Sydney New Year's Eve is an annual
New Year's Eve
In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve refers to the evening, or commonly the entire day, of the last day of the year, 31 December, also known as Old Year's Day. In many countries, New Year's Eve is celebrated with dancing, eating, drinkin ...
fireworks
Fireworks are Explosive, low explosive Pyrotechnics, pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a large numbe ...
event in
Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
,
New South Wales
New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
. The event currently consists of two fireworks shows, with an evening display known as the Calling Country Fireworks (formerly, the Family Fireworks) held at 9:00 p.m.
AEDT, and the main Midnight Fireworks, held at 12:00 a.m. Fireworks are launched from
barge
A barge is typically a flat-bottomed boat, flat-bottomed vessel which does not have its own means of mechanical propulsion. Original use was on inland waterways, while modern use is on both inland and ocean, marine water environments. The firs ...
s in
Port Jackson
Port Jackson, commonly known as Sydney Harbour, is a natural harbour on the east coast of Australia, around which Sydney was built. It consists of the waters of Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour, North Harbour and the Lane Cove and Parramatta ...
, as well as nearby landmarks such as the
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue Performing arts center, performing arts centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive b ...
, and the
Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, spanning Port Jackson, Sydney Harbour from the Sydney central business district, central business district (CBD) to the North Shore (Sydney), North ...
, which serves as the main focal point of the show via lighting and pyrotechnic effects.
As one of the first major cities to celebrate the New Year, the event is widely-viewed in Australia and worldwide. Organizers have estimated the annual in-person attendance of the event to be around 1.5 to 1.6 million, with tourists accounting for a large portion of its attendees. Some locations, such as the
Royal Botanic Garden, host ticketed seating areas.
The event is usually organised by the City of Sydney however in 2020, the fireworks were scaled back and the state government of New South Wales was given "temporary custodianship" of the event for 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions at the time.
History
Origins
In 1976, the Sydney Committee decided to reconstitute a failing
Waratah Festival as the Festival of Sydney. At the first meeting of its Programme Committee, they agreed that New Year's Eve should launch the new festival, a 'big bang affair'. Focusing on the harbour and adjacent areas, it would include a sail-past of decorated craft, music, and a 'spectacular fireworks display at midnight'. With this, the Festival of Sydney made New Year's Eve official for the first time. Stephen Hall was its Executive Director from 1977 to 1994. The 1979/80 brochure for the Festival featured an image of the fireworks over the
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue Performing arts center, performing arts centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive b ...
and the slogan "Get into the '80s with a bang".
Inspiration to use the
Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, spanning Port Jackson, Sydney Harbour from the Sydney central business district, central business district (CBD) to the North Shore (Sydney), North ...
as a launchpad for fireworks came from the use of fireworks on the
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is a cable-stayed suspension bridge in New York City, spanning the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Opened on May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the first fixed crossing of the East River. It w ...
as part of its 100th anniversary celebrations in 1983.
Syd Howard, pyrotechnician, used his inspiration and the chances given to him to put fireworks displays on
Sydney Harbour
Port Jackson, commonly known as Sydney Harbour, is a ria, natural harbour on the east coast of Australia, around which Sydney was built. It consists of the waters of Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour, North Harbour and the Lane Cove River, Lane ...
to use the bridge as a launchpad for fireworks. His first opportunity was in 1986 for the 75th Anniversary Review of the
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the navy, naval branch of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (Australia), Chief of Navy (CN) Vice admiral (Australia), Vice Admiral Mark Hammond (admiral), Ma ...
. Here he introduced the "waterfall" effect as well as a pyrotechnic message on the bridge. The message read "NSW salutes Royal Australian Navy" and employed thousands of cigarette-style fireworks to create the lettering. It hung over the side of the pedestrian walkway.
From NYE 1996 to NYE 1999, management of the event was contracted out to
Ric Birch's ''Spectak Productions''. Birch, known for his work on numerous Olympic Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies brought with him former
Jimmy and the Boys frontman
Ignatius Jones
Juan Ignacio Rafaelo Lorenzo Trápaga y Esteban (24 October 1957 – 7 May 2024), known professionally as Ignatius Jones, was a Filipino-born Australian events director and journalist who fronted the shock rock band Jimmy and the Boys. From 1 ...
as Creative Director and Catriona Brown as Senior Producer.
1996–1999
The original Sydney New Year's Eve fireworks display (NYE 1996) was designed by Syd Howard Fireworks. The event used the pylons, arch and catwalk of the bridge, city buildings and one barge located in front of the
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue Performing arts center, performing arts centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive b ...
. There was a ten-second pyrotechnic countdown. Each second, one shooting comet shot off a different building starting from
North Sydney
North Sydney is a suburb and commercial district on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. And is the administrative centre for the local government area of North Sydney Council.
History
The Indigenous people on the s ...
and finishing at
AMP Tower to form an
Olympic Torch
The Olympic flame is a Olympic symbols, symbol used in the Olympic movement. It is also a symbol of continuity between ancient and modern games. The Olympic flame is lit at Olympia, Greece, several months before the Olympic Games. This ceremony s ...
to welcome in 1997.
For NYE 1997, the Midnight Fireworks included the
Star City Casino. The AMP Tower turned into a ticking clock with shooting comets slowly rotating around the top of the tower. The soundtrack for the countdown was a ticking clock before a
bell
A bell /ˈbɛl/ () is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be m ...
toll rang in 1999. This bell toll also turned AMP Tower into an Olympic Torch. Also, from NYE 1997, the Midnight Fireworks were extended to include the Harbour Bridge, the 9 pm Family Fireworks were extended to include two barges (one on each side of the bridge) and the displays were co-designed by Foti International Fireworks and Syd Howard Fireworks.
On NYE 1999 the
Apollo 11
Apollo 11 was a spaceflight conducted from July 16 to 24, 1969, by the United States and launched by NASA. It marked the first time that humans Moon landing, landed on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and Lunar Module pilot Buzz Aldrin l ...
countdown, as well as air raid sirens, provided the soundtrack for the countdown. A
smiley
A smiley, sometimes called a smiley face, is a basic ideogram representing a Smile, smiling face. Since the 1950s, it has become part of popular culture worldwide, used either as a standalone ideogram or as a form of communication, such as em ...
face was visible on the bridge during the show, until the finale revealed the word "
Eternity
Eternity, in common parlance, is an Infinity, infinite amount of time that never ends or the quality, condition or fact of being everlasting or eternal. Classical philosophy, however, defines eternity as what is timeless or exists outside tim ...
" in
Copperplate writing, in honour of
Arthur Stace. Fireworks were also launched from the Centrepoint Tower. A rather unusual feature of the 1999 display was a selection of
tugboat
A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, suc ...
s that made their way through the harbour, each one carrying a colourful, brightly lit model of a particular sea creature. The Fireworks Soundtrack included a five-minute "History Of Pop" featuring hits from the 1890s to the 1990s.
2000–2004
Since 2000, the displays have been fully designed and created by Foti International Fireworks. During NYE 2000, a larger than life birthday cake was unveiled well before midnight to celebrate 100 years of Australia as a nation. It was placed in front of the northern forecourt of the Opera House on a
pontoon. At midnight, the cake lit up with a chasing lighting effect running from the bottom of the cake to the top. A
Federation Star representing 100 years since the federation of Australia appeared on the bridge during the finale.
On NYE 2001, A dove of peace slowly came into view to speak peace to the world after the
September 11th terrorist attacks in New York. On NYE 2002, the city buildings were removed from the fireworks displays. The 9 pm family fireworks had to be cancelled due to high winds of . Those fireworks were then rescheduled to Australia Day, but were cancelled again, this time due to a total fire ban. An animated dove appeared on the bridge during the finale.
After six years as
creative director
A creative director is a person who makes high-level creative decisions; oversees the creation of creative assets such as advertisements, products, events, or logos; and directs and translates the creative people who produce the end results. Creat ...
, Ignatius Jones stepped down in 2002 to be replaced by former Melbourne and Sydney Festival artistic director
Leo Schofield
Leo George Schofield (born 6 May 1935) had a notable career as an advertising professional, journalist, creative arts festival director, and trustee of arts and cultural organisations. After many years in other states of Australia he now live ...
. Ken Wilby moved on the following year with the event's
production manager Ed Wilkinson elevated to the producer role from 2003 to 2005.

On NYE 2003, a fifteen-second countdown was accompanied with the striking of a gong at midnight. For the first time, fireworks were launched off the vertical hangers of the bridge in a one-off display. From NYE 2004, the first
3D bridge effect was used. Also in that year, the fireworks display was viewed as a disco with pop music and a disco ball suspended from the bridge. The show concluded with a remix of the national anthem "
Advance Australia Fair
"Advance Australia Fair" is the national anthem of Australia. Written by Scottish-born Australian composer Peter Dodds McCormick, the song was first performed as a patriotic song in Australia in 1878. It replaced "God Save the King, God Save th ...
" combined with folk song "
Waltzing Matilda
"Waltzing Matilda" is a song developed in the Australian style of poetry and folk music called a bush ballad. It has been described as the country's "unofficial national anthem".
The title was Australian slang for travelling on foot (waltzing ...
". The remix was criticised by politicians; in an interview with
6PR, Prime Minister
John Howard
John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian former politician who served as the 25th prime minister of Australia from 1996 to 2007. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia. His eleven-year tenure as prime min ...
stated that he had a "very strong view that the national anthem should be sung and played in a way that facilitates maximum audience participation in its singing", while
Leader of the Opposition of New South Wales John Brogden called it '"simply a bad piece of music".
2005–2009
On NYE 2005, a beating heart was the icon on the bridge that appeared after the 9 pm fireworks display. The fireworks themselves during the show exploded in Heart shapes. Former
Sydney Theatre Company
Sydney Theatre Company (STC) is an Australian theatre company based in Sydney, New South Wales. The company performs in the Wharf Theatre at Dawes Point in The Rocks area of Sydney as well as the Roslyn Packer Theatre (formerly Sydney Theatre ...
head
Wayne Harrison joined Katrina Marton in taking over leadership of the event as Creative Director and Producer respectively for the events from 2005 to 2007.
NYE 2006 saw the four barges feature for the 9 pm Family Fireworks while six barges feature with the city buildings return for the midnight show and in addition, it had a ten-second countdown projected on the pylons starting with the logo for
Network 10
Network 10 (commonly known as the 10 Network, Channel 10 or simply 10) is an Australian commercial television network. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Paramount Global's UK & Australia division and is one of the five national free-to-a ...
. A question mark was shown in the nights leading up to the celebrations, which also doubled up as the curved end of the coat hanger.

In NYE 2007, the bridge acted as a seventh barge for the first time shooting fireworks throughout the show instead of just during the beginning and finale.
In NYE 2008, the bridge, seven city buildings and six barges staged in the biggest fireworks display yet, increasing from $4 million worth of fireworks to $5 million. Brenton Kewley, who had worked on the event since 1996 in various roles, including
Art Director
Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games.
It is the charge of a sole art director to supe ...
and
Associate Producer took over as Producer for the 2008 and 2009 events while journalist and broadcaster
Rhoda Roberts took over from Wayne Harrison in 2008.
During NYE 2009, the countdown started with messages projected on the pylons. The
pyrotechnic
Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating fireworks, but also includes safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts (and other fasteners), parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demol ...
countdown was started by launching an exploding mine on a barge in front of the bridge. For the first time, microchip fireworks were used in the show which lasted longer in the sky and were more accurate when synchronised with music. The show consisted of $5 million worth of fireworks running for twelve minutes. A
Yin Yang
Originating in Chinese philosophy, yin and yang (, ), also yinyang or yin-yang, is the concept of opposite cosmic principles or forces that interact, interconnect, and perpetuate each other. Yin and yang can be thought of as complementary an ...
symbol appeared on the bridge during the finale. Once again, more fireworks exploded on the bridge throughout the entire show when compared with previous NYE displays.
2010–2014
On NYE 2010, the creative direction was still Rhoda Roberts. The theme was "Make Your Mark", reflecting on the decade gone and the lasting impressions left by our actions; as well as reflecting on ways in which all people can make their mark by contributing to a better future. For the very first time the bridge effect was multi-layered, which included more than ten signs and symbols.
In 2011, Aneurin Coffey took over as Producer having been Production Manager since 2006. 2011 also saw a change from individual creative directors to a creative agency, Imagination Australia, which promoted Marc Newson as creative spokesperson. The theme was "Time to Dream". The display, for the very first time, was choreographed to an all-Australian soundtrack created by music production house
s:amplify which included original composition. This marks the first year, a ninety-second countdown was featured on the bridge effect.
In March 2012, Imagination appointed Australian singer
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and actress. Frequently referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Princess of Pop", she has achieved recognition in both the music industry and fas ...
as creative ambassador for the 2012–13 event, overseeing the soundtrack and visual direction for the event and its official parties. Minogue's involvement was part of her year-long commemoration of 25 years in the music industry. The official theme was "Embrace";
the show's budget increased from $6.3 million to $6.5 million, and the city announced plans for the event to be
carbon neutral
Global net-zero emissions is reached when greenhouse gas emissions and Greenhouse gas removal, removals due to human activities are in balance. It is often called simply net zero. ''Emissions'' can refer to all greenhouse gases or only carbon diox ...
through the use of biodegradable cases for the firework shells, among other aspects. Foti stated that the event would feature new firework shapes such as
bees
Bees are winged insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their roles in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamil ...
,
butterflies
Butterflies are winged insects from the lepidopteran superfamily Papilionoidea, characterized by large, often brightly coloured wings that often fold together when at rest, and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. The oldest butterfly fossi ...
,
koala
The koala (''Phascolarctos cinereus''), sometimes inaccurately called the koala bear, is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia. It is the only Extant taxon, extant representative of the Family (biology), family ''Phascolar ...
s, and a
semiquaver designed for Minogue.
The 2013–14 theme was "Shine"; artist
Reg Mombassa served as creative ambassador, and oversaw that year's bridge effect—a giant blinking eye. In addition, the event featured a special minute-long firework display at 10:30 p.m. that was inspired by Mombassa's painting "Cranium Universe".
The theme for the 2014–15 edition was "Inspire"; the budget was reported to have increased from $6.8 million to $7.2 million, and Australian actor
Jack Thompson was named the creative ambassador for the show.
As part of the theme, viewers were encouraged to post messages on
Twitter
Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
using the
hashtag
A hashtag is a metadata tag operator that is prefaced by the hash symbol, ''#''. On social media, hashtags are used on microblogging and photo-sharing services–especially Twitter and Tumblr–as a form of user-generated tagging that enable ...
"#SydNYE" for a chance to have them projected on the bridge pylons.
A special display known as the "Inspire moment" was held at 10:40 p.m. The bridge effect was a stylised
lightbulb, in honour of the United Nations' declaration of 2015 as the
International Year of Light
The International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies 2015 or International Year of Light 2015 (IYL 2015) was a United Nations observance that aimed to raise awareness of the achievements of light science and its applications, and its imp ...
.
In acknowledgement of the
Lindt Cafe siege, the message "Sydney remembers" was occasionally projected on the pylons.
2015–2019

The 2015–16 theme was "City of Colour". For the first time since the practice was introduced, organisers eschewed the lit symbols that had been used as bridge effects, in favour of constructing a larger array of lighting effects utilising the entire bridge.
Additionally, a
Welcome to Country ceremony was held at sundown prior to the 9 p.m. Family Fireworks, to acknowledge the harbour as territory of the
Cadigal, Gamaragal, and
Wangal bands of the
Eora
The Eora (; also ''Yura'') are an Aboriginal Australian people of New South Wales. Eora is the name given by the earliest European settlers to a group of Aboriginal people belonging to the clans along the coastal area of what is now known as ...
people. The segment's creative director Rhoda Roberts explained that it would "
elebratethe connection that Australia’s First Peoples have with the land in a way that’s inclusive and fun": the segment featured projections of Aboriginal imagery on the pylons, as well as lighting and pyrotechnic effects on the bridge that were inspired by the
Australian Aboriginal flag.
The 2016–17 theme was "Welcome to SydNYE"; co-producer Catherine Flanagan explained that the theme was about "welcoming everybody to this magical place", particularly tourists. In honour of the 200th anniversary of the
Royal Botanic Garden, a papercraft floral sculpture of Sydney Harbour inspired by the event was commissioned from artist Benja Harney, and appeared in promotional material. The welcome to country ceremony added a
smoking ceremony conducted by the
Tribal Warrior and Mari Nawi boats. Tributes to the musicians
Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
and
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...
were featured during the family and midnight shows respectively, inspired by their songs "
Purple Rain" and "
Space Oddity". The midnight show also featured a segment that paid tribute to actor
Gene Wilder
Gene Wilder (born Jerome Silberman; June 11, 1933 – August 29, 2016) was an American actor, comedian, writer, and filmmaker. He was mainly known for his comedic roles, including his portrayal of Willy Wonka in ''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Fa ...
, with candy-shaped firecrackers in a reference to his portrayal of
Willy Wonka.
The 2017–18 edition featured a total of eight tonnes of pyrotechnics, and a
rainbow flag-coloured waterfall effect to pay tribute to the 40th anniversary of
Sydney Mardi Gras, and the 9 December 2017
legalisation of same-sex marriage in Australia. The welcome to country ceremony included a special message from the
Muwekma Ohlone community of
northern California
Northern California (commonly shortened to NorCal) is a geocultural region that comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California, spanning the northernmost 48 of the state's List of counties in California, 58 counties. Northern Ca ...
, in honour of the 50th anniversary of Sydney's
sister city
A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties.
While there are early examples of inte ...
relationship with
San Francisco
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
.
The theme for 2018–19 was "The Pulse of Sydney", reflected by new pyrotechnic effects that "
ulsatein dramatic new shapes", and colour effects that "
oveacross the display rather than the traditional explosion from the centre of the firework". The show used 8.5 tonnes of
pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating fireworks, but also includes safety matches, oxygen candles, Pyrotechnic fastener, explosive bolts (and other fasteners), parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, q ...
, and also contained a segment paying tribute to American singer
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Honored as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Soul", she was twice named by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as the Roll ...
(who died in August 2018).
Ahead of the 2019–20 edition, organisers unveiled a new visual identity and branding for the event, designed by Garbett Design.
There were calls to cancel the fireworks due to the
extreme bushfires across the country, with a petition proposing for their budget to be reallocated to disaster relief purposes. The fires had prompted cancellations and postponements of fireworks celebrations in other areas.
The City of Sydney stated that the fireworks would go on as scheduled, but that "if a total fire ban is declared, we will continue to liaise with NSW Government agencies and the
NSW Rural Fire Service to determine the safest way to proceed with the event". Fireworks director Fortunato Foti was to also be consulted in the event of high winds. The Rural Fire Service, which granted an exemption to the fire ban for the show, stated that it did not expect "catastrophic" conditions to return on New Year's Eve.
Highs of 40 °C (104 °F) were forecast for western Sydney, and special air quality statements were issued in relation to the event.
Sydney officials stated that it would be infeasible to cancel the show, as it would be disruptive to tourists and local business, much of the budget had already been spent, and that there would be "little practical benefit for affected communities".
The event's head of audience Tanya Goldberg added that an
Australian Red Cross charity appeal would be promoted throughout the event and telecast. Goldberg explained that "the one thing that will help those communities is to go ahead with the event and leverage the power of it to drive people to donate".
2020–2022: COVID-19 impact
2020–21
Due to the
COVID-19 pandemic in Australia
The COVID-19 pandemic in Australia was a part of the COVID-19 pandemic, worldwide pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first confirmed case in Aust ...
, the 2020–21 edition was scaled back to consist only of a shortened, seven-minute fireworks display at midnight, with the Family Fireworks placed on hiatus.
In an interview with
2GB on 24 September,
Premier of New South Wales
The premier of New South Wales is the head of government in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The Government of New South Wales follows the Westminster system, Westminster Parliamentary System, with a Parliament of New South Wales actin ...
Gladys Berejiklian
Gladys Berejiklian (; born 22 September 1970) is an Australian businesswoman and former politician who served as the 45th premier of New South Wales and the leader of the New South Wales division of the Liberal Party from 2017 to 2021. Berejikl ...
discussed plans for ticketed attendance at key vantage points for
crowd control
Crowd control is a public security practice in which large crowds are managed in order to prevent the outbreak of crowd crushes, affray, fights involving drunk and disorderly people or riots. Crowd crushes in particular can cause many hundre ...
and
social distancing
In public health, social distancing, also called physical distancing, (NB. Regula Venske is president of the PEN Centre Germany.) is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures intended to prevent the spread of a contagious dise ...
reasons, and remarked of last year's event that Australians "felt relieved that we were still able to have a feeling of normalcy during what was otherwise a very difficult time." The City of Sydney reached an agreement with the state government to grant it "temporary custodianship" of Sydney New Year's Eve.
A two-stage perimeter was established within Sydney's
central business district
A central business district (CBD) is the Commerce, commercial and business center of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides wit ...
(CBD),
Circular Quay
Circular Quay is a harbour, former working port and now international passenger shipping terminal, public piazza and tourism precinct, heritage area, and transport node located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, on the northern edge of the ...
, and
North Sydney
North Sydney is a suburb and commercial district on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. And is the administrative centre for the local government area of North Sydney Council.
History
The Indigenous people on the s ...
on the evening of the event, with the "yellow zone" being patrolled by police to break up large crowds that violate NSW health orders in regards to gatherings,
and the "green zone" (in closer proximity to the harbour) having restricted access by permit only after 5:00 p.m. on New Year's Eve. Permits were only granted to local residents, those who had a confirmed reservation at a hospitality business within a green zone (such as a restaurant or hotel), and employees of businesses within the zone.
To honour their involvement, plans were announced for certain "premium" viewing areas on the foreshore to be reserved exclusively to invited frontline workers. Premier
Berejiklian scrapped the plan on 28 December amid new cases of
community transmission in Greater Sydney (which had prompted a localised
stay at home order for Sydney's
Northern Beaches
The Northern Beaches is a region within Northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, near the Pacific coast. This area extends south to the entrance of Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour), west to Middle Harbour and north to the ...
, and a tightening of restrictions on gatherings elsewhere), stating that there was "too much of a health risk having people from the regions and from Sydney and from broader regional areas congregate all in the CBD". She said that the state government would "find another opportunity during the year to recognise what
heyhave done".
It was eventually decided that major harbourfront viewing locations in the green zone would be closed to the public; residents were therefore asked to not attend the event in-person, and to watch the television broadcast instead. It was still possible to view the fireworks by boat in Sydney Harbour.
2021–22
In September 2021, amid the
Delta variant outbreak, it was reported that the City of Sydney had suspended the Family Fireworks for a second year in a row due to the uncertainty of holding mass gatherings; the decision faced criticism for having been done unilaterally without discussion from councillors and other stakeholders. On 2 October, it was reported that Lord Mayor
Clover Moore
Clover Margaret Moore (née Collins, born 22 October 1945) is an Australian politician. She has been the Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney since 2004 and is currently the longest serving Lord Mayor of Sydney since the creation of the City of Sy ...
had sent a letter to Minister of Tourism
Stuart Ayres
Stuart Laurence Ayres (born 24 November 1980) is an Australian politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 19 June 2010 to 25 March 2023, representing the electorate of Electoral district of Penrith, Penrith as ...
, stating that Sydney New Year's Eve would be held "in a similar way to prior to the pandemic", provided that the NSW government "intensify its critical contribution" to the event. She told ''
The Sydney Morning Herald
''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, Australia, and owned by Nine Entertainment. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuous ...
'' that "the state government has assured us it will take responsibility for the event or cancel the 9 p.m. fireworks should public health conditions deteriorate." The concerns that led to the initial cancellation included the turnover in audiences between the two shows, and the presence of younger spectators who cannot be
vaccinated for COVID-19.
On 9 December 2021, organisers announced that the 2021–22 theme would be "See Sydney Shine", and that the midnight fireworks' soundtrack would be curated by electronic music duo
The Presets
The Presets are an Australian electronic music duo of Julian Hamilton (vocals, keyboards) and Kim Moyes (drums, keyboards). Formed in 2003 and signed to Modular Recordings, Modular Records, The Presets released two EPs (''Blow Up (EP), Blow Up ...
. The Family Fireworks served as the Welcome to Country, and were curated by Indigenous artist
Blak Douglas
__NOTOC__
Blak Douglas, formerly known as Adam Douglas Hill, is an Aboriginal Australian artist and musician. he is based in Sydney, New South Wales.
Early life and education
He is a Dhungatti man, with Irish, Scots, English, and German anc ...
. Moore stated that the theme would reflect "the beginning of what we hope will be an entirely new year for us, and for the world." Foti stated that the show would feature new effects to make the Harbour Bridge appear to be "dancing with colour", and a record 2,000 fireworks fired from the Sydney Opera House.
For crowd control and
contact tracing
In public health, contact tracing is the process of identifying people who may have been exposed to an infected person ("contacts") and subsequent collection of further data to assess transmission. By tracing the contacts of infected individua ...
purposes, vantage points on the foreshore were ticketed. The number of areas requiring paid tickets expanded from "a few" in 2020 to 15, including the
Royal Botanic Gardens and
Barangaroo
Barangaroo ( – ) was an Aboriginal Australian woman best known for her interactions with the British colony of New South Wales during the first years of the European colonisation of Australia. A member of the Cammeraygal clan, she was the wi ...
.
2023–present
The 2022–23 event was stated to be themed around diversity and inclusion, and estimated to include eight tonnes of fireworks launched from Sydney Harbour, Sydney Opera House, Harbour Bridge, and four surrounding buildings. The Family Fireworks featured a performance by Indigenous musicians Akala Newman and
Kobie Dee, while the midnight fireworks' soundtrack was curated by
Stace Cadet and
KLP. A special three-minute projection and light show was held at 11 p.m. to honour the 45th anniversary of
Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, hosting
WorldPride 2023.
The theme of the 2023–24 event was "One night, many ways to celebrate", with
18yoman and Nooky curating the music for the 9 pm fireworks, The Sweats curating the music for the midnight fireworks, and Sydney-based studio Vandal producing a projection show on the pylons utilizing
generative AI
Generative artificial intelligence (Generative AI, GenAI, or GAI) is a subfield of artificial intelligence that uses generative models to produce text, images, videos, or other forms of data. These models learn the underlying patterns and str ...
imagery. Eight-and-a-half tonnes of fireworks were used over two displays, including fireworks in the shape of whales during the 9 pm fireworks and an effect spelling the word 'Sydney' during the opening segment of the midnight fireworks. The
Chris Minns
Christopher John Minns (born 17 September 1979) is an Australian politician serving as the 47th and current premier of New South Wales since March 2023. He has been the leader of the New South Wales branch of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) si ...
state government abolished nearly all paid viewing sites on
Crown land
Crown land, also known as royal domain, is a territorial area belonging to the monarch, who personifies the Crown. It is the equivalent of an entailed estate and passes with the monarchy, being inseparable from it. Today, in Commonwealth realm ...
along the foreshore, making them open to the public free of charge. The Royal Botanic Gardens and
Taronga Zoo
Taronga Zoo Sydney is a government-run public zoo located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, in the Lower North Shore suburb of Mosman, New South Wales, Mosman, on the shores of Port Jackson, Sydney Harbour. It offers great views of Sydney ...
continue to require paid tickets, as their viewings are charity events that benefit the respective institutions. Lord Mayor Moore praised the changes, stating that "creeping commercialisation of State Government public foreshore made it near impossible for many to see the show in person. We have long advocated for the Government to reconsider its decision to charge exorbitant prices to access our public foreshore."
The City of Sydney stated that the 2024–25 event would feature nine tonnes of pyrotechnics launched from eight barges, including an additional 80 firing locations on the western side of the bridge for the first time in the event's history. It was also announced that the barges will feature spotlights. The two fireworks displays will be themed around the Aboriginal historical figure
Barangaroo
Barangaroo ( – ) was an Aboriginal Australian woman best known for her interactions with the British colony of New South Wales during the first years of the European colonisation of Australia. A member of the Cammeraygal clan, she was the wi ...
, with the midnight fireworks to feature projections of an animated depiction of Barangaroo coordinated with the soundtrack. Lord Mayor Clover Moore stated that the event would feature tributes to "powerful
female figures of Australian history".
On 20 December 2024, amid an industrial action by the
Australian Rail Tram and Bus Industry Union (RTBU) in NSW over wages,
state police commissioner Karen Webb stated that she had considered recommending to Sydney City Council that the fireworks be cancelled. She cited that the large number of attendees would not be able to return from the event safely if there were a lack of transit options. Lord Mayor Moore stated that the city would work to ensure that the fireworks were still held. RTBU NSW secretary Toby Warnes accused the state government of
hyperbole
Hyperbole (; adj. hyperbolic ) is the use of exaggeration as a rhetorical device or figure of speech. In rhetoric, it is also sometimes known as auxesis (literally 'growth'). In poetry and oratory, it emphasizes, evokes strong feelings, and cre ...
, stating that
Sydney Trains
Sydney Trains is the brand name and operator of Railways in Sydney, suburban and intercity train services in and around Greater Sydney in New South Wales, Australia.
The metropolitan part of the network is a hybrid urban rail, urban-suburban r ...
had been advised by RTBU that the impact of the action would be negligible with the extra employees working New Year's Eve. On 24 December, RTBU reached an agreement with the NSW government, pledging that any industrial action taken would have minimal impact on Christmas and New Year's holiday events in Sydney.
Bridge effect
Central to the firework displays each year since 1999 is the lighting display on the Harbour Bridge known as the "bridge effect". The display showcases a variety of lights, projections and other images related to the current year's theme.
Until 2015/16, the bridge had included a
rope light display attached to a
framework in the centre of the eastern arch using a
panel and
truss
A truss is an assembly of ''members'' such as Beam (structure), beams, connected by ''nodes'', that creates a rigid structure.
In engineering, a truss is a structure that "consists of two-force members only, where the members are organized so ...
system, which was used to complement the fireworks, with the display showcasing a variety of symbols and other images related to the year's theme. As the
scaffolding and framework were clearly visible for some weeks before the event, revealing the outline of the design, there was much speculation as to how the effect was to be realised. The bridge effect had been designed by
Brian Thomson since 2006, with the lighting designed by Mark Hammer since 2008. Since 2016, a more broader light show, covering both the outer and inner arches of the bridge, as well as the deck of the bridge, has been used, after Ziggy Ziegler became the lighting designer for the fireworks from 2015.
Waterfall effect
A continual stream of fireworks falling from the base of the bridge down to actually touch the water. The waterfall comprises approximately 1,100 candle fireworks. Each year, it has been a traditional golden waterfall.
Some years the waterfall effect has been changed such as on NYE 2000 when the waterfall changed colours from gold to silver. NYE 2000 was also unique in that fireworks were also fired for the first time from the gantry of the bridge.
NYE 2002/03 had a "''strobing angelic''" waterfall effect where 144
Roman candles released mines and stars that "
twinkled". This effect was repeated on NYE 2005 where it changed colour from red to white, on NYE 2006 where it was coloured only green, and in NYE 2020, alongside the usual waterfall.
NYE 2004/05 had the traditional golden waterfall effect except that it slowed crossed the bridge from south to north. This was a difficult set up due to the arch's access but a first of its kind on the bridge with a spectacular "torrent style" waterfall effect.
On NYE 2015, a waterfall with fireworks cascaded during the middle of the family fireworks display.
During NYE 2017/18 a rainbow waterfall cascaded from the Harbour Bridge during the midnight show, celebrating the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Australia. This was repeated on NYE 2022, celebrating Sydney hosting WorldPride in 2023.
The years where the traditional golden waterfall effect has not been featured completely are; NYE 2000 (golden to silver), NYE 2002 (green & white strobing angelic), NYE 2005 (red to white strobing angelic), and NYE 2006 (green strobing angelic).
The golden waterfall was to be used again on NYE 2018, however, it failed to ignite as programmed. The waterfall has been successfully used each year since.
Broadcast
From 1996 to 2006, the rights to the television broadcast were held by the
Nine Network
Nine Network (stylised 9Network, and commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) is an Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by parent company Nine Entertainment and is one of the five main free-to-air television ...
with
Richard Wilkins as a host for almost every year and
Eddie McGuire and
Richard Wilkins as a co-host for the 1999–2000 telecast. From 2006 to 2009,
Network Ten
Network 10 (commonly known as the 10 Network, Channel 10 or simply 10) is an Australian commercial television network. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Paramount Global's Paramount Networks UK & Australia, UK & Australia division and is o ...
was broadcaster after winning a three-year deal from Nine. In 2009, Nine regained the rights back from
Ten until 2013. The
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia’s principal public service broadcaster. It is funded primarily by grants from the federal government and is administered by a government-appointed board of directors. The ABC is ...
(ABC) has held the rights since 2013, with coverage being carried by
ABC TV and
ABC Australia.
On radio, the fireworks' soundtrack is simulcast by
KIIS 1065.
The
City of Sydney
The City of Sydney is the Local government in Australia, local government area covering the Sydney central business district and surrounding inner city suburbs of the Greater Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Established by Act of Parliament ...
put its Sydney New Year's Eve fireworks coverage to
tender following the conclusion of the ABC's two-year contract, with the broadcaster having continued as broadcaster since.
The 2015 fireworks were the first to utilise
drone-mounted cameras for additional angles,
and since 2016, an official international webcast has been streamed on platforms such as
Facebook
Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...
.
The ABC's tenure as rightsholder has faced mixed reception; its first telecast for 2013–14 telecast was described as a "train wreck" by viewers, with criticism over flirtatious remarks made by the presenters and offensive comments about public figures, and suspicions by viewers that the presenters were
intoxicated. The ABC defended the broadcast, stating that its team had done a "terrific job" given the circumstances, and stated that the number of formal complaints it received from viewers was "not extraordinary for program with an audience of this size". During the 2014–15 telecast, co-host
Julia Zemiro was caught on a
hot mic
A hot mic, sometimes referred to as an open microphone or (in aviation) a stuck mic, is in general an apparent error in which a microphone is switched on or remains on, especially without the speaker realizing.
A special case of hot mic is the ...
saying "oh, thank God" at the conclusion of the broadcast. The 2015–16 broadcast was criticised by viewers on social media (including calls for the rights to move back to the Nine Network), though that year's pub quiz was praised, with viewers being complimentary of host
Lawrence Mooney.
From 2017/2018, Charlie Pickering and Zan Rowe hosted the concert, with Jeremy Fernandez and Linda Marigliano also presenting in 2020/2021, and Concetta Caristo co-hosting from 2023/24.
References
External links
*
{{coord missing, New South Wales
Tourist attractions in Sydney
Australian Broadcasting Corporation specials
Nine Network specials
Network 10 specials
Recurring events established in 1996
Annual television shows
1996 establishments in Australia
1990s in Sydney
Sydney