Category: ‘Flagship’ Sydney Spectaculars

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

With less than 3 days until the media launch, more details have been revealed about this year’s Sydney New Year’s Eve (Sydney NYE).

Firstly, the newly-released boating map confirms no pyrotechnics will be fired between 9:08pm & Midnight again. As stated in the most recent Sydney NYE media release, the event guides have also been released.

The event guides reveal the following:

• No indication at all of a theme. It does say Celebrate Summer In Sydney in a location where a theme would be mentioned but this looks more likely to be a tourism slogan than a theme. If this isn’t a theme, which is likely, this is very likely to be the 1st Sydney NYE since the mid-1990’s to not have a theme.
• ‘Lighting’ will feature during & after the 9pm Family Fireworks. This is possibly similar to last year’s lighting display on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which was a row of lights along the roadway.
• There is no Bridge Effect (which was likely to happen).
• There is no YouTube Live Stream this year.
• This is no smartphone application this year.

The last 2 dot points we hope we are wrong about but it looks very likely now given the event guide does not mention them.

Also, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has begun advertising their broadcast of the event (including television commercials!) as well as publishing their official webpage of the broadcast!

The ABC NYE broadcast webpage reveals the following:

• The broadcast will, in fact, start at 8:35pm AEDT
• Sydney New Year’s Eve will be broadcast on Facebook for the very 1st time!

There is no confirmation yet whether geoblocking for all Internet broadcast mediums will be lifted for the Sydney NYE broadcast. The ABC does lift geoblocking for various events so given the international appeal of Sydney NYE, it is possible the ABC will drop the geoblock for the night so international audiences can watch Sydney NYE via the Internet.

Remember to watch Sydney NYE on television in high definition (HD) in Australia, make sure you got an MPEG-4 compliant set-top box & re-scan it to pick up the new HD channel of ABC! The new channel begun last Monday with ABC News 24 reverting to standard definition.

In the end, it is starting to become clear that Sydney NYE is taking a different approach with less focus on dramatic creative theming and keeping it as ‘just fireworks’. They also seem to be focusing more on the domestic market rather than the international market. This would be the biggest shift in the event since Ric Birch & his Spectak Productions team produced the event for the 1st time in 1996.

Heading towards the 12th of December, it’s probably worthy advice to not get too excited about this year’s Sydney NYE & that anything special will be revealed at the media launch. Everything is probably already revealed & the event is probably intentionally dropping it’s standards in everything but fireworks.

Sydney used to be on a higher creative level than any other city around the world. This year, it looks likely to drop to the standards of London and Dubai & blend in with other community NYE celebrations around the world. The golden era of Sydney NYE is looking likely to be over but the fireworks will still be spectacular. Maybe Monday’s media launch will prove this as all incorrect?

Hopefully, they could at least bring back the ‘Smiley Face’ Sydney Harbour Bridge Effect on an annual basis…

For the 1st time, American & British sign language will be projected onto the Sydney Harbour Bridge pylons to welcome international visitors this Sydney New Year’s Eve (Sydney NYE).

The City Of Sydney introduced the ‘Welcome To Sydney’ Auslan sign language projections in 2013, which will now feature alongside their international counterparts.

Research by leading analysts Stollznow revealed more than 46% of those who attended last year’s Sydney New Year’s Eve had travelled from overseas specifically to attend the event.

“We’re committed to being a city that is inclusive and accessible for visitors from all around the world & we want to ensure more people than ever can enjoy the celebrations” Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, said.

“The introduction of British & American sign language projections allows deaf communities from around the globe to further enjoy the celebrations with Sydney”

Gerard O’Dwyer was the 2015 Don’t DisMYability Ambassador & enjoyed last year’s Sydney New Year’s Eve at the Cahill Expressway vantage point. Catching the train to Martin Place, he & his family were pleased with the support available across the city.

“It was quite easy getting the train into the city & walking to the Cahill Expressway. On the walk to the event, there were people offering directions which was very helpful” Gerard said.

“I had the time of my life – the crowd seemed happy & the fireworks were spectacular. I enjoyed the celebrations so much, I would love to attend again”

“Leading up to the night, Mum & I went online to get details on the best way to get into the city on New Year’s Eve. The information was very helpful”

“My advice to anyone heading into the city would be to leave plenty of time to get there & be prepared for large crowds”

As a Don’t DisMYability Ambassador, Gerard promoted equal treatment & equal opportunities for people with disabilities.

“I ask everyone this New Year’s Eve to be kind, show each other respect & treat everyone equally”

Sydney New Year’s Eve 2016 offers 8 designated accessible viewing areas for people with disabilities to enjoy the festivities with family & friends. The areas cater for those with sensory, neurological, psychological, cognitive & learning disabilities. The designated accessible viewing areas have been organised in collaboration with the Department Of Premier And Cabinet & other government agencies.

Pirrama Park in Pyrmont provides a less-congested, family-friendly vantage point on the harbourside. With an accessible spinner in the playground, children with & without disabilities can play & enjoy the Park’s facilities. It also provides accessible toilets, access ramps where required & a designated drop-off zone on Darling Island Road.

Other designated accessible viewing areas include Ballarat Park, Barangaroo Reserve, Cahill Expressway, Goat Island, Mary Booth Reserve, Mrs Macquaries Point & the Sydney Opera House. Bookings are essential.

Go to sydneynewyearseve.com/accessibility for detailed descriptions of each viewing area & to make your booking.

The audio description broadcast will again offer people with blindness or low vision the chance to experience the spectacular Sydney NYE fireworks with the rest of the world. Listeners will hear a high quality live audio description of the Welcome To Country, 9pm Family Fireworks, Harbour Of Light Parade & the Midnight Fireworks.

Leading up to the night, event guides will be distributed across the city centre at train stations, information centres, libraries & service centres. Event guides are available in large print, Braille and audio format & are available in Chinese, Spanish, Korean, German &  Japanese. Download or request event guides from sydneynewyearseve.com/event-guide

Sydney For All provides accessible tourist information including things to do & options for getting around. Head to sydneyforall.com for more information.

Those staying at home can enjoy the celebrations through the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)’s broadcast of the event which offers live closed captions through its television & online services. 2DayFM broadcasts the soundtracks for the 9pm Family Fireworks & the Midnight Fireworks through their radio station 104.1FM.

People can listen to the ABC audio description on ABC Extra via your computer or device on: abc.net.au/radio  or abc.net.au/radio/digital/extra

• Download the ABC Radio smartphone application for iOS or Android
• Listen on your computer on the ABC Radio website
• Look for ‘ABC Extra’ on your digital radio receiver

The City Of Sydney offers an interactive accessibility map to assist in planning the best route around the city. Head to www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/explore/getting-around/accessibility/accessibility-map for assistance in planning your night.

There will be major road closures &special event clearways in the city centre, on the harbour foreshore, North Sydney & lower north shore. To help plan your route on the night, you can use an interactive map that also features public transport information: sydneynewyearseve.com/road-closures/.

For a list of accessibility smartphone applications to assist with transport, head to transportnsw.info/en/travelling-with-us/keep-updated/apps/accessibility.page.

If you want to find out more about how to get to the city for Sydney NYE, go to www.sydneynewyearseve.com or call Transport Information on 131 500.

 Contact the City Of Sydney for assistance with planning your night:

Sydney New Year’s Eve Accessibility Officer:

Email: nyedisability@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

Phone: +61 2 9265 9333

For wheelchair-accessible taxi bookings, call 02 8332 0200 or visit zero200.com.au.

Media Release: Sydney New Year’s Eve

With less than 2 months to go, the Sydney New Year’s Eve 2016 coin, produced in partnership by the City Of Sydney & the Royal Australian Mint, has gone on sale while more details have emerged about this year’s event.

Each year, the Sydney New Year’s Eve fireworks spectacular thrills millions of people around the world as they await the arrival of their own new year. This 2017 $1 Coloured Fine Silver Frosted Uncirculated Coin is every bit as magnificent as the fireworks that light up Sydney Harbour. Have it with you when the clock strikes midnight on the 31st of December & keep it as a fond reminder of that magical moment.

With a mintage of 5000, this 1/2 an ounce 99.9% silver coin with a diameter of 35.89mm is a fantastic souvenir to keep of this year’s event.

Go to the Royal Australian Mint’s new release section to view and order now. Price: AUD$60 (Australia) and AUD$54.55 (International).

With the Royal Australian Mint coin not revealing much new regarding a theme, it adds to speculation we made in early September that there will be no theme this year – potentially breaking a tradition since the late 1990’s.

The place on the Sydney New Year’s Eve website – the ‘About’/’Welcome’ page – where we found confirmation of last year’s theme, ‘City Of Colour’, had it’s message changed recently but the new message did not confirm or indicate a theme – it was still very generic. The page has since reverted back to it’s original message but with some small changes.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)’s broadcast has been confirmed to be a 4 hour broadcast again with live closed captions available.

Recently, it was confirmed the full broadcast will be in high definition (HD) for the first time since the late 2000’s. This is a result of the ABC’s transition of HD from ABC News 24 to ABC on the 6th of December. In recent years, only the 9pm Family & Midnight Fireworks were simulcast on ABC News 24 in HD.

To watch Sydney New Year’s Eve 2016 in HD, you will need a MPEG-4 compatible television.

Regarding content of the broadcast, whilst we were hoping for a little more improvement in the broadcast, it is looking likely to be a ‘duplication’ of last year’s broadcast, after this small teaser of details was released recently:

Our annual, live broadcast from the Sydney Opera House celebrating the New Year and the our spectacular fireworks. Hosted by ABC personalities and incorporating bespoke segments from ABC shows, including Childrens’ TV, The Pub Quiz, a wrap up of the year’s event and crosses from around the country including music from the Falls Music Festivals.

The audio description of the event will also be done by the ABC. You can listen to it this year via the ABC Radio app or the ABC Extra digital radio station. It will describe the Welcome To Country, 9pm Family Fireworks, Harbour Of Light Parade & Midnight Fireworks. In previous years, this has been done by 2RPH.

Also, Auslan interpretations will again be a feature of the Sydney Harbour Bridge pylon projections with the words ‘Welcome To SydNYE’ being communicated via Auslan on both the eastern & western pylons.

This year’s major announcements will be held on the 12th of December (media launch), the 29th of December (fireworks barges preparation) & on NYE itself. Some other announcements may be made between the 12th & 29th of December so keep an eye out on here for news as it appears!

But as we approach the 12th of December, the main question remains – themed or not to be themed?

A Roads & Maritime Services spokesperson today announced the ballot is now open for Sydney residents to apply for tickets to celebrate the start of the new year from one of Sydney’s most spectacular vantage points – the Cahill Expressway above Circular Quay.

New Year’s Eve is 47 days away & all New South Wales residents are invited to try to win the opportunity to see Sydney’s world renowned fireworks display from one of the best vantages in the city.

“You can enter the online draw to win 1 of 6000 passes to watch either the 9pm Family or Midnight Fireworks displays” the Roads & Maritime Services spokesperson said.

“Roads and Maritime Services started holding the incredibly popular event in 2000 & has received thousands of entries into the ballot every year since”

“The lucky winners will get the privilege to enjoy the fun & family-friendly atmosphere with pre-fireworks entertainment & a vantage point view to the world-famous fireworks display”

Apply for a ticket online now at www.rms.nsw.gov.au/NYE with entries closing at 11:59pm AEDT on Wednesday the 30th of November.

“Enter the ballot & have the chance to win a priceless memory of New Year’s Eve in Sydney with your family & friends” the spokesperson said.

Winners will be announced on Wednesday the 7th of December & notified by e-mail.

The Cahill Expressway is a specially designated family area & entry is by ticket only. Entries are restricted to 1 entry per household.

Media Release: Roads & Maritime Services