Category: ‘Flagship’ Sydney Spectaculars

New South Wales (NSW) Police have launched a highly-visible & mobile policing operation to ensure the safety & security of the community ahead of Sydney New Year’s Eve.

Operation Talisman will be in place tomorrow (Saturday the 31st of December 2016) as millions of people make their way to New Year’s Eve events in & around Sydney as well as other celebrations across the state.

More than 2000 officers will be deployed on the ground, on the water & in the air, focusing on Sydney Harbour & its multiple foreshore areas.

General Duties Officers from Local Area Commands across Sydney will be assisted by specialist units including Police Transport Command, Public Order & Riot Squad, Operations Support Group, Traffic & Highway Patrol Command, Licensing Police, Mounted Unit, Dog Unit, Marine Area Command & PolAir.

Acting Deputy Commissioner, Frank Mennilli, said police will be prioritising safety & targeting alcohol-related crime and anti-social behaviour to facilitate the safe passage of crowds as they make their way through the Central Business District (CBD).

“We are prepared for significant crowds who are expected to make their way into the CBD & Sydney Harbour foreshore areas this New Year’s Eve” Acting Deputy Commissioner, Frank Mennilli, said.

“Both uniformed & plain clothed police will be out & about across the multiple event areas to ensure the movement of crowds to vantage points are managed safely. Members of the public are urged to obey the directions of police & event staff as they make their way to their chosen viewing area”

“The public are also reminded to celebrate responsibly & look out for one another. If you choose to have a drink, remember alcohol impairs your judgement & can turn anyone into an offender or victim of crime. The key is to know your limits & drink to moderation” Acting Deputy Commissioner, Frank Mennilli, said.

“Sydney has quickly become known as the world’s premier New Year’s Eve destination so let’s make sure it is memorable for all the right reasons”

NSW Police have been working closely with the City Of Sydney, NSW Government agencies, landowners & other stakeholders in the lead up to the 2016 event.

Operation Talisman Commander, Assistant Commissioner, Mick Fuller, said extensive assessments have been conducted throughout the year & detailed plans will be implemented to ensure traffic, transport, crowd behaviour & security are expertly managed.

“NSW Police, together with our partner agencies, have worked tirelessly to provide a safe & family-friendly environment for New Year’s Eve in Sydney” Assistant Commissioner, Mick Fuller, said.

“We are anticipating large crowds to descend upon Sydney’s foreshore viewing areas for the spectacular fireworks displays at 9pm & Midnight”

“Police & security will be monitoring crowd numbers closely and sites will be closed as soon as they reach capacity & people will be directed away from the area to prevent overcrowding” Assistant Commissioner, Mick Fuller, said.

“We have previously seen several sites reach capacity & close early so we are urging people to arrive early, just in case you have to make your way to another viewing location”

“The community are reminded that ‘Bring Your Own Alcohol’ is prohibited at all vantage points & will be strictly enforced. Anyone who would like to drink should choose a licensed vantage point or licensed premises”

Detailed vantage point information, alcohol-free zones & important hints and tips for the evening are available on the Sydney New Year’s Eve website: www.sydneynewyearseve.com.

The website also features important traffic & transport information to assist revellers in planning their trip to& from the city.

“There will be a large number of major road closures in place throughout New Year’s Eve to facilitate crowd movements & the inspiring fireworks displays” Assistant Commissioner, Mick Fuller, said.

“In addition, there will be special event clearways & significant changes to traffic conditions in the Sydney CBD, North Sydney, Lower North Shore, Inner West & the Harbour foreshore so public transport is certainly your best bet”

“There are, however, thousands of additional train & bus services available to get people to their New Year’s Eve celebrations & home again” Assistant Commissioner, Mick Fuller, said.

“With additional road closures in place this year, pay close attention to signage as your route to & from your chosen vantage point may differ. Event staff & police will be on hand to assist as you make your way home”

“For those who must drive, please exercise patience, be aware of your surroundings & expect major delays particularly at the end of the night when our focus will be on facilitating pedestrian movement”

Detailed public transport information is available on the Sydney New Year’s Eve website. Special event traffic information can also be found at: www.livetraffic.com.

With significant maritime traffic expected on Sydney Harbour, police & maritime authorities will be out in force to ensure operators of recreational & commercial vessels are complying with maritime laws.

“Similar to foreshore areas, the Harbour will be crowded so skippers are reminded to be alert & aware of other boaters at all times” Assistant Commissioner, Mick Fuller, said.

“Before heading out on the water, check the vessel is in good working order, ensure all the required safety equipment is on board – most importantly, lifejackets & check special event maritime information”

“And remember, the alcohol limit is 0.05 – just like on land & with officers conducting random breath tests on the water, it is safer not to drink at all” Assistant Commissioner, Mick Fuller, said.

Visit www.rms.nsw.gov.au & follow the links to ‘Maritime’ for details on exclusion zones & movement restriction times.

Media Release: NSW Police Force

Roads & Maritime Services is advising boaters to plan ahead for a safe & enjoyable New Year’s Eve on Sydney Harbour.

Executive Director of New South Wales Maritime, Angus Mitchell, said up to 4000 spectator boats are expected to compete for the best vantage point on what is the busiest time on Sydney Harbour.

“The sheer numbers of boats of all shapes & sizes requires careful planning to ensure there is no opportunity for anchor rage out on the water” Mister Mitchell said.

“The best message for boaties is to not leave your trip too late – there are bound to be crowds accessing the water at boat ramps & the vast numbers of other vessels on the water and the 6 knot speed limit can slow down the journey”

“Some people anchor up to 2 days ahead for the prime viewing spots for the New Year’s Eve fireworks. It is one of the biggest challenges for Roads & Maritime Services to manage the on-water traffic”

“Skippers should make sure all their safety gear is on board, navigation lights are working & they avoid exclusion zones”

“Lighting checks & random breath testing will occur throughout New Year’s Eve. Boat skippers should stay under the 0.05 blood alcohol limit or face heavy fines, loss of licence or even jail”

“When the festivities are complete, skippers will need to remember to be patient & to display the appropriate navigation lights as hundreds of other boats will be trying to move around the Harbour at the same time”

“The large number of spectator craft can create choppy conditions & it is important everyone has a life-jacket available regardless of the size of the boat they are travelling in”

“It is also essential for all skippers to observe important boating safety guidelines such as keeping a proper lookout & maintaining a safe speed”

“Unless it is an emergency, boaters should never set off flares on the water – it is illegal & dangerous”

“Roads & Maritime Services will coordinate the on-water traffic management including installing an exclusion zone of yellow buoys which will operate from 8pm on Saturday the 31st of December to 12:45am on New Year’s Day extending from Cockatoo Island in the west to Clark Island in the east.

“No unauthorised vessels will be allowed in the area during this time & access under the Sydney Harbour Bridge will be prohibited. The speed limit for recreational vessels in & around the exclusion zone will be 6 knots”

“If you intend to pick up passengers in the event area, have a plan in place as many wharves will only be accessible to pedestrians through alcohol-free & ‘no glass permitted’ zones. Road closures may also be in place at many locations”

Maps, exclusion zones & recommended vantage points can be found at http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/documents/about/news-events/sydney-summer-aquatic-events-guide.pdf (Portable Document Format, 3.92 megabytes).

Media Release: Roads & Maritime Services

Hundreds of volunteers & dozens of Take Kare ambassadors will take to Sydney’s streets this New Year’s Eve to offer more support to revellers than ever before.

This year, volunteer support is offered in 15 different languages including Japanese, Hindi, Spanish, Portuguese, Filipino, Malay, Mandarin, Cantonese, Thai, German, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Khmer, Korean as well as English.

Volunteers will be on hand to guide visitors throughout the city from 7am on New Year’s Eve, answering questions about access points, public transport & other services.

“We are proud to have so many volunteers turning out on our biggest night of the year showing the world how passionate & supportive locals are about our city” Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, said.

“Many people will have travelled from overseas or interstate & if this is their 1st experience of Sydney, we want to make sure it is the best it can be”

Sydney New Year’s Eve volunteer, Adrian Lane, is eager to again be part of Australia’s largest public event that transforms the entire city he lives in for the night.

“Sydney New Year’s Eve is special because it brings together people from all nationalities & walks of life” Mister Lane, from Haymarket, said.

“We expect lots of people in the city from 3pm & big crowds leaving the vantage points after the 9pm Family Fireworks. If anyone needs some help, they should come talk to one of the volunteers on the day. We are always happy to help.”

“A lot of the volunteers have been doing this for over 5 years, some even longer so they have a wealth of experience & knowledge”

With over 40 years of volunteering experience, 2016 will see Adrian volunteer on New Year’s Eve for the 10th time. Alongside 200 fellow Spectator Service Volunteers, Adrian will hit the streets from the 27th of December to New Year’s Eve offering information & support to the public.

Roving volunteers will be found at Hyde Park North, Shakespeare Place, Wynyard Park, Macquarie & Bridge Streets, the Queen Victoria Building & the Sydney Opera House on the night.

Information booths will be at The Rocks, Martin Place, Macquarie and Bridge Streets & Shakespeare Place on New Year’s Eve. Information booths can also be found at Customs House & the Queen Victoria Building from the 27th of December to New Year’s Eve.

The Thomas Kelly Youth Foundation’s program Take Kare Safe Space will work with Saint John’s Ambulance on the night.

With a team of around 50 ambassadors including 5 roving teams, Take Kare volunteers will operate from Take Kare Safe Spaces at Sydney Town Hall and Kings Cross & 6 information booths from 10pm to 4am AEDT.

Take Kare Ambassadors will provide free water, phone and internet access & help vulnerable people get home safely.

In addition, Saint John’s Ambulance New South Wales volunteers will have access to Saint John’s vehicles, defibrillators, oxygen & 1st aid kits for those in need of urgent medical attention.

With Sydney welcoming over 1 million spectators around Sydney Harbour, the new services will further ensure the safety & enjoyment of revellers after the Midnight Fireworks light up the sky.

Getting in & out of the city will be different this New Year’s Eve. There will be road closures, on-street fencing & diversions that will help people get through the city safely & move crowds to transport.

Over 40 wayfinding personnel will be available throughout the city on New Year’s Eve. They will assist in directing revellers to vantage points & to public transport. Wayfinders will be located on main routes throughout the city.

The City Of Sydney will provide a guide for public transport on New Year’s Eve. The guide includes tips about using public transport & a map with walking routes to public transport that is supported by wayfinding personnel. It can also be downloaded from the official Sydney New Year’s Eve website on the Public Transport webpage.

Leading up to the night, the event guides will be distributed across the city centre at train stations, information centres, libraries & service centres. Event guides are available in Chinese, Spanish, Korean, German, Japanese, Braille, large print & audio format.

There will be more than 1000 extra trains & 3500 extra buses available on the night.

The official Sydney New Year’s Eve 2016 website offers a range of tools to plan a safe & enjoyable night including an interactive map with details on road closures, public transport information & vantage point details. Head to sydneynewyearseve.com/plan-your-nye/ for more information on how to plan your night.

Transport For NSW offers public transport information through social media & transportation smartphone applications. For a full list of pages & smartphone applications, head to transportnsw.info/en/travelling-with-us/keep-updated/index.page.

For further information on road closures, Google Maps will integrate road closure data on the 30th of December & divert people around these on the day.

Media platforms such as Australian Broadcasting Corporation Television, other broadcast television & the 2DayFM radio broadcast will give updates throughout the night concerning road closures & traffic conditions.

Roads & Maritime Services has provided a list of real-time road smartphone applications, visit rms.nsw.gov.au/roads/using-roads/trip-information/real-time-road-apps.html for more information.

As the event proceeds & vantage points begin to fill, key information will be regularly updated & delivered to the public using the #SydNYE Twitter hashtag.

For information about the Take Kare Safe Spaces, visit thomaskellyyouthfoundation.org.au/take-kare-safe-space/.

Media Release: City Of Sydney

Police are urging the community to plan ahead & consider the many options available for celebrating New Year’s Eve (NYE) in Sydney for 2016.

There are more than 1.5 million people expected to ring in 2017 while taking in the spectacular fireworks displays around Sydney Harbour so police are urging revellers to start considering plans for their night now to avoid disappointment.

Central Metropolitan Region Commander, Assistant Commissioner, Mick Fuller, said police have been working closely with the City Of Sydney, landowners & other government agencies to ensure everyone enjoys a safe & fun NYE for 2016.

“The Sydney NYE celebration is the biggest event on our annual calendar & we will be prioritising safety to ensure family & friends can all enjoy their festivities” Assistant Commissioner, Mick Fuller, said.

“Police, together with landholders & other agencies, will work alongside one another in the Police Operation Centre & Government Coordination Centre to coordinate resources across the multiple event areas on the night”

“There will be a significant number of police – both uniformed & plain-clothed – on patrol across the Central Business District & foreshore areas to deliver a highly visible & mobile policing response” Assistant Commissioner, Mick Fuller, said.

“We will also have specialist resources patrolling the waterways, transport hubs & PolAir keeping an eye on things from the sky to ensure a safe & secure event for everyone involved”

“In the lead up to NYE, over the Christmas period, police will also be out & about at local events across the Sydney Central Business District & regional areas” Assistant Commissioner, Mick Fuller, said.

“As part of the City Of Sydney’s ongoing commitment to making NYE family-friendly, there are extensive alcohol-free zones in place which will be enforced”

“Police & security will also be monitoring crowd numbers closely & sites will be closed as soon as they reach capacity to prevent overcrowding” Assistant Commissioner, Mick Fuller, said.

“If you are planning on watching the fireworks, you should start planning your night via the Sydney NYE website where you will find detailed vantage point information as well as helpful hints & tips for the evening” Assistant Commissioner, Mick Fuller, said.

“When sites reach capacity, details will be updated via the event website as well as the City Of Sydney & New South Wales (NSW) Police Force social media platforms”

For comprehensive event details & to plan your journey to a vantage point, visit www.sydneynewyearseve.com.

“Once you have made a plan for the night, we suggest you come up with at least 1 back-up plan just in case your preferred location is full when you arrive” Assistant Commissioner, Mick Fuller, said.

“We have previously seen several sites reach capacity & close early so we are urging people to arrive early, just in case you have to make your way to another viewing location”

Police are expecting significant traffic disruptions due to road closures which will be in place throughout NYE & into New Year’s Day.

“In order to facilitate crowds & the magnificent fireworks displays, there will be a large number of major road closures & special event clearways” Assistant Commissioner, Mick Fuller, said.

“With thousands of additional public transport services on offer, we are strongly urging revellers to leave the car at home & utilise the extra services available”

“If you must drive, please be patient & be aware of pedestrians as we are anticipating lengthy delays especially following the final fireworks display at Midnight” Assistant Commissioner, Mick Fuller, said.

“Drivers are also reminded that there will be no vehicle access on closed roads including from car parks so please ensure you have planned your journey ahead of time”

Special event timetables & route change advice for NYE is available at http://www.transportnsw.info/.

Media Release: NSW Police Force

A colourful paper artwork transforming Sydney Harbour into native animals, plants & Australiana has been revealed as the inspiration for the Sydney New Year’s Eve 2016 theme.

Commissioned by the City Of Sydney, the handmade 3-dimensional (3D) model inspired the lighting effects, fireworks colours & projections that will be enjoyed by millions around the world with the theme Welcome To SydNYE.

Surry Hills artist & paper engineer, Benja Harney, created the intricate paper work currently featuring on banners throughout the city & on public transport promoting Sydney New Year’s Eve 2016.

Making the artwork was a painstaking process that took more than 600 hours, with every sheet of paper hand cut & delicately assembled.

Mister Harney says the project has been an intense labour of love to create an ode to the city he proudly calls home.

“This artwork captures the brightness & exuberance of the Sydney New Year’s Eve fireworks” Mister Harney said.

“It is a fantasy Sydney with a waratah for the Opera House, a gumnut for Sydney Tower & piano keys, an ice cream cone and even a thong representing the skyscraper landscape”

“But after much debate, the Sydney Harbour Bridge stayed as the Bridge so people from anywhere in the world will immediately identify it as Sydney Harbour. I also used a lot of bright, sparkly paper to reflect the magic of exploding fireworks across the Harbour”

City Of Sydney Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, said the unique artwork would become part of the City’s art collection.

“This artwork really captures the spirit of Sydney New Year’s Eve – a wonderful & colourful moment of fun when you can reflect on the year that has been & get ready to celebrate the changes ahead” the Lord Mayor said.

“This timeless work will become part of the City’s permanent art collection so people can enjoy the Sydney New Year’s Eve experience when they visit at any time of year”

There are more than 75 individual pieces within the artwork depicting 20 different native species from land & sea. It took 80 scalpel blades to cut the thousands of pieces of paper in 40 different stocks.

“I wanted to depict a fun & joyous Sydney that represented happiness. I wanted to create something that is to look at & has many layers so the more you look at it, the more you see” Mister Harney said.

“It is a journey for your eyes & I wanted to draw people in to make them feel part of this special night wherever they are”

The model was filmed & digitally enhanced by the team at Imagination, the Sydney creative agency that for 6 years has helped bring the Sydney New Year’s Eve celebrations to life with elaborate light shows & giant projections onto the Sydney Harbour Bridge pylons.

https://cityofsydney.wistia.com/medias/5fizr3insp

Heath Campanaro, Creative Director of Imagination Australia, said the artwork had helped elevate this year’s creative to a new level.

“This exuberant & playful artistic model captures the welcoming spirit that Australia’s premier New Year’s Eve celebration represents around the world” Mister Campanaro said.

“Having a 3D model to work with for the 1st time has inspired the creative team across all our work on Sydney New Year’s Eve 2016. From the event theming to the light display on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, we have translated the vibrancy of Benja’s work across everything we have touched”

Mister Harney is also excited at being able to showcase Sydney to the world.

“As a Sydneysider, it is a great honour to represent my city in this way. As an artist, this is the highlight of my career”

Audiences can watch the live stream of the Welcome To Country, the 9pm Family Fireworks & the Midnight Fireworks on sydneynewyearseve.com, the 1-stop shop for planning your night on the harbour, at home or across the globe.

Media Release: City Of Sydney

If you are looking for a 2017 resolution as impressive as Sydney Harbour fireworks, pledge to volunteer for the City Of Sydney’s Sydney New Year’s Eve charity partner, Habitat For Humanity Australia.

Habitat For Humanity Australia is a not-for-profit organisation that has supported more than 6.8 million people by creating safe & decent housing in Australia & overseas. The organisation has also furnished inner city social housing units.

“Earlier this year, Habitat For Humanity Australia worked with community volunteers & corporate supporters to provide new furniture for 10 inner city social housing units” Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, said.

“This kind of practical assistance helps some of the most vulnerable people in our community build a stable & secure home – the basis for positive life change”

“I encourage everyone who feels inspired by the Sydney New Year’s Eve fireworks to make their New Year’s resolution a pledge to volunteer their time & help people who are less fortunate”

Habitat For Humanity Australia offers volunteering opportunities across the country to help disadvantaged Australians find their feet. Its Global Village initiative bands volunteers together to build a home for families in need overseas.

“Habitat offers a practical way for Australian volunteers to travel & build alongside families in desperate need to build a home” said Martin Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of Habitat For Humanity Australia.

“The charity has built, rehabilitated & repaired almost 1 million homes, inspired by the positive change adequate housing provides for people living in poverty”

“It is a direct & powerful way to see the impact a home has on families & we are hoping more Australians will make the resolution to volunteer & help those less fortunate in the new year” Mr Thomas said.

Glebe resident, Svetlana Zhukova, this year travelled to the outskirts of Phnom Penh in Cambodia with Habitat For Humanity Australia on a week-long expedition.

“This experience gave me an incredible sense of accomplishment – I know the brick walls we laid will protect this family & will help them build a better life” said Ms Zhukova.

The hand-up – rather than a handout – approach, allows people struggling with housing issues to focus on health & education rather than mere survival, building better lives & stronger communities.

“Our group of 8 came from such different walks of life from across Australia but we became 1 amazing team that shared long days, sweat, tired laughter & cold coconuts – and built a house in 5 short days” Ms Zhukova said.

1 lucky Australian will win the opportunity to participate in a Global Village program thanks to Habitat For Humanity Australia’s Building Hope 2016 competition. The winner, announced on December the 18th, will journey to Asia, Africa or the Pacific to help build a better future for the less fortunate.

The competition is a part of Habitat’s free photography exhibition Home, displayed at Customs House in the lead up to New Year’s Eve. The exhibition showcases images of global citizens who have been given a hand-up by Habitat For Humanity Australia. For details on volunteering with Habitat For Humanity Australia, see: habitat.org.au/volunteer-overseas/.

Media Release: City Of Sydney

The Sydney New Year’s Eve fireworks will be live streamed on Facebook for the 1st time this year giving millions more viewers around the world a chance to see the spectacular display in real time.

The 2016 Midnight Fireworks will reach a potential global audience of more than 10 million Facebook followers, further strengthening Sydney’s position as the New Year’s Eve capital of the world.

The City of Sydney has brought together broadcast partner, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) & peak tourism bodies, Tourism Australia & Destination New South Wales to live stream the world’s most famous firework show.

Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, welcomed the opportunity to further promote Sydney as a world-class global city & tourism destination.

“Sydney New Year’s Eve is one of the biggest annual celebrations in the world, attracting 1 million spectators along the Sydney Harbour foreshore & reaching an estimated televised global audience of 1 billion”

“By making the most of digital technology available this year, we can put the Sydney New Year’s Eve fireworks shows in the palm of people’s hands around the world – right as it happens”

“The City is thrilled to be working in partnership to showcase our beautiful city. I look forward to sharing this night with Sydneysiders around the harbour, people across the country & Aussie expats around the world who can experience Sydney New Year’s Eve live with us”

New South Wales (NSW) Minister For Trade, Tourism & Major Events, Stuart Ayres, said the live stream will see the famous harbour broadcast to a huge global audience.

“Sydney is at it’s best on New Year’s Eve & live streaming our incredible fireworks across the world will showcase the very best of this amazing city to potential visitors everywhere” Mr Ayres said.

Richard Finlayson, Director Of Television, ABC Television (TV), revealed that, for the 1st time, audiences can watch the ABC TV broadcast in high definition & on ABC iview. Both the 9pm Family Fireworks & Midnight Fireworks will be streamed live on the ABC Facebook page.

“The ABC is delighted to be partnering with the City Of Sydney to bring the fantastic Sydney New Year’s Eve event to Australians all over the country. We hope audiences will enjoy counting down the biggest night of the year with us wherever they are” Mr Finlayson said.

Tourism Australia Managing Director, John O’Sullivan, said this was unprecedented exposure for the City of Sydney’s Sydney New Year’s Eve event.

“This has the potential to put Sydney on the map like never before & provide millions of people around the world with front row seats at the planet’s most spectacular New Year’s Eve fireworks display” Mr O’Sullivan said.

“It’s an opportunity for us to leverage a unique tourism promotion on a truly global scale”

Sydney New Year’s Eve generates more than AUD$130 million annually for the NSW economy & new research shows Sydney’s world-class events are a major drawcard for overseas visitors.

According to leading research analysts, Stollznow, half those attending the Sydney New Year’s Eve 2015 – ‘City Of Colour’ event had travelled from the United States Of America, China, the United Kingdom, Germany & other parts of Europe.

The statistics showed more than 46% of the spectators around Sydney Harbour had travelled from overseas specifically to attend the event, staying in Sydney for an average of 7.4 nights.

In addition, almost 90% of visitors in Sydney during New Year’s Eve said they came specifically for Sydney New Year’s Eve & had attended it several times in the past.

Audiences can watch the live stream of the Welcome To Country, the 9pm Family Fireworks & the Midnight Fireworks on sydneynewyearseve.com – the 1-stop shop for planning your night on the harbour, at home or across the globe.

Media Release: City Of Sydney

Join hosts Ella Hooper & Jeremy Fernandez as they countdown the biggest night of the year with the ‘New Year’s Eve (NYE) 2016’ spectacular event broadcast available this year for the 1st time in brilliant high definition on Australian Broadcasting Coporation Television (ABC TV) & ABC iview with the fireworks also streamed live on ABC TV Facebook.

Presented from outside the Sydney Opera House & inside the Lord Mayor’s Party at Bennelong Point on Sydney Harbour, the pair will take us through an evening jam-packed full of unmissable entertainment from comedy, music, the Family Fireworks at 9pm & culminating in the world-famous Midnight Fireworks.

The evening events will commence with a Welcome To Country. Then under the direction of Play School’s Jemima & Little Lunch’s Debra-Jo, Giggle & Hoot’s Jimmy Giggle & his sidekick Hoot will attempt to put on the ‘Best Show Ever’ for our younger viewers. What could possibly go wrong with this team at the helm?! They are joined by ABC ME’s Tim Matthews & Grace Koh live from Sydney Harbour as well as some very special guests including Justine Clarke, The Wiggles, Dan Sultan & the Bananas In Pyjamas.

At 9pm, the winner of ABC ME’s Design Your Own Firework competition, 10 year old Georgia from Perth, will pull a giant lever that will set the Sydney sky alight with the Family Fireworks display featuring her own unique firework design.

Then, live from the Lord Mayor’s Party, Ella & Jeremy will take us through to midnight with an extravaganza of entertainment including the comedy panel show The 2016 Pub Quiz, hosted by Lawrence Mooney & featuring panellists and special guests including Rhys Nicholson, Denise Scott, Miranda Tapsell, Peter Helliar, Anne Edmonds & Tom Tilley who will look back at the year that was. This will be interspersed with specials from David Stratton, The Katering Show’s Kates & Sammy J who will share their cultural, comic & candid perspectives on the year.

We’ll give you front row seats to the best musical event in the country when we cross live to The Falls Festival in Lorne, Victoria throughout the evening to bring you the best of its bill including Bernard Fanning, Violent Soho, Broods, Catfish and The Bottlemen & Alison Wonderland. In the climatic lead-up to the midnight pyrotechnics, The Hoodoo Gurus will perform live. It’s guaranteed to provide the best countdown soundtrack to celebrations everywhere.

Run Down Highlights (exact times subject to change):

• 7:30pm: The Yearly with Charlie Pickering
• 8:35pm: New Year’s Eve 2016 commences
• 8:38pm: Welcome To Country
• 8:41pm: ABC Children’s NYE commences
• 9pm: Family Fireworks
• 9:16pm: Jeremy & Ella take us through until midnight with entertainment including The Pub Quiz, live crosses to The Falls Festival in Lorne & much more
• 11:44pm: Live cross to the Lord Mayor’s Party for The Hoodoo Gurus performance
• 12am: Midnight Fireworks

• Hashtag: #NYEABC, #my2016moment
• Handle: @abctv
• Facebook: facebook.com/ABCTV
• Twitter: twitter.com/abctv
• Instagram: instagram.com/ABCTV

What’s your #my2016moment? Send us a video, photo or a few sentences about your 2016 highlight & you might see yourself on TV during ABC’s New Year’s Eve 2016 broadcast. Share your video or photo on ABC TV’s Facebook page or upload it to Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #my2016moment

Media Release: Australian Broadcasting Corporation