CATCH-UP: What Made The News In Our Absence?

WARNING: Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islanders are warned that this story mentions an Indigenous person who has died.

Apart from the tragic passing of Rhoda Roberts, here are the other extraordinary & flagship Sydney Spectaculars news items that occurred during our absence…

Extraordinary

125th Commonwealth Naval Force Federation Anniversary International Fleet Review

• The United States Navy confirmed their attendance
• The ships on review were confirmed to be His Majesty’s Australian Ship (HMAS) Adelaide, HMAS Ballarat, HMAS Brisbane, HMAS Canberra, HMAS Choules, HMAS Dechaineux, HMAS Diamantina, HMAS Stuart, HMAS Supply, HMAS Sydney, HMAS Yarra, Bluebottles (Australia), His Majesty’s New Zealand Ship Te Kaha, His Majesty’s Canadian Ship Charlottetown, Motor/Merchant Vessel Asterix (Canada), French Ship Auguste Benebig, Indian Naval Ship Nilgiri, Republic of Fiji Naval Ship Timo, Republic Of Indonesia Warship Raden Eddy Martadinata, Japan Ship Kumano, His Majesty’s Ship Lekir (Malaysia), His Majesty’s Papua New Guinea Ship Francis Agwi, Republic Of The Philippines’ Ship Diego Silang, Republic of Singapore Ship Intrepid, His Thai Majesty’s Ship Naresuan, The Vessel of His Majesty Ngahau Koula (Tonga), Vietnam People’s Navy Ship 016 – Quang Trung, United States Ship Fitzgerald, Republic of Kiribati Ship Teanoai II, Samoan Patrol Boat Nafanua III & Cook Islands Police Patrol Boat Te Kukupa II.
• Robertson Park & Middle Head were confirmed as additional vantage points, the latter only good for the Ceremonial Fleet Entry.
• The Governor-General Of Australia, Sam Mostyn, was confirmed as the reviewer.
• The reviewer was to be accompanied by the Deputy Prime Minister Of Australia, Richard Marles, Chief Of The Australian Defence Force, Admiral David Johnston & the Chief Of The Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Vice Admiral Mark Hammond.
• There was also a ceremony on/off Bradley’s Head at 8am, where a Welcome To Country was held on HMAS Canberra as it passed the Head at the same time as the RAN hoisted the Australian White Ensign on the HMAS Sydney I Main Mast Memorial.
• The 125th Commonwealth Naval Force Federation Anniversary International Fleet Review happened on March 21:

• The Historic Flotilla Procession went the wrong way around Clark & Shark Islands.
• A surprise Sydney Opera House projection show happened that night (Check it out below if you missed it! You can also see the Historic Flotilla Procession happening to the left)

Rugby World Cup (RWC) – Australia: Men’s 2027

• A range of commemorative licensed merchandise launched
• To enter the ticket pre-sale, your ticketing account profile had to be completed
• The stadiums were confirmed:

• Stadium Australia confirmed to host the Final, Bronze Final, 2 Semi-Finals, 2 Quarter-Finals & 2 pool matches
• Sydney Football Stadium will host 2 Round Of 16 & 3 pool matches
• Docklands Stadium’s retractable roof to be closed for all matches
• Hospitality & travel experiences for all matches went on sale from January 27
• LIQUI MOLY will have its brand integrated into the event & digitally
• Mitsubishi Estate Co. Ltd will bring public viewing sites & other innovative fan engagement programmes
• Webb Ellis Cup taken to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge by John Eales & Wallaby, Joseph Suaalii (who also carried a RWC – Australia: Men’s 2027 flag), both of whom were joined by 24 young people from local rugby communities representing the tournament’s 24 teams with those regions’ flags

• A weekend-focused match schedule was announced with 19 matchdays, only 2 of which are on a Monday
• All host cities will have 2 matches (& thus up to 4 teams) over the same weekend at least once
• Pool stage to conclude with Super Sunday on 17 October 2027 – the 1st time ever 5 RWC: Men’s matches have been held in 1 day
• 100,000+ people registered for the pre-sale
• A more direct ticketing link was created: http://tickets.rugbyworldcup.com/
• Ticket prices were announced on Tuesday, 3 February 2026:

• Purchase limits will range from 6-10 tickets per match per customer
• The pre-sale was held from 12pm, Wednesday, February 18 to 12pm, Wednesday March 4, 2026, all in Sydney time
• Fans from 135 countries bought at least 750,000 (30% of) tickets by the conclusion of the pre-sale, with half of the tickets sold in the 1st 6 hours of the pre-sale – the fastest-selling RWC to date
• Most in-demand matches during the pre-sale were, in the pool stage, Australia vs New Zealand, England vs Wales, Ireland vs Scotland, as well as any knockout match
• Top 10 purchasing countries to date include, in order: Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Japan, France, Ireland, United States Of America (USA), South Africa, Chile & Canada
• For the general application phase for tickets, you will also need to have a ticketing account, if you don’t already, following the same set-up steps as the pre-sale.
• The general application phase for tickets had been shortened by a week to last just over 2 weeks
• Meiji Co. Ltd will supply milk & yogurt at the event as well as host fan-focused activations around the world & have its brand featured on the event’s digital platforms
• A new ‘season’ range of merchandise dropped on April 3
• After a delay of just under 4 months, the match ball finally went on sale on April 17. It is a replica in size 5.
• A new hospitality experience, The Touchline, went on sale on April 21
• IMG will consult on future media rights sales, including in new media, having already consulted on some deals including Australia’s (went to 9 Entertainment) & the USA’s (went to CBS Entertainment Group)
• The Webb Ellis Cup returned to Brisbane for the 1st time since 2003 on Tuesday May 19

• The general application phase for tickets opened on Tuesday, 19 May, 2026 at 3pm, Sydney time
• By May 29, higher price categories had better availability & due to extremely strong demand in lower price categories, ticket availability for these categories will be limited and likely subject to ballots
• During the general application phase for tickets, requests for donations to ChildFund Rugby were made, who, for the event, are working with partners worldwide to build safer, more inclusive communities
• The general application phase for tickets closed on Tuesday, 2 June, 2026 at 6pm, Sydney time, with 1.2 million tickets applied for from people in 141 countries.
• DStv’s SuperSport to broadcast the event in Sub-Saharan Africa

• Coca-Cola will be the exclusive non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverage supplier at all stadiums & fan festivals. They will also provide activations at those locations
• Ticket application outcomes were notified on June 23 with those successful having payments via card commencing automatically on June 25
• By July 14, demand was high for private suites
• ITV to broadcast the event in the United Kingdom, including via ITVX & the ITV Sport YouTube channel
• The Australian Sports Minister, The Honourable Anika Wells MP, announced that the Australian Government is providing an extra AUD$37.5 million in funding to support the event including AUD$7.5 million for the Impact Beyond Australia targeted sustainable rugby union long-term legacy programme, which provides the strategic framework for investment & delivery in rugby union in Australia (with a strong and deliberate emphasis placed on increasing female participation by 70% by 2029) from now to beyond the event by supporting Rugby Australia initiatives designed, in collaboration with its local Member Unions, the Australian Government & State and Territory Governments, to deliver lasting benefits for communities across Australia, with the 3 priorities of building capability and capacity, increasing participation opportunities & strengthening inclusion, with the aim of improving infrastructure, creating strong, safe and inclusive community rugby environments, ensuring the community game is ready to sustain increased interest inspired by the event, expand access to the game across all demographics, double participation in national club programmes to more than 16,500 participants, increase the community game by 1/3 across 15s & 7s, supported by a 30% increase in accredited coaches and match officials to sustain long‑term growth, grow overall participation to more than 220,000 rugby union participants by 2029 & have more fans
• The tournament is projected to generate up to AUD$2 billion in economic benefits for Australia
• You can now receive team-specific updates straight to your calender here
• Applications opened to those over the age of 18 (as of 1 April 2027) on 1st September for Team27, the ~3500-place volunteer program, until 23:59, Sydney time, on October 1, all through the portal powered by Wiz-Team, who are supplying the event’s Tournament Management System. Successful candidates, if they are not Australian citizens or permanent residents, must obtain a visa with volunteer working rights for the volunteering period. Successful candidates will also receive training and a uniform pre-tournament. There will also be welcome events & recognition activities
• Each host city will have its own volunteer team & unique name: Adelaide/Tarntanya – Kangaroo Hoppers; Brisbane/Meeanjin – Try-Line Huggers; Melbourne/Narrm – Lyrebird Line Breakers; Newcastle/Awabakal-Worimi – Kooka Ruckers; Perth/Boorloo – Quokka Quicksteps; Sydney/Gadigal – Platypus Pack & Townsville/Gurambilbarra – Sea Turtle Scrummers
• There will be another ticket release from October 1 with sales on a 1st come, 1st served basis. For this ticket release, you will also need to have an active ticketing account, if you don’t already, following the same set-up steps as the general application phase. You will not be able to create or activate a ticketing account between the 11th & 14th of September. Once logged in, an online queue will be in place. Once through the queue, you will have 30 minutes to secure your seats.
• An official ticket resale platform will be made available with further details to be announced later this year

RWC – Australia: Women’s 2029

• LIQUI MOLY will have its brand integrated into the event & digitally.
• DStv’s SuperSport to broadcast the event in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• The Australian Sports Minister, The Honourable Anika Wells MP, announced that the Australian Government is providing an extra AUD$37.5 million in funding to support the event including AUD$7.5 million for the Impact Beyond Australia targeted sustainable rugby union long-term legacy programme, which provides the strategic framework for investment & delivery in rugby union in Australia (with a strong and deliberate emphasis placed on increasing female participation by 70% by 2029) from now to beyond the event by supporting Rugby Australia initiatives designed, in collaboration with its local Member Unions, the Australian Government & State and Territory Governments, to deliver lasting benefits for communities across Australia, with the 3 priorities of building capability and capacity, increasing participation opportunities & strengthening inclusion, with the aim of improving infrastructure, creating strong, safe and inclusive community rugby environments, ensuring the community game is ready to sustain increased interest inspired by the event, expand access to the game across all demographics, double participation in national club programmes to more than 16,500 participants, increase the community game by 1/3 across 15s & 7s, supported by a 30% increase in accredited coaches and match officials to sustain long‑term growth, grow overall participation to more than 220,000 rugby union participants by 2029 & have more fans.

Flagship

Sydney New Year’s Eve (NYE)

2026

• This will be Jono Ma’s last Midnight Fireworks soundtrack
• On September 1, tickets for Luna Park went on sale
• On September 2, the official website was updated & tickets went on sale for the Royal Botanic Gardens Foundation & Friends Picnic
• For the event’s designated accessible viewing areas, click here
• Manly Cove has been removed as an official vantage point
• Due to spectators behaving with ‘high safety risk’ including anti-socially, overcrowding & multiple intoxications, Cremorne Point returns as an official (managed) vantage point with a capacity of 8500. Gates open at 1pm with free entry (& bag checks) via Milson Road & food will be available for sale. You can bring your own food too. This is an alcohol-free vantage point. Sunshades must be taken down at sunset
• Bradfield Park has been split into 2 separate vantage points: Upper (free but limited iconic views) & Lower (paid but clear iconic views), the latter paid to cover the cost of Cremorne Point now being managed.
• Access to Mary Booth Reserve is via Upper Bradfield Park
• All the Bradley’s Head vantage points have been combined
• The Sydney Harbour Bridge Pylon Projections will begin at 8:30pm
• The Welcome To Country is being produced by Dark Lightning
• On September 3, tickets for Goat, Shark and Clark Islands went on sale & became available for free for Bradley’s Head & Strickland Estate while a ballot opened for free tickets for the Cahill Expressway (closes 11:59pm, October 2) & paid-ticketed houses and apartments of Cockatoo Island (closes 2pm, September 16)
• On September 10 at 12pm, Taronga Zoo went on sale
• On September 22, Cockatoo Island camping goes on sale
• On October 1, Dudley Page Reserve goes on sale
• On October 7 at 9am, Blues Point & Lower Bradfield Park go on sale
• On December 26 at 10am, Sydney Opera House Southern Forecourt free tickets become available

2026-2029

• Barges & tugs will be supplied, until no later than NYE2029, by AusBarge Marine Services.
• We Are Warriors will return as creative producer for Calling Country until NYE2028 inclusive.
• illuminart will be doing the Sydney Harbour Bridge Pylon Projections’ animations until NYE2027 inclusive. This is as part of a newly widened contract, which now involves all major City Of Sydney events and festivals & not just NYE and/or the Sydney Harbour Bridge pylons.

2027-2029

• Jono Ma will not be composing the Midnight Fireworks soundtrack
• Expressions of interest (EOI) applications were open between 9am, August 3 2026 & 5pm, September 7 2026 to become the NYE2027-29 Midnight Fireworks soundtrack composer. However, if you wanted to propose amendments to the contract’s terms & conditions, you needed to propose those amendments by 5pm, 31 August 2026. The proposed amendments are not accepted except if stated in writing by both parties prior to the EOI’s closure. The amendments would then be publicly published for all EOI applicants. This & some redrafting of the application form suggests the City Of Sydney had difficulty with Jono Ma complying with the terms & conditions. A key contract change is that the composer can share footage of the Midnight Fireworks with their own files (rather than just using links). This may have been the compliance issue in the previous contract. A key difference in this EOI to the previous one is that you do not need to provide a proposed creative direction as part of the EOI – that will come later if you are successful. Instead, you are asked to provide your general creative approach to all your previous compositions. Also, knowledge & understanding of current & emerging trends in Australian music is no longer part of the EOI evaluation criteria. A maximum of 6 composers will be shortlisted to develop a final commission proposal with allowed quotes for the contracted work expanded by AUD$5000 to a maximum of AUD$65,000

Vivid Sydney

2026

• From 20 January to 3 April, applications were open for the 2026 Local Business Program.
• Mitski & her full band were announced as the 2026 headline artists in Music‘s LIVE At The Sydney Opera House program. They would perform in the Concert Hall for 4 nights.
• The 2026 Food program had a theme of memories running through it.
• New Food events in 2026 included the Regional Dinner Series & The Long Table Dinner: New South Wales (NSW) Icons of Land & Sea. The latter held in the historic Strand Arcade on the night of 30 May, curated and hosted by Nino Zoccali & guided by Simon Marnie.

• Vivid Ideas was renamed Vivid Minds.
• The 2026 overall program emphasised events in the daylight hours, which while it has always been a part of the event, is not immediately associated with the brand of Vivid to most people.
• The Lighting Of The Sails was by French artist, Yann Nguema & called Opera Mundi.
• Food’s Vivid Fire Kitchen was moved to the Stargazer Lawn at Barangaroo Reserve.
• Light’s Sydney Harbour Bridge & the wider Our Connected City installation became interactive again for the 1st time since the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the interactivity (Your Connected City) was only via the Internet about a month prior to the event (April 13 to May 15) & not in-person during the event. There was no guarantee your design would be chosen but if it did, it got 30 seconds display. The selected participants were announced on May 20. The selected participants also had their names shown online & on lightboxes around Circular Quay. Our Connected City featured a 5-minute show by the lights’ providers, Mandylights, followed by 5 minutes of alternating selected designs from the public, all synchronised to a soundtrack by Bailey Pickles.
• Foodbank NSW & ACT was the 2026 edition’s charity partner, also contributing a panel discussion at the Food for Thought stage at Vivid Fire Kitchen on 2 June & an interactive digital truck‑packing puzzle experience in Tumbalong Park where visitors are invited to pack & stack digital grocery items via a screen on the side of a Foodbank truck while racing against the clock.
• Travis De Vries replaced the late Rhoda Roberts as the event’s First Nations Advisor.
• Food introduced their 1st ever event dedicated to a beverage, specifically wine: Cult & Classic|A NSW Food & Wine Party featuring 30 NSW winemakers and distributors pouring more than 100 wines at The Wine Bar at The International.
• The 2026 edition was held between 22 May & 13 June – the 1st directed by Brett Sheehy, where he ditched a dedicated event theme as introduced by the previous director but he did say this edition celebrated changes in Sydney since 2006.

• The Lights On! Moment featured the 1st ever word created out of pyrotechnics coming off the Sydney Opera House – the word, beginning & ending the fireworks, was ‘VIVID’. It also featured fireworks off the Museum Of Contemporary Art (southern side) for the 1st time ever.

• Light‘s drone show returned after a year’s absence, relocated to Cockle Bay, expanded to 22 shows, held twice on Sunday to Wednesday nights (no shows on 7 June though), produced by United Kingdom company, Sky Magic & named Star-Bound with the show’s soundtrack was broadcast on FM radio. While not perfect in improving crowd management at these drone shows, it was a massive improvement, it has to be said. The 1st show was cancelled due to inclement weather but the 2nd show went ahead:

• Star-Bound debuted the 1st drone pyro golden waterfall in Australia that we’re aware of. However, at the 3rd scheduled show, the whole show malfunctioned, resulting in the cancellation of all remaining shows:

• An investigation into the Star-Bound malfunction was launched & is still ongoing by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB). Whilst SkyMagic confirmed the drones’ radio frequencies suddenly changed causing the malfunction & that there is no evidence to suggest foul play, they nor the ATSB have yet determined why the change happened. The ATSB’s report is due by the end of the year, but Sydney Spectaculars has reason to believe an illegally flown drone nearby may have been the accidental cause of the change. Star-Bound was subsequently replaced with a fireworks display by Foti International called Sky Symphony, which was simply added onto some, but not all the existing Laser Lightfall laser shows at Cockle Bay but popular demand saw them add 2 extra Sky Symphony shows on the final Thursday night of Vivid Sydney 2026.

• The Lights Off! Moment fireworks display did not occur this year, having been introduced last year.
• Vivid Sydney became the world’s biggest arts festival!
• More than 15,000 visitors experienced Cristal Palace (or 5000 per show/night), a French open-air show of aerial acrobatics, dance & circus feats on the Sydney Opera House Southern Forecourt.

• 40,000 tickets sold for LIVE At The Sydney Opera House (or 1739 per event day)

2027

• From 18 June 2026 to 27 July 2026, expressions of interest were open for Light.
• From 18 June 2026 to 28 August 2026, expressions of interest were open for Music, Minds & Food.
• The event will take place from 28 May to 19 June.

Australia Day In Sydney 2027+

• On the 19th of February, Waverley’s Mayor proposed to their Council’s Finance, Operations & Community Services Committee that the Council investigate introducing Citizens Of The Year award ceremonies from next year. The Committee unanimously voted in favour of the investigation.
• On the 19th of May, Waverly Council unanimously decided to introduce the Citizens Of The Year award ceremonies from next year.
• On the 16th of June, a Waverley Liberal Councillor For Lawson Ward, Lauren Townsend, proposed to further increase their local governments’ events by the 2028 edition inclusive. In 2026, Waverly had 3 official events – Dawn Reflection (at Bondi Beach), Community Barbeque (BBQ) (at Bondi Surf Bathers Life Saving Club) & Citizenship Ceremonies. The NSW Government also organises Harbourfest‘s Salute‘s Navy Helicopter Flag Display (along Waverley’s coastline). The Council’s vote was carried 10-2 though they also decided they wanted advice from their First Nations & Multicultural Advisory Committees.
• Feedback from Waverley’s First Nations Advisory Committee on 30th June was unanimous in opposition saying that “This is a dangerous space for those Aboriginal people who consider this as a Day Of Mourning” & it will “overshadow all the work being done and that Council is continuing to do within the community.”. However, they also did say “It’s not that we don’t want to celebrate as Australians – this date is not the date for us particularly” but also suggested ‘Council could focus more energy into the community BBQ & link the Dawn Reflection and Citizenship Ceremonies together’.
• Waverley’s Multicultural Advisory Committee was divided with half saying “we should be respectful to the wishes of First Nations people & concerned that there may be protests and fraying of social cohesion” (Note: This would be just over a year after the Bondi Beach Massacre & Jewish Genocide Terrorism) while the other half said it would be “a positive contribution to rebuilding social cohesion”.
• On the 18th of August, Waverly Council voted (8-3) against adding markets & expanding the community barbeque, both with added decor while the latter would also have been lengthened in duration to link the Dawn Reflection with the Citizenship Ceremonies, all to a cost of AUD$20,000 that fitted within the Council’s current budget. 1 Independent Councillor, Steven Lewis, voted it down because the whole proposed idea for the expansion “won’t be noticed”, a Labor Councillor, Margaret Merten, voted it down in respect to the First Nations Advisory Committee’s advice while another Councillor, this time from the Greens, Ludovico Fabiano, voted it down thinking it wouldn’t be “right” to do more so soon after the Dawn Reflection. Another option, which has not yet been voted on, also featured live music, disc jockeys and games all-day in Bondi Park & was costed around AUD$416,000 which didn’t fit into the Council’s current budget. 1 Liberal Councillor, Dov Frazer, no longer wanted to pursue this option saying he “cannot justify that cost to our ratepayers”, bringing it to at least 3 votes against for the larger option if you add the previous ‘against’ votes for the smaller option but excluding the Councillor that thought the smaller option “won’t be noticed”.
• On the 1st of September, Lauren Townsend quit the Liberal Party partially as a result & became an independent.
• On the 6th of September, the Federal Liberal-National Coalition, who, at the time this news broke, have the support of about 25% of the population (or 29% of seats in the House Of Representatives/35% of the Senate), has said, they will try to protect Australia Day on 26 January in Commonwealth law, with any future change of date requiring the approval of the Australian people through a national plebiscite. This is despite the Federal Parliament only having the power to control the date in territories & only in limited contexts in the states. This followed 2 attempts in the previous (2022-2025) & the current (2025-2028) Federal Parliament that only had the support of 1-3% of members of the House Of Representatives, mainly from east Brisbane, Toowoomba & north-east Gold Coast & in both attempts, lacked the priority but now, with this newfound support, it increases to mainly rural areas & the 3 biggest capital cities (Melbourne, Sydney & Brisbane) with the support strongest in the state of Queensland.

Wings Over Shellharbour

2026

• The general admission car parking area was moved from Albion Oval back to its former location on a paddock on Croome Road, directly south of the Airport.
• For those flying-in, there was no landing fees.
• On the 14th of January, the 1st stunts to feature at the air show ever were confirmed: Plane Vs Bike Jump, The Piper Cub Truck Landing & Plane Vs Car Race. Also confirmed to feature in the flying program for the very 1st time ever at the event was Australia’s 1s aerobatic-capable chopper & 1st light twin ever built in the Southern Hemisphere, the Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm Bo 105 Helicopter, which would do aerobatics, as well as a Wolf Pitts 360, flown by Paul Bennet’s son, Jeff, who is also making his event debut. Other old favourite aircraft were announced to return for the flying program including the Royal Australian Air Force Roulettes (1st time since 2022), The Sky Aces, P-51 Mustangs, Supermarine Spitfires, Huey Choppers & a Wolf Pitts Pro (Paul Bennet), Zivko Edge 540 (Glenn Graham), P-40 Kittyhawk, F-35 Lightning II, Hawker Sea Fury, Connie, Lockheed P2 Neptune and P3 Orion, a replica of The Southern Cross, L-39 Albatros, Grumman Avenger and S-2 Tracker, de Havilland Canada-4 Caribou, Douglas DC-3, T-28 Trojan and the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) Wirraway. The Wall Of Fire would also return.
• On the 6th of March, it was announced that the P-40 Kittyhawk will be flown by its owner, Allan Arthur.
• On the 15th of April, applications to be a Careers Day vendor closed.
• A free public webinar, Cleared For Takeoff: Your Pathway Into Aerospace!, was announced to be held from 5:30pm to 7pm on the 28th of April.
• On the 30th of April, it was announced that a MH-60R Seahawk would feature in both the flying & static displays while a Eurocopter 135 would also be on static display.
• On the 7th of May, it was confirmed that 3 Supermarine Spitfires were expected to feature in the flying program.
• On the 10th of May, it was confirmed that a Lockheed Hudson would feature in the flying program.
• On the 12th of May, it was announced that a raffle draw would be held at the event on the Sunday at 4pm. The actual raffle nor the prize were part of Wings Over Shellharbour.
• Initially, a new 45-minute lunch break was put in the flying program schedule at 1pm, but when the flying program was released, it wasn’t there anymore.
• On the 14th of May, the final Flying Program was released, revealing a Pacific Aerospace Corporation CT/4, Lancair Legacy, BRM Aero Bristell & radio-controlled model jets would feature for the very 1st time, a revamped Opening Ceremony including the Wolf Pitts Pro and a Wall Of Fire for the 1st time & that the Yakovlev Yak-52 and CAC Winjeel will appear. Unfortunately, it also revealed the Cessna O-2 Skymaster, F-35 Lightning II, The Southern Cross replica, Grumman S-2 Tracker & Connie would not be flying with the former 2 also not on static display either:

• On the 15th of May, the event map was released:

• The Careers Day Speaking Program consisted of 4 panels of varying durations, all moderated by Sky Careers’ Sue-Anne Munckton: Who Is CASA?, First Steps Into Flight, Behind Every Aircraft & More Than The Pilot Seat.
• For those who bought tickets before the 16th of May, they also were automatically entered into a competition to either fly in a L-39 Albatros, P-51 Mustang or a Supermarine Spitfire, with 1 winner per plane.
• The 2026 edition was held on the 28th of April & the 15th to the 17th of May with nearly at least 22,000 people attending (or nearly 10,000 per public weekend event day) – an increase of nearly 43%, likely attributing to a more familiar brand name (the only difference is the word ‘Shellharbour’ now).

2027

• On the 30th of June 2026, the final ATSB report into a 2025 plane crash at the Australian International Airshow in Avalon, Victoria, which is run by the Careers Day organiser, Aerospace Maritime Defence Australia (AMDA) Foundation & involved a plane from the Public Weekend organiser, Paul Bennet Airshows, specifically from their Sky Aces aerobatics team, which does usually perform at Wings Over Shellharbour, was issued. It was caused by the pilot beginning the triple avalanche manoeuvre about 30 metres lower than he normally did. He usually started it at a minimum of 60 metres altitude from ground level. The ATSB recommended airshows have better signage for emergency services to travel through pyrotechnic sites; for aerobatics pilots, to always enforce their personal minimum safe heights before attempting an aerobatic manoeuvre & for amateur aeroplane manufacturers, to obey the Civil Aviation Safety Authority’s Civil Aviation Order 101.28: Airworthiness Certification Requirements to ensure 1st responders know how to open your plane’s canopy upon a crash. Whilst AMDA Foundation confirmed they will make changes to the Australian International Airshow, but as no pyro or flying aircraft have yet been confirmed for the 2027 Wings Over Shellharbour edition, no changes have yet been confirmed for this event’s next edition.
• On the 2nd of July 2026, the final ATSB report into an October 2025 fatal plane crash at Shellharbour Airport, the event’s venue, was issued. It found it was caused by the horizontal stabilator moving to a (near-)full nose up deflection during the take-off roll. Why it moved they could not determine. The ATSB recommended that pilots who encounter an uncommanded pitch up should push forward on the control column & in all flying activity, to obey the Civil Aviation Safety Authority’s Civil Aviation Order 100.5: General Requirements In Respect Of Maintenance Of Australian Aircraft. As no flying aircraft have yet been confirmed for the 2027 Wings Over Shellharbour edition, no changes have yet been confirmed.

• On the 13th of August 2026, tickets (with early bird pricing of AUD$40 off) & souvenir programs went on sale with the event dates revealed to be May 21-23 with Friday being a free Careers Day (for students (Year 7 minimum), teachers, careers practitioners & accompanying adults) from 9am-2pm & the weekend being the public airshow with their gates open between 9am & 5pm with the airshow between 10:30am & 4:30pm. Early bird pricing ends on 31st January 2027. Helicopter joy flights, a flight simulator, kids rides & 42 stalls were also confirmed as well as additional train services to get to the event! For those flying-in, there will be no landing fees again.

State Of Origin

2026

• On the 12th of November 2025, it was announced that the opening match will be at Stadium Australia, Sydney on Wednesday, May 27, before Game II will be held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Wednesday, June 17, with the final match held at Lang Park, Brisbane on Wednesday, July 8. All matches would be broadcast in Australia live & exclusive on the 9 Network. Hospitality also went on sale
• Game II’s pre-sale window for National Rugby League (NRL) Club Members & Account Holders opened on Thursday, November 27 with sale to the public from Friday, November 28.
• On the 4th of February 2026, tickets for Game 3 went on sale.
• On the 5th of February 2026, tickets for Game 1 went on sale.
• On the 16th of February 2026, it was announced that the rules were updated so that players who represent England or New Zealand in International RL fixtures can now be eligible to play, if they also meet the other remaining eligibility criteria
• On the 25th of May 2026, Origin Verified – a series of challenges (such as trivia & codeword searches) to earn points towards your Fan Verifications – (from lowest to highest) Bandwagoners, Casuals, Loyalists, Diehards or The Immortals – was launched. Each verification comes with a shareable social media tile & the chance to win prizes including AUD$50 NRL Shop vouchers and commemorative Origin Verified pins. The Top Immortal would also win a trip for 2 by plane from their closest capital city’s airport to Auckland, New Zealand for 2 nights’ accommodation valued at AUD$1500 & two Diamond tickets valued at $1500 to 2027’s Game 2, before a return flight. Only open to people in Australia, you needed to create an account to participate. A live NSW vs Queensland leaderboard tracked which state had the most Verified Fans, with participants competing to unlock, for their state, exclusive rewards & prizes. It ran until the Shield was lifted by the winning team after Game 3
• State Of Origin: Game 2 – Melbourne: The Decider begun with a press conference with the coaches & captains at Queensbridge Square on June 16, livestreamed on 9Now.
• At that press conference, NSW coach Laurie Daley revealed five-eighth Ethan Strange is set to be used off the bench as a backrower.

Game 1 Full Replay

Game 2 Full Replay

Game 3 Full Replay

• The series was won by NSW 2-1.
• The attendance was 74,000 per event day.
• 26,000 fans were Verified with the Top Immortal being Jarrad Stark. The top state is unknown, but NSW were leading around the time of Game 2.

2027

• On the 16th of February 2026, it was announced a game will be played at Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand – the 1st ever State Of Origin match held in New Zealand – supported by the New Zealand Government & Auckland Council Events.
• On the 18th of August 2026, Game 2 was confirmed to be Eden Park’s match & will be held on Wednesday, June 16, with travel packages & hospitality going on sale. General public tickets will go on sale in November but you can sign up to a waitlist in the meantime.

Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race

2025

• On the 12th of January 2026, tickets went on sale for the Tales From The Rails dinner. Tickets were AUD$40 for Cruising Yacht Club Of Australia (CYCA) members & AUD$50 for non-members & the dinner was held from 7pm-10pm on the 19th of February 2026 at the CYCA with this year’s speaking panel featuring Jiang Lin, David Gotze, Grace Shipway & Tom Barker

2026

• At 11am on the 26th of May 2026, entries for the main race opened to close at 5pm, Friday 23 October. There are exclusive perks for Cruising Yacht Club Of Australia members including discounted fees
• At least 65% of a minimum 5-person crew, including the skipper or the nominated Person In Charge (IC) & the 2IC, must hold a current Australian Sailing Safety &Sea Survival Course Certificate or equivalent, up from 60% last year
• The requirement for both of the 2 crew members of a minimum 5-person crew to be either a practising medical practitioner or hold a current Provide First Aid Certificate/Race Committee-approved equivalent, has been made flexible so that the 2 crew members must meet at least 1 of the above criteria but not necessarily the same option as each other
• Yachts using a modular first aid kit must now have a crew member who either is a practising medical practitioner or holds both a Provide First Aid Certificate & an Advanced First Aid Certificate
• World Sailing Development Rule DR21-01 will be used in full, in particularly that the yacht “may return to the pre-start side of the line to comply with item (a) of the definition of Start (& rule 30.1), but if she does not, she shall receive a scoring penalty”
• When making the mandatory report off Green Cape, using voicemail to make the report will result in a ‘did not finish’ being recorded
• As of the 15th of July 2026, over 40 yachts including Making Waves Kayle (with John Whitfield as skipper & Annie Lawrence as navigator), Wild Thing 100, XI, Vixen Racing, Willow, Kraken Sails Toecutter, Back 2 Black, Smuggler, Pretty Woman, Clockwork, Vertigo, Titoki, Maritimo 160, Alive & LawConnect have entered the main race so far
• Wild Thing 100 plan to further alter the yacht’s displacement to address the upwind performance issues that plagued it in last year’s race, particularly in the stronger conditions
• The virtual race via Virtual Regatta was confirmed to be held again
• On the 22nd of August, tickets went on sale for the official spectator vessel, with non-fruit juice now included in the price, which this year is AUD$$419 per person, goods & services tax included. Smoking is not allowed on board
• Matt Hill was announced as Gordon Bray’s replacement on the commentary team with Oliva Price and Lisa Darmanin joining the Hobart broadcasts, having been based in only Sydney last edition
• The Classic Yacht Regatta will be held from Friday 11th to Sunday 13th December
• The Women In Sailing Night will be held on Thursday the 17th of December in the Sydney Race Village
• The Long Lunch will be held on Monday the 21st of December in the Sydney Race Village

Earth Hour

• The 2026 edition was held for 1 hour at 8:30pm on Saturday March 26.