $2 million Anamana 100 Creator Incubator fund to greenlight non-traditional genre projects from creators across five continents. Commercial availability of the Anamana Studio production platform for non-incubated creators is expected in 2026 Q3.

About Anamana

Founded in 2025, Anamana is an integrated AI-native micro-serial platform, production platform, and global creator ecosystem incubator. Human storytellers use the agentic AI Anamana Studio production platform to produce high-fidelity serialized video content with up to 97% lower capital, time, and manpower costs, lowering barriers to creation and increasing accessibility to individual creators. Micro-serials produced are then distributed to the market on Anamana’s own standalone app or third-party video services including YouTube or TikTok.  

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