2024 – Page 8 – Sydney Spectaculars

Sydney Stadiums & Central Station Clock Tower To Illuminate In ‘Lavender Haze’ For Taylor Swift’s ‘Eras’ Tour

The New South Wales (NSW) Government has announced Central Station’s clock tower, Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney Cricket Ground, Western Sydney Stadium & Stadium Australia will be lit in a Lavender Haze for 12-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor Swift’s, Eras tour between sunset (7:35pm-7:40pm) of the 23rd of February & sunrise (6:38am-6:40am) of the 27th of February. Eras tour concerts, held at Stadium Australia, begin at 6:20pm* except on the 27th of February when there is no concert currently scheduled.

*Friday’s concert was delayed until 7:49pm due to severe weather.

Central Station’s concourse will also be covered with Eras-themed decorations.

From 3:29pm each concert day, the Tay Tay Swift Express will run from Central to Olympic Park, with stops at Redfern & Strathfield, until 10:07pm. It is free for concertgoers (on presentation of concert ticket which is valid from 4am concert day until 4am the next day) otherwise an AUD$3.47 Opal Card fare applies except Monday when it is AUD$4.97.

With her personal permission, each Tay Tay Swift Express will have Taylor Swift tracks played over the train’s public address system. A survey was conducted for her top 5 songs & these will be played over the course of the 20–25-minute train trip:

Photograph: Jo Haylen, NSW Transport Minister

Remember, to take into account 15 minutes to walk from Sydney Olympic Park Railway Station to your entry gate at Stadium Australia. All tickets are allocated seating so there is no need to rush to get a good spot. Using this, you can find a Tay Tay Swift Express timetable for Monday the 26th of February for all the trains from Central up until 6:05pm (as the concert is scheduled for 6:20pm) below:

Central Platform	Central Departure Time	Sydney Olympic Park Arrival Time	Train Duration
7	3:29pm	3:52pm	22 minutes
4	3:52pm	4:15pm	23 minutes
7	4:09pm	4:33pm	24 minutes
4	4:23pm	4:45pm	22 minutes
6	4:29pm	4:52pm	23 minutes
5	4:38pm	4:58pm	20 minutes
7	4:42pm	5:05pm	23 minutes
4	4:50pm	5:14pm	23 minutes
6	4:58pm	5:23pm	25 minutes
5	5:07pm	5:31pm	24 minutes
7	5:10pm	5:36pm	25 minutes
4	5:23pm	5:43pm	20 minutes
6	5:28pm	5:54pm	25 minutes
5	5:37pm	6:01pm	24 minutes

This Tay Tay Swift Express timetable is of Monday the 26th of February 2024.

The Tay Tay Swift Express also operates in the reverse direction from Sydney Olympic Park to Central from 3:54pm until 1:15am but does not stop at Redfern & Strathfield before 10:24pm. There is also a special 12-minute express train to Strathfield leaving Olympic Park at 12:39am.

The Tay Tay Swift Express is also operating on Sydney Olympic Park Major Event buses & bus routes 526 (Parramatta to Burwood), 528 (Rhodes to Burwood) & 533 (to Chatswood). However, unlike the above trains, Taylor Swift music is not being played on these buses.

The Tay Tay Swift Express is not operating on the regular Lidcombe-Olympic Park shuttle rail service, the North Shore line north of Central & on express rail services from Campbelltown, Macarthur and Richmond and from/to Blacktown, Schofields, Liverpool, Penrith & Emu Plains from/to Olympic Park.

These trains are a part of 138 extra trains being scheduled for each day of the Eras tour, along with an extra 175 buses per concert day, combining to more than 300 extra public transport services on the network per concert day. Public transport is the best way to get to the Eras tour concert.

Pass-outs for the concert are also not being issued. There are no live concert broadcasts immediately outside Stadium Australia & to ensure safety & security, people are strongly discouraged from congregating in Sydney Olympic Park until 11pm, February the 26th.

It should be noted severe thunderstorms with damaging winds, large hail & heavy rainfall are forecast for the “Sydney area” on the 23rd of February. with “a chance” of thunderstorms forecast at Stadium Australia. The chance of rainfall is highest at the concert’s 11pm conclusion (63% chance) with it at a 38% (8pm) & 18% (5pm) chance earlier in the evening. Only at the concert’s conclusion at 11pm is there a 50% chance of more than 0.5mm of rain…. which isn’t much. Winds are forecast to reach a peak of about 25km/h between 8pm & 11pm.

Official stadium-external merchandise stands open at 12pm each day while stocks last along with Stadium Australia’s box office, the latter of which will be open to assist existing ticket holders only. There are stadium-internal merchandise stalls too from 4:30pm whilst stocks last. All products are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. These shops do not accept cash.

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is at Stadium Australia, Sydney Olympic Park from 23-26 February 2024 at 6:20pm with support act, Sabrina Carpenter, building up the atmosphere until 7:30pm*. Gates open at 4:30pm. Tickets are still occasionally being released via official ticket supplier, Ticketek, online here, when possible up until 6:20pm, 26th of February 2024. Tickets can also be resold officially via Ticketek Marketplace here until 12pm the day of the concert.

*Appeared in main concert on Friday due to severe weather.

This is the 2nd illumination of a Sydney building for a living singer. The Sydney Opera House was illuminated purple in 2016 for Prince, who was, at the time, performing in the venue’s concert hall for 1 night only, just weeks before his tragic passing.

Did you know Taylor Swift has never performed at the Sydney Opera House? Due to her popularity, she would have to do a 16-day residency at the Opera House for 1 Stadium Australia concert’s worth to happen so for 4 Stadium Australia concerts that would be a residency of just over 2 months! Michael Bublé performed at the Opera House for the season finale of Australian Idol in 2009 and managed to appear in what turned out to be one of the best pyrotechnic displays ever staged on Sydney Harbour (to give an idea of what Taylor Swift could bring to the House… or Harbour for that matter!):

As the illumination is not on the Sydney Opera House or Harbour Bridge & the fact musical concerts have no existing special flagship Sydney Spectacular status yet (unlike fireworks displays, light shows, projection mapping shows, air shows, military salutes, rugby league matches & a future addition to be announced soon – but it’s not musical concerts!), Taylor Swift’s Eras tour will not be considered as an Extraordinary Sydney Spectacular. In any case, the Stadium Australia concert record attendance is currently held by Adele’s LIVE 2016 tour at 98,364 people per concert. That record would need to be equalled or broken first.

Taylor Swift’s songs, Today Was A Fairytale, Style & ME! (featuring Brandon Urie of Panic! At The Disco), have featured in the 9pm Family Fireworks of Sydney New Year’s Eve 2010, 2015 & 2019 respectively.

No doubt Taylor Swift’s Eras tour is an important entertainment milestone in Sydney & global musical pop culture history with long queues already snaking their way through Sydney Olympic Park for the pre-concert merchandise stalls yesterday & today. Sydney Spectaculars will keep an eye on future concert tours from any artist at Stadium Australia to see if they meet the requirement for a Sydney stadium or railway station illumination & if Taylor Swift return for another tour, whether the Lavender Haze illumination will be upgraded to the Sydney Opera House.

All this makes you wonder how Blink 182 fans are travelling to Sydney Olympic Park over the next 2 nights…?

These kinds of events are a huge test for our public transport network & I want to thank Swifties in advance for their patience and understanding and our frontline staff for their massive efforts.
Jo Haylen, NSW Transport Minister

Flying & Speech Program Released For ‘Airshows Downunder Shellharbour’ 2024

UPDATE: A significant flying program update was made on 28th of February.

The flying & speech programs for Airshows Downunder Shellharbour 2024 have been released!

For the 1st time, the air show organisers have released the speech program for the schools & careers day held on the 1st of March. This day is only open to registered students (minimum Year 9), teachers & career advisors including parents.

You can read the flying & speech programs by clicking here and currently, the flying programs are the same for both public event days so you will not miss anything at this stage if you only attend 1 public air show day.

Returning favourites returning include the F-35A Lightning II, Balbo, Simulated Airfield Attack, Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules (unlike last edition, this will be on the public airshow days between 1:43pm & 1:55pm), opening 11-minute Flag Drop at 10:30am, Connie as well as aerobatics from Matt Hall Racing & Paul Bennet Airshows throughout the day including The Sky Aces, flying between 2:06pm & 2:18pm. Matt Hall Racing will be bringing a new aerobatic pilot, Emma MacDonald, to fly the Extra 300L between 11:04am & 11:16am.

The Cessna A-37 Dragonfly jet will also feature for the 1st time since 2016, flying between 1:55pm & 2:06pm, while the CAC Sabre MK32 jet will also feature for the 1st time since 2021, flying between 1:32pm & 1:43pm.

The finale for both public event days is the F-35 Lightning II, beginning at 3:49pm and lasting the final 11 minutes of each public day’s flying program.

The Wall Of Fire, a new tradition in recent years that concludes the air show, however, has not appeared on the current flying program but will feature at the end of the F-35A Lightning II handling display that concludes the flying program as the grand finale once again of this Illawarra air show.

The Balbo is now the 3rd last act in the skies and will appear between 3:26pm & 3:37pm each day, with 1 less warbird than last year. A Vought F4U Corsair, CAC Boomerang & P-40 Kittyhawk will not be a part of this year’s Balbo with only the latter plane returning to the air show but this edition with 3 of them! The 3 P-40 Kittyhawks will appear between 1:21pm & 1:32pm. A Supermarine Spitfire XVI & North American P-51 will be new Balbo participants.

There will be a wide assortment of warbirds flying throughout the day with Connie flying between 2:18pm & 2:29pm. The Connie (Lockheed C-121C Super Constellation) at the airshow is a warbird variant even though most were built for commercial public passengers, so it is technically a warbird but painted as a ‘commercial bird’.

There are also 2 more special announcements to come to fill the final 3 flying program slots!

The speech program for the schools & careers day opens & closes with an address by the air show organisers, the Aerospace, Maritime & Defence Australia Foundation. Keynote speakers are the Australian Defence Force & Qantas Group, who will speak twice. There are also speeches by Shellharbour Airport & Paul Bennett Airshows. Speeches about getting ready for employment are made in the 30 minutes after 12pm by the University Of New South Wales & Workpath Learning. The first 45 minutes of speeches after the Opening Address will be focused on women in aviation with a very likely appearance by Emma MacDonald in the 1st half hour. All speeches will be made in the new Speakers Pavilion.

There is no confirmation yet of any official flypasts for the schools & careers day. Last edition, a Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules made a surprise appearance at 12pm on that day.

For those who registered for the 1st of March before 15th February 6pm, they were also invited to an online-only 2-hour Aerospace Student Industry Information Session via Zoom co-hosted by the Royal Aeronautical Society: Australian Division on the 15th of February at 6pm.

The above flying/speech programs shows what is/was scheduled as of 16th February 2024 at 4:06pm & is subject to change. When the event begins, weather, mechanical issues with the aircraft, pilot availability or military requirements may have amended the flying program in its final displayed form at the Airport. The weather forecast for the air show will be released by the Bureau of Meteorology between 23-25 February 2023.

Airshows Downunder Shellharbour, now held every 2 years, is on 1-3 March 2024 at Shellharbour Airport. Tickets can be bought here & merchandise can be bought via click & collect (at the event) here.

‘Southern Cross’ Replica To Fly At ‘Airshows Downunder Shellharbour’ 2024

A flying-close replica of the Southern Cross has been announced to be part of the flying program at Airshows Downunder Shellharbour 2024.

The Southern Cross was a Fokker FVIIB aeroplane & was famously flown by Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith in 1928 in the 1st ever flight over the Pacific Ocean, beginning on mainland United States at Oakland, California & finishing in Brisbane, Australia. The flight had stops at Hawaii & Fiji, the latter place giving the plane the additional honour of 1st plane to ever land there. During the flight, the world record for longest travelled radio message was broken when a message was sent from the plane, the longer way around the world, to South Africa. This radio message was one of many radio messages which included the 1st paid commercial radio messages sent across the Pacific.

The Southern Cross then made the 1st ever non-stop flight across the Tasman Sea & back between Australia & New Zealand in the same year before, in a separate flight to the United Kingdom, crash landing with no fatalities in the Kimberley of Western Australia in 1929. The undamaged historic aircraft was then donated by Sir Kingsford-Smith to his country & is now on permanent display at Brisbane Airport. In its retirement, it made a starring flying appearance in the 1946 biographical film, Smithy & underwent restoration in 1985.

The replica of the Southern Cross was built as a tribute to its famous pilot during the 1980’s before flying around Australia raising funds for the iconic Royal Flying Doctor Service during the 1988 Bicentenary of European Settlement. It flew until 2002 when a main wheel strut fell off during take-off resulting in 3 metres of its wing tip being damaged. It was acquired by the Historic Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS), based at Shellharbour Airport, in 2010, who restored it to airworthiness, taking its 1st flight since 2002 on 5th December last year.

Using the traditional aircraft construction of steel tubing and timber & an all-wooden wing, it was built to modern standards with heat-shrunk and doped polyester in place of the original Southern Cross‘s Irish linen for the fuselage. Since 1988, it has flown around 555 hours.

The replica is also a world record holder, being the world’s largest flying-close replica. It also holds the Australian record for the largest one-piece wing ever manufactured.

When not flying, the Southern Cross replica is on permanent display at Shellharbour Airport’s HARS Museum. It may make other flights or engine runs at the Museum’s monthly Tarmac Days (the weekend of the 2nd Friday of each month) occasionally.

Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith was knighted in 1932 & 3 years later, disappeared over the Indian Ocean during a speed record attempt for a flight between Australia & the United Kingdom. He has never been found. Sydney Airport, then an aerodrome, was named in his honour a year later in 1936. 23 kilometres south of the air show is the home of the start of one of Kingsford-Smith’s other major achievements: the 1st commercial flight from Australia to New Zealand.

Shellharbour Airport to Sir Charles Kingsford Smith Memorial Lookout Drive
Image: Google Maps

Seven Mile Beach (the long beach at the bottom of the above picture) was essentially Australia’s first commercial international airport. Used in 1933 by Sir Kingsford-Smith, it was the dawn of international commercial air travel in Australia before it eventually shifted north in 1938 to Rose Bay Water Airport on Sydney Harbour, which is still in use today for private charter sight-seeing flights, before shifting to Sydney Kingsford-Smith Airport in the 1960s with the advent of the Jet Age.

A lookout, named in his honour, over Seven Mile Beach from the nearby town of Gerroa is a lasting legacy to this aviation milestone. To visit it, you catch a train from the air show to Kiama, then a connecting train to the next stop of Gerringong. Kiama Coachlines has a bus connecting Gerringong with Gerroa. It is a combined 17-minute walk from Gerringong Railway Station to the connecting bus stop & from the arriving bus stop to the Memorial Lookout. Alternatively, to rail/bus/walk, it is a 26-minute drive from Shellharbour Airport.

If You Do Not Pre-Book Parking, Be Prepared For Minimum Extra 10 Minute (750m) Walk To Air Show

When the ticketing arrangements for Airshows Downunder Shellharbour were announced on 1st November last year, it was revealed that general admission ticketholders who are driving to the air show need to pre-book their car parking online at a cost of AUD$10. The car park, linked by a free shuttle bus to the event, is at Albion Oval.

So what happens if someone shows up at the car park without a pre-booking, especially someone who is planning to buy an event ticket at the airport gate?

First & foremost, you will be turned away and redirected to another car park.

But where is this car park?

There are 2 possible car parks but which one we cannot be sure until event day. The Business Paper from the 7th of February 2024 Shellharbour City Council Traffic Committee reveals 2 car parks:

Shellharbour City Stadium
Parsons Paddock

Parsons Paddock would be the most familiar to previous attendees of the formerly named Wings Over Illawarra air show. This was the former general admission ticketing car park. However, for 2024, it has been relocated to the larger Albion Oval with Parsons Paddock now instead going to be the event’s staff, exhibitor & volunteer car park. Therefore, organisers have added an additional label to this car park: Potential public paid/unpaid.

This indicates Parsons Paddock is only to be used if there are vacant spots once it has been ascertained no more staff, exhibitors or volunteers are parking there but then the question is will it be paid or unpaid?

Albion Oval is nearly 47% larger than Parsons Paddock & we cannot recall Parsons Paddock ever reaching capacity so there is a good chance Parsons Paddock will not be used at all for general admission parking so that all but rules out pre-booked paid parking. They also could always decide to charge an in-person-only AUD$10 fee at the last minute if Albion Oval does reach capacity & there are no more pre-booked drivers looking for a spot, however unlikely that is. But what about unpaid parking? What about those who show up at Albion Oval without a pre-booking?

Well, they definitely will be directed to Shellharbour City Stadium, a 3-minute drive away. This car park has been labelled Unpaid Overflow Parking so it will definitely be used for those redirected from Albion Oval because they did not pre-book their parking online.

This car park is free but there are 2 (or 3) disadvantages:

It is not on the shuttle bus route &,
You will have to walk a minimum 10 minutes (750m), 20 minutes (1.5km) maximum to the shuttle bus or,
Alternatively, walk the full 28 minutes (2.1km) to the air show event gate.

Shuttle Bus/Car Park Arrangements (With Additions by *Sydney Spectaculars*)
Light Green: Walk from train to event; Black: Main driving routes; Purple: Quickest Drive from Albion Oval to Shellharbour City Stadium; Red Lines: Quickest Drive from Albion Oval to Parsons Paddock; Light Pink: Walks from Shellharbour City Stadium to Shuttle Bus (Including Via Cedar Street/Croome Road Intersection).
Original Traffic Management Plan: *Airshows Downunder Shellharbour*/Altus Group

From the Shellharbour City Stadium car park, the closest the shuttle bus route gets is at the intersection of Croome Road & Cedar Street, a 10 minute or 750m walk away. However, there is no designated stop for the shuttle bus there so if the shuttle bus does not stop for you, which is likely, you will need to walk an additional 10 minutes to Southlake Illawarra BMX Club, which is where the shuttle bus picks up staff, exhibitors, volunteers & if any, air show spectators. In the event you need to go to Southlake Illawarra BMX Club, which is likely, if you end up parking in the western end of the Shellharbour City Stadium car park, it is actually quicker (11 minutes) to walk direct to Southlake Illawarra BMX Club instead of via Croome Road to check whether the Shuttle Bus will stop at the intersection with Cedar Street. Also, take into account that, if the shuttle bus does stop at the intersection of Croome Road & Cedar Street for you, it’s next stop is Southlake Illawarra BMX Club.

The shuttle bus takes 3 minutes to travel between Southlake Illawarra BMX Club & the main event gates. From Albion Oval, it takes 8 minutes (as it also stops at Southlake Illawarra BMX Club). Lastly, the shuttle buses’ frequency & the delays in stopping to pick up passengers will naturally add time to the above durations (unless it is a very frequent shuttle bus!)

Remember, the flight path of the air show is actually above you when walking to Southlake Illawarra BMX Club & to the immediately west if walking all the way to the event gate so if you think you are going to miss something, remember to just look up (but do not head to the runway perimeter as you will be turned away by security/traffic managers).

If Shellharbour City Council Stadium car park reaches capacity, those intended for that car park will be redirected to Parsons Paddock if not already redirected there from Albion Oval. Parsons Paddock will then likely be free parking (but with the additional benefit of a shuttle bus) if Albion Oval has not reached capacity for pre-booked parking.

As all parking is pre-booked online, organisers should have a good idea of how full Albion Oval could get by air show day & will be monitoring it in real-time if a late surge in bookings or unbooked spectators wanting a car parking spot arises. Based on previous editions, Albion Oval should handle the demand.

If you do park at Shellharbour City Stadium and decide to walk the full 28 minutes (1.2km) to the main event gates, head to the intersection of Ceder Street & Croome Road, then the next intersection north (the northern Croome Road Sporting Complex entry) & then follow the shuttle bus route to the main event gates.

A last alternative if you really want to park at Albion Oval is to pull over in a nearby street, stop the car engine, get your smartphone out, book the car park online & then rejoin the queue (but it’s best to pre-book before you join the queue the 1st time).

Lastly, also remember this is The Aerospace, Maritime & Defence Australia Foundation Limited‘s 1st edition at the helm of this Illawarra air show, the closest to Sydney. Their last air show, the biannual Australian International Airshow, Aerospace & Defence Exposition at Avalon Airport near Melbourne in March last year had serious traffic management issues.

In the end, train is still the recommended way to travel to/from the air show with Albion Park Railway Station less than 100 metres from the main event gates. The Station can connect spectators by rail from Shellharbour, Wollongong and Sydney & by coach from the Southern Highlands via an additional train to Canberra, Griffith and Albury.

Airshows Downunder Shellharbour, now held every 2 years, is on 1-3 March 2024. Tickets can be bought here & merchandise can be bought via click & collect (at the event) here.

New Online Merchandise Shop Opens For ‘Airshows Downunder Shellharbour’

Last week, Airshows Downunder Shellharbour opened a new online merchandise shop containing a total of 37 products – all each under AUD$100.

Divided into 3 sections – apparel, headwear & accessories, it has lots of new merchandise on offer.

Apparel, which is also divided into 3 subsections – unisex, ladies & kids and infants sells mainly t-shirts as well as a polo, hoodie & infant romper.

Headwear sells mainly caps as well as bucket hats.

Accessories has the most diversity in product range with it selling mainly magnets, keyrings & can coolers as well as a tripod chair, coin, sling bag, pin, luggage tag, picnic rug, woven patch set & sticker set.

An infant bib is also sold in both Apparel & Accessories sections.

To receive merchandise before the airshow (i.,e. the rest of this month), you will need to purchase before 14 February. From 14 February onwards, merchandise purchased online can be collected at the event. If you do not collect it from the event, your order will sent to your shipping address after the event.

Best-selling *Airshows Downunder Shellharbour* products (As Of 12 February) (Total: AUD$105)
Photographs: *Airshows Downunder Shellharbour*

Airshows Downunder Shellharbour will still have multiple physical merchandise outlets open during & at the airshow but if you do not want to miss out, it’s best to order online as early as possible!

Also, if you are buying merchandise to use at the edition after the March 2024 edition, remember the airshow is now every 2 years & not annually so most products (except the coin, pin, polo, luggage tag, picnic rug & infant bib and romper) will be well out of date by the next airshow as they are labelled with ‘2024’. The next Airshows Downunder Shellharbour edition won’t be until March 2026.

Lastly, when ordering online, note all headwear will not be posted for delivery until 21 February as the event is awaiting a backorder.

The best-selling products right now are:

The most affordable product is the:

Sunset Sling Bag (AUD$5)

The most expensive product is the:

Unisex Jet Hoodie (AUD$99)

You can visit the online merchandise shop at https://airshowsdownundershop.com.au/, which is a separate website to the official event website. Merchandise is produced by Motorsport Distributors Group selling through Shopify.

Airshows Downunder Shellharbour, a flagship Sydney Spectacular, is on 1-3 March 2024 at Shellharbour Airport. Tickets are not sold via the online merchandise shop. To buy tickets, click here.

Major Ticketing Changes For ‘Airshows Downunder Shellharbour’

Airshows Downunder Shellharbour has revealed major ticketing changes for the air show in the 1st major announcement since The Aerospace, Maritime & Defence Australia Foundation Limited took over the event’s management in March 2023.

Most of the changes mentioned in this article were announced on 1 November 2023.

For the 1st time ever, tickets are being sold online only. They will not be sold at the gate.

All tickets now include access to the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) Museum static aircraft displays. The Very Important Person (VIP) Experience ticket option is also now called The Wings Pavilion, named after the air show’s former name, Wings Over Illawarra.

*Wings Pavilion* Logo
Image: *Airshows Downunder Shellharbour*

The new operators have also removed all weekend passes meaning all tickets are now only for 1 day of the air show so if you want to attend both days, you need to buy 2 single day tickets per person.

While visiting the air show by train is still the recommended option, if you are planning to drive to the air show, General Admission (GA) Event Parking now must be pre-booked at a cost of AUD$10 per car, AUD$5 per car more than last edition. The event parking area has also been moved from Croome Road Sporting Complex to Albion Oval:

GA Event Parking Location
Image: Airshows Downunder Shellharbour

To get to Albion Oval via the Princes Motorway, the quickest way to the event parking is via the Princes Highway offramps. The Tongarra Road/Illawarra Highway offramps are a slightly longer drive despite being the most obvious offramps on the map above. A free shuttle bus to/from the air show will still operate from the GA Event Parking.

Ticket categories have changed. ‘Adult’ now means people aged 16 or older (last edition, it was 17 or older). This results in the Family category now being for families of 2 adults & 2 children aged 15 or younger (last edition, it was 2 adults & 2 children aged 16 or younger). The Concession category now also applies to senior cardholders, veteran cardholders & students with a valid student identification card (last edition, it only applied to pension card holders). Group (20 people minimum) ticketing discounts have also been removed & as mentioned at the start of the article, As mentioned earlier, VIP Experience is replaced by The Wings Pavilion.

The ticket prices below are based on the price on air show day. The prices are lower if bought before February 12 as part of early bird specials:

Ticket Type	Last Edition (November 2022)	March 2024 Edition	Price Change
GA Adult (17+)	AUD$60	AUD$85	+AUD$25 (42%)
GA Aged 16	AUD$30	AUD$85	+AUD$60 (183%)
GA Child (Aged 5–15)	AUD$30	AUD$40	+AUD$10 (33%)
GA Child (Aged 0-4)	FREE	FREE	0 (0%)
GA Concession	AUD$50	AUD$85	+AUD$35 (70%)
GA Family	AUD$150.00	AUD$210	+AUD$60 (40%)
Gold Pass Grandstand	AUD$150	AUD$175	+AUD$25 (17%)
VIP Experience/Wings Pavilion	AUD$250	AUD$275	+AUD$25 (10%)

Tickets went on sale on November 23 last year with early bird specials until 12 February 2024.

Gold Pass Grandstand & Wings Pavilion holders this edition will receive a distinctive wristband (last edition, it was a lanyard). There is no priority entry or souvenir bag for Wings Pavilion ticket holders this year though. All other aspects of the Gold Pass Grandstand & Wings Pavilion ticket option are the same as last edition. The Wings Pavilion menu is detailed at the end of the article.

In related air show news, vintage vehicles will return after airport construction & poor weather prevented their appearance last edition. There will also be increased amenities across the event site this edition including more food and beverage outlets, shade, seating & toilets.

Airshows Downunder Shellharbour is held on 1-3 March 2024. The latter 2 days are the public air show days. Day 1 is a schools careers day. All tickets are on sale here now.

Wings Pavilion Menu – correct as of 1 February 2024

Morning Tea
Oatmeal & apple pies
Corn & zucchini fritters; smashed avocado, smoked salmon, sour cream

Lunch
Tunisian style chicken, roasted chickpeas, currents, pistachios, pomegranate
Roasted barramundi, zucchini, spring peas, mint & soft goats’ cheese, preserved lemon dressing

Sides
Baby potato, apple cucumber & artichoke with coriander pesto
Roasted field mushrooms, tabbouleh & lentils
Baby spinach, balsamic roasted beetroot & Spanish onion
Fresh baked breads, butter

Dessert
Boutique Australian cheese collection: Shadows of blue, Maffra cheddar and Willow Grove brie with biscuits, lavosh, fruit paste, dried figs & pears, fresh strawberries & red grapes
Caramel cheesecake & chocolate fig tarts

Afternoon Tea
Petite beef pies, tomato jam
Sausage rolls, tomato jam

Beverages
Sparkling Wine
Sauvignon Blanc
Shiraz
Several Beer Options (inclusive of zero alcohol)
Cider
Non-Alcoholic Beverages (Soft Drinks, Juice, Water)

New Operator, Name & Event Frequency For ‘Wings Over Illawarra’

The Aerospace, Maritime & Defence Australia (AMDA) Foundation Limited, the organisers of Australia’s largest air show, the biannual Australian International Airshow, Aerospace & Defence Exposition, held at Avalon Airport near Melbourne every 2 years has been given the mantle to operate the Wings Over Illawarra air show, a flagship Sydney Spectacular held at Shellharbour Airport 1.5 hours south of Sydney, after previous operator, Bright Events, achieved their goal of growing the event to new heights.

AMDA Foundation Limited is an Australian not-for-profit corporation established to promote the development of the aviation industry & Australia’s industrial, manufacturing and information technology resources in the fields of aviation, aerospace, maritime, defence and security.

New changes were made immediately with the event’s name, Wings Over Illawarra, being rebranded as Airshows Downunder Shellharbour. The brand, Airshows Downunder, was used by the AMDA Foundation for its airshows between 1989 & 1992. Whilst the name may be considered too corporate compared to the previous name, it signals a clear intent by the AMDA Foundation to grow the event from just the biggest airshow in New South Wales to one attracting international tourism and equalling its now-sister air show at Avalon Airport. The Australian International Airshow, Aerospace & Defence Exposition is not being renamed at this stage to Airshows Downunder Greater Geelong.

The AMDA Foundation signed the operator licence agreement with Shellharbour City Council in March last year, after receiving Council approval less than a week prior on the 28th of February. The switch to AMDA Foundation was on the initiative of Bright Events, whose operator license agreement would have expired in 2025. The new operator licence agreement lasts 10 years. However, the event will no longer be held annually but biannually instead so the agreement is in effect for 5 editions. Airshows Downunder Shellharbour will thus next be held on 1-3 March 2024 with the latter 2 days being the public air show days. Day 1 will be a school careers day, which was introduced last edition.

Whilst it allows the AMDA Foundation to switch its focus from Avalon to Shellhabour and vice versa each year, avoid a clash with the air show in Avalon which is held in the same March timeslot & probably allow over time for the 2 airshows to become branded as 1 annual airshow alternating in location each year, this news will be a biannual blow to the local Illawarra tourism industry. Its original designated timeslot was 10-12 November 2023, just under 3 months ago, so the immediate economic effects of this new event frequency should be minimal but by March 2025, the effects of the lower frequency will start to be felt. Avalon will not be experiencing the same situation as that airshow, due to it’s size, has always been biannual.

Despite the operator switch being on Bright Events’ initiative, the AMDA Foundation may have had more strategic goals in mind. In April 2022, an airshow held along Huntington Beach in Los Angeles, United States Of America called the Pacific Airshow – the world’s most highly attended airshow (equivalent to Sydney NYE) announced they were expanding to the Gold Coast, Australia in August 2023. They proudly boast on their website:

We’re also the only airshow in the world with 2 editions!
‘Pacific Airshow’ Website

Whilst their airshows are currently under different names, the AMDA Foundation is also now an air show organiser with 2 editions, which is likely not a feat many other organisations can claim. The only difference with the Pacific Airshow is that they are not in different countries.

*Pacific Airshow Huntington Beach*
Photograph: *Pacific Airshow*

1 noteworthy strength of the Pacific Airshow is its accessibility. As seen in the photo above, they utilise up to 2 kilometres of beach to host crowds of up to 1 million people instead of being restricted to the narrow confines of an airport. They are hoping for a similar success with the Gold Coast’s Surfers Paradise Beach. The AMDA Foundation with Airshows Downunder Shellharbour may utilise nearby Lake Illawarra for a similar idea with its approximately 19 kilometres of public shoreline. Wings Over Illawarra, in previous editions, utilised the Lake for promotional events such as a rare Catalina water touch & go. Despite only being restricted to 1 area of the large lake, it drew massive crowds & traffic congestion to a quiet lakeside suburb.

1 downside to this approach is that it reduces potential revenue. Huntington Beach is completely different to the Gold Coast with the latter’s beaches towered over by massive skyscrapers full of accommodation for tourists. Why pay for a view when there are towers everywhere that provide a clear view for free plus your accommodation? Paying for a ticket is if you want the live announcer feed & access to exhibits, autographs, rides and merchandise stalls. A distinct advantage with Lake Illawarra is the Airport is only 500 metres away from the shoreline, allowing the possibility of a free Lake airshow with a paid exhibition at the nearby Airport where most aircraft would land & take off. A similar concept could also be introduced along Geelong’s waterfront for the airshow at Avalon Airport. However, the distance between Avalon Airport & the shore is 5 kilometres. Pacific Airshows‘ use multiple airports, the nearest 10 kilometres away. This approach, as a result, definitely wouldn’t suit the Pacific Airshows particularly as those airshows have a distinct lack of major industry exhibition instead focusing on the family-friendly aerial displays by the beach concept.

In the long term, it is expected Airshows Downunder Shellharbour will be as large as the air show at Avalon, featuring more international aircraft & expanding to 6 days with an additional Friday afternoon & night air show (featuring fireworks!) & a new 3-day industry exposition to open the event. It should be stressed a limitation to an expansion in aircraft attending and landing is that the runway is currently not designed for larger aircraft. This was most notably demonstrated when the City Of Canberra, a Qantas Boeing 747-438, made its final flight to Shellharbour Airport to be the keystone permanent exhibit at the airport’s Historical Aircraft Restoration Society Museum. The jumbo jet could land (but had deliberately less tyre pressure for the landing) but could never take off again due to the runway’s limitations. There has been discussion of upgrading the runway for larger aircraft, but any solid plans would cause controversy due to the airport’s nearby suburbia which may not be pleased with the possibility of larger aircraft being used for regular passenger services. The airport is currently serviced by Link Airways to Melbourne & Brisbane via a Swedish Aeroplane Corporation 340B+. Again, to emphasis the main point, larger international aircraft may still attend the event via a flypast but they just won’t land, probably most likely returning to Sydney Airport or a nearby Royal Australian Air Force/Navy base.

While no expansion has been announced yet for the 2024 edition, AMDA has confirmed they will expand the event for the general public & develop greater industry involvement with Shellharbour City Council confirming that the AMDA Foundation is to expand the industry side of Airshows Downunder – Shellharbour, which currently consists of stalls & exhibits scattered around the eastern runways & taxiways, but most significantly, includes a school careers day opening the event the day prior to the public air shows, which utilises the whole event space & features exclusive flypasts.

With all these changes, 1 immediate concern crops up. The Avalon airshow has suffered traffic management issues in recent editions questioning the AMDA Foundation’s current skills in that area of event management. Luckily, unlike Avalon (10 min bus ride/2 hour walk from nearest railway station), the main event gates are literally right across the road to Albion Park railway station, which is to the nearby major cities of Shellharbour, Wollongong & Sydney. This is the best way to travel to the event. Canberra is also connected by rail but you need to catch a coach from the Southern Highlands rail line, down Macquarie Pass to Albion Park Railway Station.

Despite the traffic management concerns, the arrival of AMDA Foundation as the new operator of this flagship Sydney Spectacular for the next 5 editions (10 years) no doubt heralds in a new global era for the event, which was only awarded ‘flagship’ Sydney Spectacular status in 2021.

Shellharbour City Council Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mike Archer, said Shellharbour City Council was thrilled to partner with the AMDA Foundation:

AMDA’s expertise & experience in the aviation industry will help transform the city’s airshow into a nationally & internationally significant aviation event.

This is an exciting opportunity to bring even more people to Shellharbour City, further cementing our local government area as a top tourism destination.

‘Airshows Downunder – Shellharbour‘ will have a significant positive economic impact on the local economy.

A larger airshow has the potential to increase visitation & revenue generation for local businesses & raise the profile of Shellharbour as a key travel destination in the overnight visitor economy.

Additionally, a larger airshow would further highlight Shellharbour Airport as a destination for aviation enthusiasts & businesses across the industry, potentially leading to increased investment in the airport & the surrounding area,
Shellharbour City Council CEO, Mike Archer

‘Wings Over Illawarra’ was created to give the general public a great airshow & help promote affordable recreational aviation in Australia.

AMDA Foundation’s great experience & resources will take the airshow to the next level.

Their experience in operating major events such as the ‘Australian International Airshow’ will help the airshow grow & increase its ability to promote aviation in Australia.
‘Wings Over Illawarra’ founder, Mark Bright

‘Wings Over Illawarra’ has built an excellent reputation as an event for the general aviation & light sport aviation community in Australia.

It has an exciting airshow covering the breadth of vintage, warbird and modern aviation & a highly regarded careers and skills day to help attract the next generation.

It also provides an important means of promoting general aviation to the general public.

AMDA Foundation intends to build on that & create an event that promotes the Australian general aviation industry while providing an exciting airshow for all the family.
AMDA Foundation Chief Executive Officer, Justin Giddings

Airshows Downunder Shellharbour will be held on 1-3 March 2024 at Shellharbour Airport.

Independent Biometric Scientist Finds “Where’s The Jews?” Rather Than “Gas The Jews” Was Chanted In Opera House Protest Recordings As Protester Spared Common Assault Conviction

On behalf of New South Wales (NSW) Police, an independent biometric scientist has completed a forensic analysis of “significant volumes” of audio & video files of the pro-Arab Sydney Opera House protest that occurred on the 9th of October last year during an Israeli Solidarity Opera House Western Sails Illumination after the attack on that state by Hamas. They found no evidence the widely reported phrase, “Gas the Jews”, was being chanted throughout the audio & videos.

The analysis was done by Michael Wagner, honorary professor at the Australian National University and emeritus professor at Canberra University. He told The Sydney Morning Herald that the analysis of the 11 reported chants of “Gas the Jews” “has resulted in overwhelming certainty that all…consist of the phrase ‘Where’s the Jews?’.”

As a result of that examination, the expert has concluded with overwhelming certainty that the phrase chanted during that protest as recorded on the audio & visual files was “Where’s the Jews?”. Not another phrase as otherwise widely reported.
NSW Police Deputy Commissioner, Mal Lanyon

The footage purporting to play the “Gas the Jews” chant was first posted online by the Australian Jewish Association. However, NSW Police Deputy Commissioner, Mal Lanyon, clarified NSW Police did not believe the footage was doctored but had been incorrectly captioned. He also said some witnesses had reported hearing the offensive chant, but they had “not been able to ascribe those words to any individual”. Deputy Commissioner Lanyon also said there was evidence that other offensive phrases were said during the protest including the phrase “F–k the Jews”.

NSW Premier, Chris Minns, also said his views had not changed & the protest “was violent and racist”.

Hate speech and racist language have no place in NSW. If those comments were made about any other group, my reaction would be the same.
NSW Premier, Chris Minns

We know what we heard & the world knows what was said. However, the exact words used in these chants is not the core issue. The core issue is that on October 9, before Israel had even commenced its military response, just 2 days after the greatest atrocity inflicted on the Jewish people since the Holocaust, a mob of thugs gathered at one of our nation’s most cherished sites to celebrate the mass slaughter and rape of Israelis, to burn Israeli flags & to chant threateningly towards fellow Australians.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry Co-Chief Executive, Alex Ryvchin

Sydney Spectaculars can find no evidence that the pro-Arab protest “gathered” at the Opera House to “celebrate” but rather to protest the lighting of the western Opera House sails in the colours of the Israeli flag.

NSW Police said in a statement to The Sydney Morning Herald that detectives “continue to investigate the incident”.

In related news from a month ago, pro-Arab protester, Marcel Ghabbar, 31, has been spared conviction of his charge of 1 count of common assault, at the same protest as mentioned above, according to Mosman Daily.

At that time, a 45-year-old man, Anatoly Kirievsky, yelled “You’re all f**king terrorists” allegedly trying to agitate the Opera House protesters. He became involved in an argument with a male group. During the argument, amongst other alleged assaults by other protesters, Anatoly Kirievsky was then shoved by Marcel Ghabbar. Police intervened & the arguers then dispersed and left the Sydney Opera House. Anatoly Kirievsky then reported the alleged assaults to Maroubra Police.

NSW Police later released, on the 17th of October, closed circuit television images of 5 people, 4 male & 1 female, they believe would be able to assist with the investigation into the alleged assaults. Later that day, Marcel Ghabber attended Mosman Police Station where he was arrested & at 11pm, were taken to Day Street Police Station where he was later charged with common assault. The court case begun on November 8 last year.

Marcel Ghabbar, 31, leaving Downing Centre Local Court on the 8th of November 2023.
Photograph: Dean Lewins/Australian Associated Press

Win The Ultimate Meat Raffle This Australia Day!

To celebrate the return of the Great Aussie Barbeque today to the Australia Day In Sydney program, the Australia Day Council Of New South Wales is giving you the chance to win a year’s supply of Aussie meat valued at AUD$3000!

The Aussie meat is provided by Our Cow, Australia’s favourite grass-fed, free-range, organic & wild caught meat, seafood & grocery delivery service. It consists of 12 monthly meat trays.

To enter, you need to write in 25 words or less why Aussie meat is the best in the world to throw on a barbie. The best original, creative & literate response wins. Click here to enter. According to the terms & conditions, you need to opt-in for further information from Australia Day Council of NSW to enter despite not being a compulsory answer on the entry form.

Entries close Monday the 29th of January at 10am Australian Eastern Daylight Time.

’10 Kilometre Wheelchair Race’ To Be Held 30 Minutes Earlier At 8:30am

Due to a forecasted 38 degrees Celsius tomorrow at around 11am, Australia Day In Sydney‘s 10 Kilometre Wheelchair Race will begin 30 minutes earlier at 8:30am AEDT.

Sun protection is recommended between 8:50am & 5:20pm AEDT as the Ultraviolet Index is predicted to reach 13 (Extreme). Remember, just because there is clouds, rain or wind, does not mean you will not suffer sunburn so slip on a shirt, slop on SPF30+ sunscreen, slap on a hat, seek shade & slide on some sunglasses during the times above.

Also, head to Fun In The Sun, hosted by Surf Life Saving NSW at the Tallawoladah Lawns outside the Museum of Contemporary Art, to beat the heat. That event will have abundant shade, complimentary sunscreen & a water station.

Sydney is also in a severe heatwave, which peaks on the afternoon of Australia Day. Severe heatwaves can be dangerous for many people especially older people, babies, children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, people with medical conditions & people who are unwell so seek a place to keep cool such as the nearby Customs House or MetCentre & if available, use fans or air-conditioners.

If you cannot attend in person to watch the 10 Kilometre Wheelchair Race, you need a Fox/Kayo Sports subscription to watch the race. The broadcast will also start 30 minutes earlier, at 8:15am, due to the change in schedule.

The Regatta & Harbour Splash are still scheduled for their originally advertised times (1:30pm & 8am* respectively)

*Registrations close 15 minutes prior.