By Mike CrooksFriday 20 Dec 2024EntertainmentReading Time: 4 minutes
The holiday season is upon us, and you might find yourself instinctively engaging in social comparison to guide you.
Key points
- “We’ll be lighting up seven kilometres of Sydney Harbour, from Cockatoo Island to Point Piper and beyond,” Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said.
- At the stroke of 2025, the sky will light up with what the City of Sydney is spruiking to be “the world’s best fireworks show”.
- Happy New Year from all of us!
In a first for Sydney’s New Year’s Eve show, the fireworks will be launched from 80 new locations on the western side of the bridge.
“We’ll be lighting up seven kilometres of Sydney Harbour, from Cockatoo Island to Point Piper and beyond,” Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said.
Planning for the event began 15 months ago, “with many thousands of hours going into every aspect from programming and creative to safety, transport and logistics” said Cr Moore.
Female “force”
Sydney NYE 2024 involves more than 1,000 personnel.
And the Lord Mayor said there were more woman involved in the production than ever before – from singers and producers, to technicians and directors.
“We’ll be lighting up seven kilometres of Sydney Harbour, from Cockatoo Island to Point Piper and beyond,” Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said.
“From ages 6 to 79, women have been the force behind Sydney’s New Year’s Eve celebrations this year,” Ms Moore said.
“Composers, singers, producers, creatives, technicians and directors have spent more than a year preparing for Sydney’s night of nights that will encompass an incomparable showcase of fireworks, pyrotechnics, lights and music.”
And both the 9pm and midnight fireworks shows “will honour the spirit of Barangaroo – the Cammeraygal woman who led her people and who embodies the deep connection of Eora women to the waterways of Sydney Harbour,” said the mayor.
Event Schedule
8.30PM
The Sydney CBD show begins with an 8.30pm Welcome to Country Smoking Ceremony.
This will include three “Tribal Warrior” vessels making their way from Barangaroo to Circular Quay, and finishing at the Sydney Opera House.
This will be followed by “Pylon projections and light effects”.
The Pylon show will continue on the Harbour Bridge throughout the night. And on the eastern side of the bridge, lighting effects will “dazzle the harbour foreshore”.
In fact, more than 26,500 lights will be used to illuminate the city during the night – including sky beams along the bridge and spotlights on barges.
9PM
The first fireworks of the evening will launch at 9pm – giving younger ones a chance to look to the skies before they crash.
The eight-minute Calling Country fireworks show is a celebration of “sky, land and sea country”.
At the stroke of 2025, the sky will light up with what the City of Sydney is spruiking to be “the world’s best fireworks show”.
It is presented by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists through music, dance and illustration.
The show is produced by Indigenous group We Are Warriors – a movement for change. Check out their inspirational story here.
Just after the Calling Country fireworks finish, the harbour will twinkle with boats decked out with thousands of LED lights.
Midnight
At the stroke of 2025, the sky will light up with what the City of Sydney is spruiking to be “the world’s best fireworks show”.
It will feature pyrotechnics launched from the bridge, the Sydney Opera House and from the new west-of-the-bridge locations.
“Sydney New Year’s Eve is a wonderful celebration of our multicultural, harmonious, safe and inclusive community, and it helps us promote Sydney and our stunning harbour setting to the world,” Cr Moore said.
“As one of the first cities in the world to ring in the new year, we set the benchmark with a spectacle that reflects what our beautiful city is all about.”
For the best spots to view the fireworks, visit here.
And don’t forget there is live coverage of Sydney NYE 2024 on ABC TV.
More Sydney fireworks
But the Sydney CBD event isn’t the only show in town.
Here’s some more fireworks events for you to ring in the New Year.
Parramatta pyrotechnics
From 5pm, Parramatta Park will host an event that will include concerts before a 9pm fireworks show.
The concerts include DJ sets by Bag Raiders and Cut Copy on the Crescent Stage. And on the Paddock Stage there will be the Wiggles’ DJ Dorothy the Dinosaur putting on her special Wiggles Sound System-Rave of Innocence (think Wiggles classic songs like Hot Potato set to dance beats).
There will also be amusement rides, roaming entertainment, and 30 food vendors.
Visit here for more information.
Sandy sparkles
Coogee is also hosting a family friendly event, with the 9pm Coogee Sparkles, launched from the headland at the north end of the beach.
Take a look at last year’s amazing show (with the harbour show in the background):
Northern lights
And on the northern beaches, there will be four family fireworks shows – at Dee Why, Frenchs Forest, Manly and Bayview.
All shows start at 9pm, but there is a midnight show at Bayview.
Visit here for more information.
Happy New Year!
Feature image: photo by CanvaPro