Brett Sheehy has been appointed to be the director of Vivid Sydney 2026-28.
In the past, he has led the Melbourne Theatre Company as well as the Melbourne & Sydney Festivals, the latter notably in coordination with Sydney New Year’s Eve (NYE) during its 2003/2004 & 2004/2005 editions, where art walk, City Of Light & Bridge Effect, Fanfare, played a role in both events.
City Of Light could be seen as an early miniature version of Vivid Light, 5 years before it was created, with the Sydney NYE creative director at the time being Leo Schofield, who was Brett Sheehy’s predecessor at the Sydney Festival.
In 2012, Brett was appointed as an Officer Of The Order Of Australia for distinguished service to the performing and visual arts & international artistic exchange and mentoring.
2 years ago, he was appointed to reset the Adelaide Festival, where in just 8 months he reversed a 7-figure deficit & delivered both critical acclaim and a strong surplus.
It is an absolute thrill to be appointed to this role & contribute to Australia’s largest and one of the world’s most attended festivals.
Sydney has remained my chosen home-base since the 1980s & my love for this city has never faded. When Vivid Sydney appeared on the nation’s festivals calendar 16 years ago, I coveted the possibility of 1 day being its director & I could not be happier that day has now come.
Vivid Sydney uses the greatest natural canvas in the world to showcase a joyous celebration of light, art, ideas, music, performance & our stellar food culture.
This new era will build on Vivid Sydney’s extraordinary legacy & with our outstanding team, I’m confident we’ll deliver to Sydney, to Australia and the world, a suite of knockout festivals which will be the envy of every creative city on the planet.
Brett Sheehy, ‘Vivid Sydney’ 2026-28 Director
Vivid Sydney demonstrates how world-class events ignite our city, boost local businesses & drive growth across the entire New South Wales visitor economy. This festival doesn’t just light up our streets. It solidifies Sydney’s standing as a leading global cultural capital & a must-experience destination in the Asia-Pacific.
As we look ahead to 2026 & beyond, the appointment of Brett Sheehy AO as Festival Director ushers in an exciting new chapter for Australia’s favourite event.
The New South Wales Government looks forward to Brett building on the festival’s proud legacy & shaping a bold and inspiring future for Vivid Sydney.
Steve Kamper, NSW Tourism & Jobs Minister
Gill Minervini Leaves
Sydney Spectaculars thanks Gill Minervini for her work over the past 4 years which, whilst battling a pandemic & drone show over-popularity, has greatly improved the creative direction of Vivid Sydney through the introduction of overall themes.
Vivid Sydney 2025 – Dream had an attendance of 2.53 million visitors (110,000 per event day on average) with each Saturday averaging 200,000 people with Vivid Fire Kitchen welcoming 110,000 visitors overall (5000 per event day on average).
Destination NSW is delighted to welcome Brett Sheehy AO as the new Festival Director of Vivid Sydney. His creative vision & industry expertise will elevate Vivid Sydney’s position as one of the world’s most iconic major events.
We also extend our sincere thanks to outgoing Festival Director Gill Minervini for her passion, creativity & dedication over her past 4 years, which have been instrumental in shaping the festival’s success.
The 2026 edition of Airshows Downunder Shellharbour, held at Shellharbour Airport 1.5 hours south of Sydney, has been postponed by 2 months to in-between the 15th & 17th of May, with the event returning to be held annually while the event’s name has being rebranded as Wings Over Shellharbour, which seems to be a combination of the previous name & the original name of the event, Wings Over Illawarra.
It comes as Paul Bennet Airshows, one of the performing aerobatic teams from the flagship Sydney Spectacular, has been given the mantle to operate the public air show weekend portion of the event, after overall operator, the Aerospace, Maritime & Defence Australia (AMDA) Foundation Limited, decided to sub-license that portion in order so they can focus more on strategic initiatives supporting the broader Australian aviation sector, particularly through AMDA’s Careers By AMDA program, which will remain as Day 1 of the event, with a focus on growing engagement with the Shellharbour community.
The AMDA Foundation signed the operator licence agreement with Shellharbour City Council in March 2023 & will expire in 2033, meaning the agreement is now for 9 editions rather the previous 5 editions. Shellharbour City Council has approved the sub-license.
However, the change of the overall public airshow weekend operator comes after only 1 edition of it which AMDA ended up producing, which saw a dramatic drop in attendance, likely attributable to the event’s rebranding. Paul Bennet Airshows was approached before August about taking over as that portion’s operator.
AMDA Foundation Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Justin Giddings, said the decision to bring in a new operator was “incredibly hard” but said handing the reins of the public weekend over to Paul Bennet Airshows was “natural”:
As a new CEO, this was the thing that I got off the ground. It’s a big decision but ultimately Avalon Airshow is really big & it took a lot of our focus & having someone who is based here (Shellharbour) …it made perfect sense. We have already hit the ground running with some of our careers & skills program.
AMDA has always been committed to advancing Australia’s aviation & aerospace industries. We’re excited to support Wings Over Shellharbour through our Careers By AMDA initiative, helping inspire the next generation of aviation professionals. I think it’s a really good outcome for the region.
Justin Giddings, AMDA Foundation CEO
Despite what Justin Giddings said, Paul Bennett Airshows isn’t based in Shellharbour but in Maitland, 217 kilometres to the north. However, it is a lot closer than the AMDA Foundation were. They were nearly 700 kilometres to the southwest in the neighbouring state of Victoria. Shellharbour & Maitland are both in the state of New South Wales.
Paul Bennett Airshows is an Australian aerobatic show provider who provides well-known acts such as The Sky Aces & aircraft such as the Wolf Pitts Pro, Zivko Edge 540, Yakovlev Yak-52, Hawker Sea Fury, Grumman TBM Avenger, Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk and North American Aviation T28 Trojan and P-51 Mustang.
Jett & Paul Bennett walk away from their Wolf Pitts Pro at Shellharbour Airport Photograph: Illawarra Mercury/Adam McLean
Regarding the decision to return annually, Paul Bennet said:
I think because I’m mad. Our goal is to grow the industry in general & if you look at the V8 Supercars (touring car racing series), they don’t run every 2nd year, they run every year. I’ve always had a bit of a goal that I want to do a similar thing to what the V8 model is in a way but with airshows.
We’re absolutely thrilled to be continuing this incredible airshow. There’s nothing quite like seeing the joy & excitement it brings to the crowds.
It’s a big deal event. There’s a lot of people involved. It’s not just an instant thing.
Paul Bennet, ‘Paul Bennet Airshows’ Founder
This news is a boost to the local Illawarra tourism industry. However, the improvement won’t be felt until May 2027, when the return to annual airshows has officially happened.
Paul Bennet Airshows has already confirmed though that “plenty of blockbuster stunts & displays never before seen at Shellharbour” for the upcoming edition including Wings Over Shellharbour debuts for the De Havilland Vampire Jet, Cessna O-2 Skymaster & the world’s only flying F4U-1D Corsair.
Nevertheless, Shellharbour City Council Mayor, Chris Homer, said from what he had seen of Paul Bennet Airshows’ work, Wings Over Shellharbour would be “fabulous & fantastic”:
It seems to be a collaborative effort to get Paul Bennet off the ground once again, who is an expert not only in aviation but in putting on these events. I’m extremely pleased that in 2026 this is going to be a huge success. It was a great name before & as we can see, you have to have an evolution of things … seeing Shellharbour right there in the name, front & centre at our asset for such an exciting event. I’m ecstatic. It’s great.
Chris Homer, Shellharbour City Mayor
While catching the train is the best way to get to the event with a railway station less than 100 metres from the event gates, if you do end up driving, parking will cost AUD$5 – that’s half price on last edition! All parking charge proceeds will go to local community groups & all parking is off-site except for Platinum Pavilion ticket holders, buses, coaches & accredited disabled permit holders.
Wings Over Shellharbour will be held on 15-17 May 2026 at Shellharbour Airport with tickets on sale now here at early bird 2022 prices until the 31st of January!
All times are Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT)
Australia Day LIVEConcert tickets will go on sale at 10am, the 14th of January 2026 here. They are free & are limited in stock but don’t worry if you miss out, you can still enjoy the event without a ticket from around Circular Quay on the night or through the visual broadcast provided by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation! The Australia Day LIVE Concert goes for 2 hours & features Australian musical acts & fireworks celebrating Australian identity, beginning at 7:30pm, following a 1-hour non-broadcasted pre-show. Meanwhile, here are some other updates on Australia Day In Sydney for the 2026 edition…
Harbourfest
Mega Kidz Zone is no longer a Harbourfest event but will still be held in the Overseas Passenger Terminal between 10:30am & 4pm.
Salute (11:55am-1pm)
‘Salute To Australia’ in 2016, now called ‘Salute’ & part of ‘Harbourfest’ Photograph: Gareth Christian
Centred in front of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Salute weaves together cultural & ceremonial traditions in a tribute to Australia including a smoking ceremony from the vessel, Wirwai & opening with a 21-gun salute from Bradfield Park.
Navy Helicopter Flag Display
After a 2-year absence, the Navy Helicopter Flag Display will return to doing a leg down and along the South Coast to Nowra.
The Navy Helicopter Flag Display sees a Royal Australian Navy helicopter tow a giant Australian flag. The route & estimated times are below:
11:55am – Middle Head take-off
11:56am – North Head
12:03pm – Barrenjoey Head
12:11pm – North Head
12:14pm – Sydney Harbour Bridge/Goat Island
12:16pm – South Head
12:17pm – Bondi Beach
12:18pm – Coogee/Maroubra Beach
12:19pm – Cape Banks/Kamay Botany Bay National Park
12:21pm – Cronulla Beach/Royal National Park
12:33pm – Wollongong
12:38pm – Shellharbour
12:43pm – Kiama
12:50pm – Comerong Island
1pm – Nowra landing
Other
The Salute will see His Majesty’s Australian Ship Canberra returning for the 1st time since 2020 & at 12pm, a F35-A Lightning II stealth strike fighter jet aircraft returns for the 1st time since 2023 to do a flypast and handling display.
The Salute will end with a sing-along of the National Anthem, Advance Australia Fair. The National Anthem will also be played following the 21-gun salute.
Ferrython Fun
The Ferrython Race & Maritime Mayhem, while still being 2 distinct events, will be combined under a new umbrella term, Ferrython Fun, this year. It begins at 12:10pm and lasts until 12:30pm.
Race
Australia Day In Sydney: Ferrython Photograph: Australia Day In Sydney
The race sees 4 of Sydney’s Emerald Class ferries racing each other from in 2 laps in-between the Sydney Harbour Bridge & Fort Denison.
This year, the competing ferries will be carrying members of the Department Of Defence.
Maritime Mayhem
Beginning at 12:15pm, Maritime Mayhem sees tugboats pulling off stunts within Circular Quay as for the 1st time ever as part of the event, jet boats also carve up those waters.
Parade
The Parade will start 15 minutes later than usual this year at 1pm. It will run the same duration so it will finish at 2:15pm, 15 minutes than usual though. If you want to be part of the Parade, you can register here by 3pm, 21 January.
The Parade, which begins in front of Mary Booth Lookout, sees vessels dressed to impress judges in a display of national spirit. The Parade goes west to turn around in front of Goat Island before heading back east past the Sydney Harbour Bridge & Opera House to finish in Athol Bay.
Australia Day EveOpen Air Cinema
Australia Day Eve Open Air Cinema 2026 image Image: Northern Beaches Council
The Australia Day EveOpen Air Cinema film this year is Kangaroo. Rated PG (Parental Guidance Recommended – Mild Themes, Violence & Coarse Language) & inspired by the true story of The Kangaroo Sanctuary, it is about a former television star, Chris Masterman, stranded outside Alice Springs (Mparntwe), who teams up with a 12-year-old Indigenous Australian girl, Charlie, to rescue orphaned joeys.
This 2-hour event is held at 6:30pm on the 25th of January in Rat Park, Warriewood. Gates open at 5:30pm with the following food trucks on site:
All times below are in Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT)
They didn’t make “the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs” this year…
The last competing boat in the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race 2025, Millennium Falcon, a Sparkman & Stephens 39, finished at 10:22:42am on January the 1st (New Year’s Day) in 93rd position on line honours bringing the 80th edition of The Great Race South to a close.
Prime Example Penalised 1 Hour
Prime Example Photograph: Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race
Meanwhile, Prime Example has been penalised 1 hour by the International Jury.
A boat shall not receive help from any outside source, except (a) help for a crew member who is ill, injured or in danger; (b) after a collision, help from the crew of the other vessel to get clear; (c) help in the form of information freely available to all boats; (d) unsolicited information from a disinterested source, which may be another boat in the same race.
Racing Rule Of Sailing (RRS) 41
Crew intending to continue to race may go ashore solely for the purpose of making fast & thereafter shall immediately reembark. No outside assistance shall be accepted by the boat or the crew other than as permitted in RRS 41.
Sailing Instruction (SI) 16.3
At 11am on New Year’s Eve, the Race Committee brought forward a protest against Prime Example, who finished 66th on line honours,to the International Jury, who heard it 15 minutes later. The skipper of the yacht, Rob Fisher, attended the hearing via phone while the Race Committee didn’t attend at all.
At 12:10pm, the International Jury announced they had decided to add a discretionary elapsed time penalty of 1 hour to Prime Example‘s elapsed time. In assessing the penalty, the Jury accepted that there were no performance gains but that a proportionate rule breach penalty will also be applied. This assessment was done after deciding to apply a discretionary elapsed time penalty instead of a disqualification or discretionary scoring to the yacht as they were satisfied that Prime Example did not deliberately break the rules.
During the race, Prime Example temporarily suspended racing to make electrical repairs. While making the electrical repairs, they misunderstood that breaking RRS 41 or SI 16.3 as only occurring if someone from off Prime Example came onboard & helped them rectify their problem. As a result, they received & used a replacement multi-meter from off the yacht as a 2nd confirmation that their issue was rectified. Prime Example self-declared the circumstances in its declaration post-race, which prompted the Race Committee’s protest that the International Jury heard & upheld.
Prime Example, a Davidson 52, was therefore penalised 1 hour, swapping places with Flying Fish Arctos, a McIntyre 55 & one of the yachts that befell tragedy last edition, on line honours to be the 67th yacht officially across the finish line.
‘Flying Fish Arctos’ Photograph: ‘Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race’
Prime Example initially ‘finished’ at 4:22:26pm on the 30th of December while Flying Fish Arctos finished the same day at 4:57:14 pm. Prime Example has now ‘finished’ at 5:22:26pm. Both yachts raced at a speed of about 11.7 kilometres per hour (km/h) (6.3 knots).
Flying Fish Arctos doesn’t focus on results & was skippered by Drew Hulton-Smith and navigated by Timo Kairi. Their 10-person crew included Mathew Ackroyd, Jenny O’Donoghue, Sarah Jane Pell, Paul Harvell, Heidi King, Tristan Kusel, Ben Lam, Kam Foo Loke, James O’Neill & Iain Wilcock.
Prime Example was skippered by Rob Fisher & navigated by Bruce Perry. Their 10-person crew included John Davis, Ian Campbell, Ramandeep Kaur, Danny Johnson, Jenna Cook, Brandon Fisher, Morgan Prince, William Davison, Grant Skingle & Charlie Webb.
“Nearly” a million people are estimated to have crowded Sydney Harbour for Sydney New Year’s Eve (NYE) 2025.
After reaching a peak of 2 million for Sydney NYE2013 – Shine, this was the smallest crowd since Sydney NYE2003 – City Of Light, when the attendance was 750,000. That is excluding the pandemic-affected editions of NYE2021 – See Sydney Shine (100,000 people) or NYE2020 (barely anyone).
Crowd numbers have been holding at around 1.1 million since Sydney NYE2014 – Inspire. No doubt the drop in attendance this year was due to the December 14 Bondi Beach massacre & Jewish genocide terrorism.
CBD Doesn’t Reach Capacity
Another sign on how the December 14 Bondi Beach massacre & Jewish genocide terrorism affected the event was how the Central Business District (CBD) was never declared as at capacity.
For NYE2024, the CBD was declared as at capacity at 5pm. However, for NYE2025, such a declaration was never made. Darling Harbour, which holds a separate NYE event, was never declared as at capacity while Circular Quay was slower filling than normal with the last Circular Quay vantage point, Dawes Point (Tar-Ra) Park, underneath the south-eastern Sydney Harbour Bridge pylon, reaching capacity at 11:06pm.
Compare this to North Sydney (excluding Blues Point, which was paid ticketed), which for the 2nd year in a row reached capacity before the CBD, filling up at 5:26pm, 58 minutes later than for NYE2024.
Also, despite being near a new firing location for the Midnight Fireworks at White Bay Container Terminal, Giba Park took longer to reach capacity than the year prior. For NYE2024, it filled at 9:11pm while for NYE2025, it filled at 20 minutes to Midnight.
It seems, whilst “nearly” everyone still attended, they were watching from as good a view as they can get from anywhere but the CBD.
Security
This section is regardless of if you attended official ‘Sydney NYE’ events or not in Sydney. It applied to all NYE celebrations in Sydney.
The long-arms were there to “provide a sense of security to crowds” & were with Traffic & Highway Patrol Command, Police Transport Command, the Public Order and Riot Squad, Operations Support Group, Licensing Police, Mounted and Dog Command, Marine Area Command & PolAir.
NSW Police Assistant Commissioner, Peter McKenna, said the majority of people were well-behaved & followed the directions of authorities:
Sydney welcomed in 2026 with iconic fireworks & we saw people come together after a heartbreaking month. Most revellers enjoyed a safe & trouble-free night.
Unfortunately, Police were kept busy by a handful of people doing the wrong thing, particularly a number of illegal fireworks being set off, resulting in several injuries.
The top priority of our operation was the safety of the community & thousands of officers were out in force to ensure people enjoyed their nights and got home without incident.
Peter McKenna, NSW Police Assistant Commissioner
Across the Sydney metropolitan area (which extends from the coast to the Blue Mountains in the west & from the Hawkesbury River in the north to Sutherland and Wollondilly Shires in the south, more than 38 arrests were made including more than 9 in the Sydney CBD and foreshore areas for various offences including affray, offensive manner in/near public place/school & assault including of Police.
Also, about 7pm, following reports of an unauthorised public assembly, officers from Inner West Police Area Command were called to a bridge on Parramatta Road, Camperdown. Under the Public Assembly Restriction Declaration currently in place, 10 people were issued with move on directions, which they complied with.
Lastly, at about 9:30pm, following reports a large crowd were setting off fireworks, emergency services were called to Bright Park, Guildford. A man was treated by paramedics at the scene while a 12-year-old & 14-year-old girl were treated for non-life-threatening injuries before they were taken to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead. Investigations continue into 4 people who were arrested for allegedly throwing fireworks. This offence can carry an AUD$7500 fine.
Event Crew Statistics
Working on the event were 2,100 accredited personnel, 270 volunteers. Working on the Midnight Fireworks & Calling Country were 100 creatives.
During the event & after it finished at 2am, nearly 100 City Of Sydney staff cleaned City streets & parks with hundreds of extra bins & nearly 40 vehicles used.
Television (TV) Ratings
In Australia, the TV ratings mostly grew on last year especially the opening 13 minutes (average +24%), which may have increased due to the later start time. However, that portion’s peak also significantly declined (peak -12%). The 8:55pm-9:08pm segment also declined but it wasn’t significant (average -0.1%, peak -0.4%). All the NYE2025 Australian TV ratings were as followed:
Time slot/program – average (peak)
8:42pm* to 8:55pm – 791,000 (1,035,000)
8:55pm to 9:08pm – 1,196,000 (1,549,000)
9:08pm to 11:45pm – 1,057,000 (3,438,000)
11:45pm to 11:59pm – 1,742,000 (2,379,000)
Midnight Fireworks – 2,015,000 (2,444,000)
12:12am-12:16am* – 233,000 (461,000)
*NYE2024 was 8:31pm & 12:17am respectively.
Melanie C performing at the Concert Photograph: Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)
The ABC is proud to partner with the City Of Sydney to bring the iconic Sydney fireworks & our New Year’s Eve concert to audiences across Australia & around the world on ABC TV, ABC iView, ABC Australia, ABC Radio & our digital and social platforms.
My sincere thanks to everyone involved, particularly our dedicated ABC team, for their tireless work on this special event. Wishing everyone a happy & safe new year.
Kath Earle, ABC’s Arts, Music & Events Head
Things You May Have Missed
In a major expansion of the Sydney Harbour Bridge light show, the western upper arch featured for the 1st time on NYE, hosting 3 sets of spotlight beams for the 1st time.
During the Moment Of Unity, a spotlight beam shone directly up from the top of the eastern side of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
2 pyrotechnic drones featured on the western side of the Sydney Harbour Bridge for the 1st time ever & were located in-between the western pyrotechnic pontoon & the near west pyrotechnic barge. These drones were launched from Pier 2 of Walsh Bay. For the 1st time ever, the eastern drones though were launched from a special barge unlike last year where the drones were launched from the Royal Botanic Gardens.
At 9:39pm-9:40pm & 9:48pm-9:49pm, the Sydney Harbour Bridge pylon projections featured a 60th birthday tribute to Australian preschool learning TV program, Play School. Beginning with a fly-through of the iconic windows, it reveals the Rocket Clock lifting off before going through a series of images of the show’s toys doing human things. It concluded with Humpty falling causing a puff of confetti, only for Humpty to cheekily reappear showing he actually survived the fall. This was likely to be announced on December 31. However, due to the December 14 Bondi Beach massacre & Jewish genocide terrorism, was dispensed with in favour of the City Of Sydney Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, focusing on the night’s Moment Of Unity, where she revealed a bell being rung 6 times would form part of the soundtrack.
At Midnight, the western Sydney Harbour Bridge pylons were used for pyrotechnics for the 1st time ever. The eastern pylons were not used.
For the 1st time ever, ‘horizontal’ fireworks (introduced in Sydney NYE2008 – Creation: Midnight Fireworks – The Creation Storm) were fired off the centre eastern hangars of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
It had the shortest & smallest barge/pontoon finale ever – a quick burst right before the lower arch waterfall dropped, which began the longest closing sequence on the Sydney Harbour Bridge since Sydney NYE2005 – Heart Of The Harbour, with the 1st minute & 40 seconds involving occasional firings from the barges as well! This was all shaped by Jono Ma’s brilliant soundtrack.
New Year’s Eve is about more than just fireworks & once again we showed the best of Sydney. It was a true reflection of who we are – a diverse, inclusive & creative city.
I was truly impressed by the phenomenal New Year’s Eve show that brought together fireworks, music, lights & pylon projections into a show Sydney will be proud of.
In a show of support for the Jewish community, we respectfully marked the horrific attack in Bondi that has brought so much sorrow to Sydney over the last few weeks.
I was moved to see people right across the Harbour embrace the Moment Of Unity, showing the world we will not let this hateful act of terror divide us. We are a respectful, inclusive and welcoming city & a home to so many people of different nationalities and faiths. Sydney demonstrated to the world that we stand together as 1 community.
I’d like to thank our amazing events crew, the thousands of emergency service men & women, security & transport staff, volunteers as well as our clean up teams who gave up their night to allow us to enjoy the celebrations safely.
I hope New Year’s Eve gave people the chance to end 2025 on a positive note & I wish everyone in Sydney a peaceful, safe and prosperous start to 2026.
Clover Moore, City Of Sydney
Sydney Spectaculars Review
Fireworks
1 pyrotechnic drone on the western side didn’t take off.
Midnight
The entire eastern catwalk failed to fire (except some unintentional pyro during the lower arch waterfall), resulting in the ‘back-to-back’ waterfall not occurring. It was just a lower arch waterfall this edition in the end. Sydney NYE2025 Fireworks Director, Fortunato Foti, was right in saying it was “ambitious” as we’ll have to wait at least a year before another attempt. At least, we had some sort of waterfall this year!
ABC should show the south-east Sydney Harbour Bridge pylon ‘Happy New Year’ projection after the Midnight Fireworks conclude before heading back to the hosts. It rounds off the fireworks more nicely rather than trying to rush back to the hosts.
Calling Country
The far west pyrotechnic barge didn’t fire for the 1st minute while the near eastern pyrotechnic barge didn’t fire in the 1st 13 seconds.
Sydney Harbour Bridge Pylon Projections
Whilst the Sydney Harbour Bridge pylon projections begun at sunset, the full-pylon main creative sequences began later than usual at 9:22pm, well after families may have left, following Calling Country. They appeared 21 times from then on until 2am (excluding the Midnight Fireworks sequence) with varying durations of up to 16 minutes long. The creative sequences still appeared during the ‘Welcome To Sydney’, event partner acknowledgement & production credits projections, which also occurred prior to 9:22pm. However, they weren’t the main focus those times & in the latter’s case, were only upper pylon. Whilst there was an intended 3-part narrative to the main creative sequences, it was hard to discern which segments were which as the 3 parts were mixed together rather than being distinct separate as well as progressing forward creatively as the night got closer to Midnight.
Those full-pylon main creative sequence projections were repeated during the Midnight Fireworks, though synchronised to the music that time. However, this repetition loses their uniqueness. The Midnight Fireworks needs a special sequence that is the debuting finale of the rest of the night’s projections. Had this been done for this edition, the finale would have been the ‘blooming’ of Gymea Lilies, Christmas Bells, Fringe Lilies & the Waratah, which then could have been repeated until 2am, when the projectors are turned off. A new year symbolised by the blooming of flowers. However, this symbolism was a missed opportunity.
Whilst the main creative sequence was said to be of native flora, real & re-imagined, “taking over” the Bridge pylons, it ended up being just projections of real & re-imagined native flora as the real & re-imagined native flora was never ‘growing’ along the pylon’s edges & arches etc. as it would have if they were really “taking over” the Bridge pylons.
Calling Country
Similarly, it was disappointing that, once again, the Calling Country Sydney Harbour Bridge pylon projections were screened a 2nd time just before the Midnight Fireworks, thus losing their uniqueness for the 8:57pm-9:08pm show. It should have just been shown between 8:57pm & 9:08pm.
Also, the Calling Country projections need to be more focused on in the visual broadcast. The projections form the backbone of the segment’s narrative & need to be shown occasionally so the viewers can see the narrative unfold rather than just seeing fireworks & lights.
Though the latter issue is clearly a broadcaster rather than producer issue, hopefully these issues can be fixed for the next 3 editions of Calling Country, which may be conducted by a new Indigenous organisation, as We Are Warriors’ contract has come to an end.
Nevertheless, we congratulate We Are Warriors for their work on Calling Country, which has been the most creative part of Sydney New Year’s Eve during their tenure.
Welcome To Country/Lord Mayor’s Message
Once again, the Welcome To Country Sydney Harbour Bridge pylon projections were meaningless without subtitles. However, subtitles were used for the Lord Mayor’s Message, which was screened immediately after & was specially made due to the Bondi Beach massacre & Jewish genocide terrorism. Whilst the 2 segments were produced separately (by We Are Warriors & ABC respectively), both should have subtitles to avoid looking like the City Of Sydney has double standards.
Concert
During his performance of his song, Brother, between 11:10pm & 11:14pm, Matt Corby completely forgot to sing the radio edit & so accidentally swore live to air, dropping the “f-bomb” 3 times – a ‘bombardment’ – bumping up that segment’s Australian TV classification for its New Year’s Day replay & iView coverage from ‘PG: Parental Guidance Recommended’ to ‘M: Recommended For Mature Audiences’ due to “moderate coarse language”.
The Concert also needs to finish when the countdown projections begin on the Sydney Harbour Bridge pylons. It is very rushed trying to squeeze in a 10 second countdown in-between the last song & the fireworks. I mean, after the Midnight Fireworks, isn’t the countdown the main thing everyone looks forward to?
Moment Of Unity
The bellringer during the Moment Of Unity accidentally hit the bell 43 seconds into the 55 seconds of silence. It was faint & barely noticeable but if you listen carefully, it is there. The bell was rung during the 1st 4 seconds & the last second of what was to be a minute’s silence to signal to spectators, viewers & listeners when the silence was to start & end.
Smoking Ceremony
The Smoking Ceremony at 7:30pm ran behind schedule with the lead vessel, Tribal Warrior, not finishing a semi-circle of Circular Quay by 8:30pm, while it’s support vessels, Mari Nawi and Wirawi, stopping in the south-east corner & to the south-west of the centre of Circular Quay respectively after their entry into the Quay, which would have a been a disappointment for the crowds along East Circular Quay & the Sydney Opera House.
All times are in Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT)
City Of Sydney Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, has announced that a bell rung 6 times will form the soundtrack of SydneyNew Year’s Eve 2025’s Moment Of Unity at 11pm AEDT.
Made in consultation with Australia’s Jewish community, at 11pm, for 1 minute, the Sydney Harbour Bridge & the Sydney Harbour Lights vessels will be lit white.
A bell will be rung 3 times signalling to spectators, viewers & listeners to shine a light (such as a torch – example: phone) & have a minute’s silence during this time. A menorah (Jewish candelabrum) will also be projected.
After the minute’s silence, the bell will be rung 3 times again as the words ‘PEACE’ & ‘UNITY’ will be projected onto the Bridge’s pylons.
To hear the bell being rung 6 times down on the Harbour, tune into Australian Broadcasting Corporation Local Radio Sydney (702AM) or watch the visual broadcast online here.
Sydney New Year’s Eve is more than fireworks. It’s a reflection of who we are – a vibrant, diverse & inclusive city. Those values are more important than ever.
We will begin the event by lighting the Bridge pylons with the word PEACE & at 11pm, I invite everyone to pause and shine a torch light, to show the Jewish community that we stand with them & that we reject violence, fear and antisemitism.
Following the minute silence, a projection of the peace dove & the words ‘PEACE’ & ‘UNITY’ will be shown on the pylons.
There are no words that can make this moment easier nor explain the evil we have seen.
These moments will provide an opportunity for people to show respect, to reflect on the atrocity & to say we will not let this hateful act of terror divide us.
Clover Moore, City Of Sydney Lord Mayor
Sydney New Year’s Eve 2025 will begin at 2pm on Wednesday the 31st of December 2025 with the Moment Of Unity being held at 11pm.
The International Jury of the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race has declared Min River, a JPK 1030, to be the winner of the International Rating Certificate (IRC) handicap category overall & thus, the winner of the George Adams Tattersall Cup in 2025. It follows Comanche, a VPLP Verdier 100, taking its 4th line honours victory & John H Illingworth Challenge Cup a couple of days earlier.
Min River is the 1st double-handed yacht to win the main handicap category of the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race.
One of her co-skippers, Jiang Lin, became the 1st woman to win the main handicap category as a skipper, though as she was sharing duties, she won’t be the 1st woman to win that title as the sole skipper.
It is special for me definitely, so I am very happy. It hasn’t sunk in yet. Maybe I wake up & say ‘Oh, that was a dream’.
Their win follows a discretionary elapsed time penalty of 1 hour & 5 minutes being imposed by the International Jury on the initial IRC winner, BNC, an international double-handed entry from France.
BNC, a JPK 1080, initially ‘finished’ at 10:40:05am yesterday, 33rd on line honours, at a speed of 6.7 knots (12.4km/h). With a handicap of 1.036 giving an initial corrected finishing date, time & speed of 2:02:24pm the same day at 6.5 knots (12km/h), BNC was IRC clubhouse leader before later being declared the initial IRC winner while Min River‘s corrected finish date, time & speed was the 30st of December at 2:56:09pm at 6.4 knots (11.9km/h), having a handicap of 1.024 & finishing 41st on line honours at 12:38:26pm on the 30th of December at 6.6 knots (12.2km/h).
In assessing the penalty, the Jury has ensured that any possible performance gains are accounted for & a proportionate rule breach penalty is also applied.
This assessment was done after deciding to apply a discretionary elapsed time penalty instead of a disqualification or discretionary scoring to the yacht as they were satisfied that BNC did not deliberately break Australian Sailing Racing Rule Of Sailing 55.3 (see below) based on the report made and the evidence presented & re-enforced by the fact that the crew did this in full knowledge that spectators would be watching. They were satisfied of this after having heard & upheld a protest from the Race Committee.
55.3 Sheeting Sails
No sail shall be sheeted over or through any device that exerts outward pressure on a sheet or clew of a sail at a point from which, with the boat upright, a vertical line would fall outside the hull or deck, except: (a) a headsail clew may be connected (as defined in The Equipment Rules of Sailing) to a whisker pole, provided that a spinnaker is not set; (b) any sail may be sheeted to or led above a boom that is regularly used for a sail and is permanently attached to the mast from which the head of the sail is set; (c) a headsail may be sheeted to its own boom that requires no adjustment when tacking; & (d) the boom of a sail may be sheeted to a bumkin.
Australian Sailing Racing Rule Of Sailing 55.3(a)
The International Jury found that in the last 4 kilometres (2 nautical miles) of the race, BNC set & used its A1.5 asymmetric spinnaker, with a spar connected to the sheet at one end and the mast at the other end. The spar exerted outward pressure on the sheet at a point from which, with the boat upright, a vertical line would fall outside the hull or deck. You can see the way the sail was set here:
The journey to this protest has been an interesting one over the past 24 hours. After BNC and Min River crossed the finish line & the latter watching the official broadcast of the former’s finish, an initial protest was brought to the International Jury’s attention by Min River, claiming BNC had breached Australian Sailing Racing Rule Of Sailing 55.3(a).
BNC this morning declared they had, in fact, breached that rule on the last 4 kilometres (2 nautical miles) downwind towards the finishing line, which initialised a 2nd protest, this time by the Race Committee, who promptly informed BNC of their intention. This latter protest has been resolved, as you can read above, while the former protest was withdrawn when the latter was resolved.
The International Jury noted in the previous 4 kilometres (2 nautical miles) before the rule breach that BNC gained a maximum of 5 minutes. Therefore, an extra 5 minutes was imposed in addition to the 1-hour penalty.
Min River was also co-skippered by Alexis Loison while BNC was sailed by Frenchmen, Yann Rigal & 1987 and 1990 Windsurfing World Champion, Michel Quintin.
It’s crazy to win. We are proud of ourselves.
Alexis Loison, ‘Min River’ co-skipper
The International Jury consists of Jamie Sutherland of New Zealand, Philippe Mazard of France, Russell Green of New Zealand & Richard Slater and David Tillett of Australia, the latter who is the Jury’s chair.
An informal trophy giving ceremony was held at the Hobart Race Village after the result of the protest was announced, where the crew of Min River were given the George Adams Tattersall Cup & a Rolex timepiece.
Line Honours
The IRC penalty comes after Comanche, a VPLP Verdier 100, took its 4th line honours victory & John H Illingworth Challenge Cup a couple of days earlier at 06:03:36pm AEDT on December the 28th, beating LawConnect, a custom Juan K 100, by 47 minutes and 4 seconds & 9 nautical miles (17 kilometres).
It was the 31-metre yacht’s 4th ever victory. She didn’t break the race record this year, which they currently hold & is a finishing date/time of December 27th at 10:15:24pm AEDT.
All but 4 of the 19-person crew of Comanche in 2024 were the same this year plus they had 2 additional crew members.
This was about redemption. You can’t achieve something like this without an incredible team & that’s what we have.
The run up the Derwent was the best I’ve had in 33 races. The sailing was superb & the welcome in Hobart was unbelievable.
Tasmania embraced us. That’s something I’ll never forget.
James Mayo, ‘Comanche’ co-skipper
For his co-skipper, Matt Allen, the triumph was defined by composure under pressure.
An informal trophy giving ceremony was held at the Hobart Race Village when Comanche docked, where they were given the John H Illingworth Challenge Cup & a Rolex timepiece.
Eduardo Maclean, Rolex Australia Managing Director giving a Rolex timepiece to the Comanche crew. Photograph: Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race
Meanwhile, the formal Prizegiving will be held at 3pm at the Hotel Grand Chancellor.
There are still 5 yachts racing.
Virtual Race
Also, in the e-race on Virtual Regatta, French user, EdY-PVe/SERVTEC/D-ICE finished on the 29th of December at 7:47:29pm AEDT to win out of a field of 12,234 skippers, winning in front of 2nd place user, MC kele / INC-BUREAU VALLEE of Italy, by 6 seconds.
City Of Sydney Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, has decided that the Moment Of Unity‘s Sydney Harbour Bridge pylon projections will also feature a menorah (Jewish candelabrum) & the word ‘UNITY’ whilst lengthening the segment beyond the length of the minute’s silence.
On Monday morning, 30 Jewish-Australian cultural figures wrote a signed open letter to City Of Sydney Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, urging the City to project a “Jewish-specific symbol” onto the Sydney Harbour Bridge pylons to commemorate the victims killed in the Bondi Beach Jewish genocide terrorist attack on 14 December.
Australian Recording Industry Association Best Female Artist Award-winning rock musician, Deborah Conway,
Archibald Prize winning-still life portrait painter, Yvette Coppersmith &
Walkey Documentary Award-winning documentary filmmaker, Danny Ben-Moshe
We acknowledge the City Of Sydney’s plan as a gesture of remembrance & agree with the need for such a gesture. However, we consider the imagery & word chosen to be insufficient as they do not acknowledge the Jewish particularity of the Bondi massacre.
The selection of this word, coupled with the dove, without any specific reference to the targeting of the Jewish community, prolongs our erasure & obfuscates the problem of domestic antisemitism.
Open Letter signed by 30 Jewish-Australian cultural figures
They claimed their antisemitism warnings had been dismissed by “generic calls for peace” since 2023.
On Monday afternoon, the Lord Mayor said the City would continue to listen to the community to ensure the Bondi Beach massacre & Jewish genocide terrorism acknowledgement on NYE was appropriate. She agreed with the open letter signatories’ sediments & decided a menorah and the word ‘UNITY’ will also be projected onto the Sydney Harbour Bridge pylons during the Moment Of Unity:
Following the minute silence, a projection of the peace dove & the words ‘PEACE’ & ‘UNITY’ will be shown on the pylons.
There are no words that can make this moment easier nor explain the evil we have seen.
Clover Moore, City Of Sydney Lord Mayor
The above quote indicates the Moment Of Unity will now go at least 2 minutes.
In October 2023, New South Wales (NSW) Premier, Chris Minns, implied that once a decision was made to do a Jewish-related projection in response to terrorist events, that the NSW Government would give the Jewish community an opportunity to commemorate and mourn the death of innocent civilians & for the sense of loss that that community had felt, at a nearby vantage point. In response to the City Of Sydney Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, deciding to project a menorah on the Sydney Harbour Bridge pylons, which the NSW Government manages, an NSW Government spokesperson said:
The planning and delivery of Sydney’s New Year’s Eve fireworks and projections sit with the City Of Sydney.
The New South Wales Government remains in close consultation with the community, particularly the impacted Jewish community, about appropriate supports & ways to recognise the attack.
NSW Government spokesperson
In short, the NSW Government is still closely consulting with the impacted Jewish community & in any case, it is the City Of Sydney’s choice about what is projected onto the Sydney Harbour Bridge pylons for NYE. Anyway, back to the news of the whole Moment Of Unity expansion:
I’m very relieved, I’m very pleased & I’m very grateful that the Lord Mayor has made this change.
Danny Ben-Moshe, Walkey Documentary Award-winning documentary filmmaker
Danny Ben-Moshe also said the Moment Of Unity‘s expansion would “enable Jewish Australians & Jewish tourists to participate in that NYE event with a sense of inclusion rather than exclusion, perhaps with an element of hope rather than despair”.’
The initial plans, which are still going ahead, were also revealed to be made by the City Of Sydney in consultation with the Jewish Board Of Deputies.
This announcement was made on December 29 at around 8pm.
Sydney New Year’s Eve 2025 will begin at 2pm AEDT on Wednesday the 31st of December 2025.
All times are in Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT).
Sydney NYE2025‘s Moment Of Unity at 11pm has been expanded to include the Sydney Harbour Lights vessels, who are parading illuminated around the Harbour between Goat & Clark Islands/Bradley’s Head from 9:15pm to 11pm. The vessels will all be lit white in the final minute of the parade.
Also, Calling Country will also deliver a message of love and unity while the official visual broadcast will now begin at 8:42pm.
Lastly, 60 tonnes of equipment have been loaded onto the pyrotechnic barges. Also, there will be 112 firing points on the Sydney Harbour Bridge firing pyro from 7000 cues & in an updated figure, 40,000 pyrotechnic effects will be fired during the fireworks, an increase from 25,000 pyrotechnic effects – indicating the earlier figure was just for the Midnight Fireworks.
A Foti International Fireworks pyrotechnician loads a pyrotechnic into a mortar at White Bay. Photograph: Pheobe Pratt/City Of Sydney
The ‘Back-To-Back’ Waterfall
In those 40,000 pyrotechnic effects, the Sydney NYE2025 Fireworks Director, Fortunato Foti, has revealed there will be an “ambitious” ‘back-to-back’ waterfall on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. What does this mean?
In Sydney NYE2004 – Reflections On Australiana‘s Midnight Fireworks, the opening sequences featured a stripy golden waterfall from the lower arch. This is returning. However, unlike then, it will be dropped simultaneous to the usual full catwalk waterfall thus ‘back-to-back’. Another expected difference this time though is that the lower arch waterfall will not be stripy. It will be a full waterfall for the 1st time ever.
With a footprint spanning 7 kilometres along the Harbour, we’re doing everything we can to give the people of Sydney a great night with some stunning pyrotechnic moments.
We’ve been delighting & entertaining Sydney New Year’s Eve audiences for 28 years & we strive to make every year bigger and better.
Keep your eye out for cockatoos, koalas, bottlebrushes & waratahs as well as ambitious back-to-back waterfalls off the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Fortunato Foti, ‘Sydney NYE2025’ Fireworks Director
This year’s event will be our biggest New Year’s Eve yet, with more fireworks launched from more locations than ever before.
Clover Moore, City Of Sydney Lord Mayor
Machine Guns, Long-Arms & Extra CBD CCTV/Concrete Bollards
The below information is regardless of if you are attending official ‘Sydney NYE’ events or not in Sydney. It applies to all NYE celebrations in Sydney.
New South Wales (NSW) Premier, Chris Minns, at the Bondi press conference Photograph: 9News
After the Bondi Beach massacre & Jewish genocide terrorism, there will be more closed-circuit television cameras monitoring NYE crowds & concrete bollards for the night in Sydney’s central business district. At a press conference in Bondi, NSW Premier Chris Minns said regarding the suburb:
We can’t have a situation where the c, businesses & the community here suffers because the patronage, the consumers, the customers that we’re expecting to come through in the summer months don’t come about…because I know there is a lot of enormous goodwill for the coffee shops, the restaurants, the retail outlets that exist in these few square blocks but we’re really going to have to show the goodwill & the spirit of Sydney by backing Bondi during the summer months.
That goes for New Year’s Eve as well. I’m calling on the people of Sydney to step out, to do what you would ordinarily do, to thumb your nose at the terrorists, to thumb your nose at some of the ideology that we’ve seen online and on social media & ensure you say loud & clear that we will not be cowed by these terrorists or their, or their actions, their violent actions on the people of Australia or the people of Sydney.
It’s really important that if you were going to spend time with your family & friends, that you do just that & I want to send a clear message that New South Wales Police will be out in massive numbers, in some cop, in some cases carrying firearms & weapons that you haven’t seen before, but we judge is absolutely necessary to send a clear message that we will keep the public safe & do everything we can to restore confidence as Sydneysiders go about enjoying the most beautiful city on Earth.
I have spoken to a lot of parents & they would feel far more comfortable if there was a major police presence & that includes with the firepower required.
Chris Minns, NSW Premier
Questioned after the press conference, he confirmed the firearms “you haven’t seen before” includes long-arms.
NSW Premier, Chris Minns, in Archer Park, the site of the Bondi Beach massacre & Jewish genocide terrorism on December 14. Photograph: Dominic Giannini/Australian Associated Press
Later, at a press conference at Archer Park – the site of the massacre & Jewish genocide terrorism in the suburb of Bondi Beach on December 14 – NSW Premier Chris Minns confirmed NSW Police officers will be armed with machine guns & “big” long-arms and other firearms while patrolling NYE celebrations:
The purpose of the terrorism is actually to say to the community in Bondi & New South Wales – ‘We don’t want you to live your life’ – & I think there’s a good opportunity for parents & members of the community to show that they’re not going to be cowed or intimidated by terrorists & that they will celebrate with their family & friends. Now that means that we have to have a, a massive police presence. We need to have huge security available on the scene during New Year’s Eve celebrations & yes, in many cases, it will be confronting for members of the community to see Police with big firearms & machine guns, which aren’t normally the case on Sydney’s streets, but I don’t make any apology for that.
Chris Minns, NSW Premier
This announcement was made on December 29, 10am.
Sydney New Year’s Eve 2025 will begin at 2pm AEDT on Wednesday the 31st of December 2025.
All times are in Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT)
To remember the victims of the Bondi Beach massacre & Jewish genocide terrorism on the 14th of December, the City Of Sydney has announced that during Sydney NYE2025, shortly before Calling Country at 8:57pm, the Sydney Harbour Bridge pylons will shine white with an image of a dove & the word ‘PEACE’. This is likely to happen after the Welcome To Country, which finishes at 8:50pm.
Just over 2 hours later at 11pm, a Moment Of Unity will occur. The whole Bridge will now be lit white with the word ‘PEACE’ being projected onto the pylons once again as the 1.1 million spectators around the Harbour & the 425 million people watching globally are encouraged to shine a light (such as a torch – example: phone) & have a minute’s silence.
This is the 3rd time the Dove Of Peace has featured in Sydney NYE. It first appeared as a surprise Bridge Effect at the conclusion of the Midnight Fireworks of Sydney NYE2001: Of Beauty Rich & Rare: Australia – The Land as a tribute to the victims of the September 11 attacks in the United States Of America.
It also featured as an animated version in the Midnight Fireworks of the following edition, which was themed The World Celebration’s In Union, and was also followed by the word ‘PEACE’, the last time the word featured in the event.
Sydney NYE2002 – The World’s Celebration In Union Midnight Fireworks Finale Video: Channel 9
This is also the 2nd ever minute’s silence at the event, after the one held in the minute before the 9pm Family Fireworks of Sydney NYE2004 – Reflections On Australiana in remembrance of the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake & Tsunami, which occurred only 5 days prior.
City Of Sydney Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, said this year’s event would demonstrate to the world that Sydney stands together as 1 community:
Sydney New Year’s Eve is more than fireworks. It’s a reflection of who we are – a vibrant, diverse & inclusive city. Those values are more important than ever.
We will begin the event by lighting the Bridge pylons with the word PEACE & at 11pm, I invite everyone to pause and shine a torch light, to show the Jewish community that we stand with them & that we reject violence, fear and antisemitism.
These moments will provide an opportunity for people to show respect, to reflect on the atrocity & to say we will not let this hateful act of terror divide us.
Clover Moore, City Of Sydney Lord Mayor
There will be no flower projections on the Sydney Harbour Bridge pylons as was announced after the 2014 Lindt Cafe Siege (even though we have no evidence those projections actually ended up happening) because it clearly conflicts creatively with the native flora projections already announced for the night.
Midnight Fireworks Soundtrack
No. 77: Higher Together Extended Play (EP) Cover Image: Jono Ma
The Midnight Fireworks Soundtrack was released by Jono Ma on the 19th of December as part of his new EP, No.77: Higher Together. The whole 12-minute soundtrack was released, along with the 4 individual songs which are listed below in order:
Sydney Spectaculars 
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