To celebrate the Sydney Opera House’s 50th birthday today, world-renowned audio-visual artist, Robin Fox, in collaboration with Genius Laser Technology, will light up the World Heritage site with a laser show called ICON for the next 3 nights.
It is the 1st Sydney Opera House laser show since 1993, when Sydney won the bid to host The Games Of The XXVIIth Olympiad: 2000.
Supported by the New South Wales (NSW) Government’s Blockbusters Funding initiative through Create NSW, it will run from 8pm-10:55pm on Friday and Saturday & 8pm-10:05pm on Sunday.
Inspired by archived drawings & the history of the Opera House, lasers will trace the geometry & architecture of the birthday building from Admiralty House & Campbell’s Cove.
While you can listen to the laser show’s original soundtrack from the Northern & Western Broadwalks of the Sydney Opera House, you can also listen to it online here.
Robin Fox is an internationally recognised Australian audio-visual artist working across live performance, exhibitions, public art projects and designs for contemporary dance. His laser works, which synchronise sound and visual electricity in hyper-amplified 3D space have been performed in over 60 cities worldwide.
13/10/2023 4PM – NSW Premier Says “We Need To Learn From The Lessons From Monday Night” Opera House Crime
The NSW Premier has held a press conference, where he made some remarks about the Opera House crime at the pro-Arab protest on Monday & this is where we will end our live blog:
We need to learn from the lessons from Monday night (Opera House crime).
Given the experience that we all saw on Monday evening, clearly the New South Wales Police have to take steps to prevent violence, to prevent civic disorder, to prevent incitement of violence & racial vilification. Now, I think it is fair to know that whether that protest was hijacked or there was maleveront intent from the very beginning, it doesn’t matter. The organisers of that protest have proven to the NSW Police, the Government, the people of NSW that they can’t manage a peaceful protest.
We made it very clear during the week that there is no constitutional, legal or any other reason to stop a gathering in a NSW, uh, area or park or facility. Uh, there’s no provision in law to do that. There is provision in law to stop a march or assembly through NSW streets & I made that clear to the Jewish community & I made that clear to the people of NSW & the Police have made that clear in the last 24 hours. This is completely consistent with every public utterance that we have made in the last week & it goes consistent with the decision of the NSW Government to light up the Opera House with the Israeli flag in solidarity with the people of Israel and the Jewish community in NSW & the insistence by NSW Police that this protest would not be allowed to turn into a march through Sydney’s streets as a result of the scenes that we saw in Sydney on Monday night. Everything we have said has been completely consistent with that including the announcement by Police that further action may be warranted on Sunday to keep the public safe & to enforce the laws in NSW.
I mean, I want to make it clear that in other jurisdictions around Australia there has been peaceful protests but that’s not what we saw in Sydney on Monday night & given the experience that we all saw on public display of vilification, of incitement to violence and actual violence, this (court action) is the appropriate step for NSW Police & the NSW Government to take to ensure public order & keep the public safe as well as enforcing laws in this state in relation to vilification.
Well, look, I mean circumstances and context is extremely important & I think and I made this clear at the time that organising a protest within 24 hours of what was barbarism, as seen in Israel, was a poor choice & um, I given the circumstances and context, that’s an important part of the public debate.
It (Opera House crime) was not in line or in spirit with our multicultural community & I have a responsibility to ensure that the central tenets of our multicultural community are upheld & one of those central tenets is that there is no tolerance for incitement to violence & you are not allowed, not allowed in public at all to, uh, attempt racial vilification on our streets.
Chris Minns, NSW Premier
13/10/2023 11:30AM – Potential Police Court Action From Opera House Crime “Warning” To Offensive Sunday Pro-Arab Rally Attendees, NSW Police Say
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, New South Wales (NSW) Police Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon has said Operation Mealing is a “warning” for those planning to be offensive at a pro-Arab protest in Hyde Park, Sydney on Sunday because they will put people identified as being responsible for criminal offenses at the Opera House on Monday night before the court. He also said, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, that Operation Mealing was under way to ensure NSW Police had a complete picture of community sentiment in NSW given the Israel-Hamas conflict.
We’re currently collating, working through that (Opera House CCTV) footage. Where we identify people that have been responsible for criminal offences, we will put those people before the court.
It is a warning for anyone who intends to attend the (pro-Arab Hyde Park) protest on Sunday & commit an offence that we will take action.
On Mornings With Rafael Epstein on Australian Broadcasting Corporation Radio Melbourne, James Paterson, Senator For Victoria, said, Federal Opposition Leader, Peter Dutton’s comments that law-breaking anti-Jewish/Israel/Albanese/Police protesters’ – who were at the Sydney Opera House Southern Forecourt on Monday night – visas should be cancelled were “absolutely not” “race-based”:
I mean, people of all ethnicities & nationalities have had their visas cancelled by Peter Dutton because they failed the character test & the character test is an really important thing.
James Paterson, Senator For Victoria
12/10/2023 6:15PM – NSW Police Minister Allegedly Thought It Would Be “Easier” Not To Light Opera House To Protect Jewish People
On Tuesday, on Drive with Chris O’Keefe on 2GB radio, the New South Wales (NSW) Police Minister said:
Uh, I, I suggested – The Jewish Board Of Deputies, um, asked what they should advise their community to do & I advised them to speak to, uhhh, the uh – well I, I spoke actually to the, um, acting Commissioner & asked him to organise for the Commander, who, as we know, is Assistant Commissioner, uh, Cooke, which, I understand, that they did do that.
Well, I’ll certainly be speaking to them about, um, their vigil that they’re having, uh, later in the week just, you know, to ensure that we have, uh, security there for that as well – have the Police there – but look, you know, the Jewish Board Of Deputies & the Jewish community have a very strong relationship with the NSW Police & in fact, we had many conversations about that over the weekend & yesterday of the good work that, um, that the Jewish community, uh, told me of the gratitude of the Police so I know that they will work closely together, as they have done for a very long time, uh, & we would obviously encourage that.
Yasmin Cately, NSW Police Minister
According to Sharri Markson, of Sky News Australia, NSW Jewish Board Of Deputies President, David Ossip, in private communications with Yasmin Catley, NSW Police Minister, on Monday between 4pm & 6pm, “argued” about the advice for Jewish community not to attend the Opera House that night, which he “begged” to be reversed & “implored” her to stop the protests at the Opera House. However, he did warn her the protests would turn “vile & racist”. The Minister allegedly said there was nothing she could do & expressed:
Maybe it’ll just be easier if we just don’t light the opera house to protect you people.
Yasmin Catley, NSW Police Minister (allegedly)
According to Sharri Markson, NSW Jewish Board Of Deputies President, David Ossip said he felt strongly it was not appropriate to comment but he, once again, used the opportunity to thank the NSW Premier for his steadfast and principled leadership and support of the Jewish community & noted the decision to light up the Opera House was a prime example of this.
According to Sharri Markson, she contacted the NSW Police Minister for comment, who denied the claims, but had yet to receive a formal statement.
12/10/2023 5:15PM – Palestine Action Group Calls Dutton’s Visa-Cancelling Comments “A Shocking Attack On Democratic Rights”
According to the Australian Associated Press, Palestine Action Group Sydney has called the Federal Opposition Leader, Peter Dutton’s comments to cancel visas & deport law-breaking anti-Jewish/Israel/Albanese/Police visa-holding protesters at the Sydney Opera House Southern Forecourt on Monday night as “a shocking attack on democratic rights” & that Australian Palestine Advocacy Network President, Nasser Mashni. said what happened on Monday was unacceptable but he defended the group’s right to protest.
People have a right to protest against the war crimes & apartheid policies of the Israeli state.
Palestine Action Group
The reality of people coming together to express concerns about situations is that, at times, unwanted people come along & provoke unnecessary and unwanted actions.
Violence is never going to be an answer, as antisemitism is never the answer.
12/10/2023 11am – Federal Opposition Leader Says Law-Breaking Anti-Jewish/Israel/Albanese/Police Opera House Southern Forecourt Protesters Visas Should Be Cancelled
Uh, if there were (law-breaking anti-Jewish/Albanese/Israel/Police) people there (Opera House Southern Forecourt) who were on visas, uh, they should be identified & they should be, have their visas cancelled. They should be deported. People with that hate, uh, in, in their minds & their hearts don’t, don’t have any place in our society. Uh, if, if they were non-citizens & the police should be doing this work now, uh, if they were non-citizens, uh, they should be, their, their visas should be before the Minister, uh, & on character grounds, uh, they, they should have their visas cancelled so but I don’t even know if that work is being done, uh, by the Albanese Government. I mean, this is, uh, the frustration and, and the inherent bias within some of the Ministers, uh, within the Labor Party that, uh, uhhh, I, you, you, you couldn’t be assured that, uh, that, you know, that that process, is, is, is, uh, being considered.
Peter Dutton, Federal Opposition Leader
11/10/2023 8:30pm – NSW Premier Apologies For Anti-Jewish Comments Shouted By Some Protesters At Opera House
At a NSW Jewish Community Gathering in Support of Israel at Rodney Reserve, Dover Heights, the NSW Premier said:
Some of you are hated & targeted, sight unseen, character untested, simply and only because you are Jewish & it is with eternal sorrow that I acknowledge that some of that hatred was seen in your own city & I’m deeply, deeply sorry for it.
Chris Minns, NSW Premier
11/10/2023 12:15pm – NSW Police Working With Jewish Community To Explain Actions On Monday
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, David Hudson, Acting NSW Police Commissioner, says NSW Police were working with the Jewish community to explain the actions police took on Monday and how they came about, that officers had “no power” on Monday to stop law-abiding people from walking to the Opera House along footpaths & that he can understand public criticism over the decision to allow the pro-Arab protest at the Sydney Opera House to go ahead on Monday:
However, that was a quick moving escalation in activities that the commanders on the ground dealt with as they saw fit at the time.
I can understand how certain members of the community would be disappointed in that response.
David Hudson, Acting NSW Police Commissioner
11/10/2023 12pm – NSW Premier Wants To Apologise To Jewish Community
I really want to make it clear to the Jewish community that I want to apologise, specifically, on behalf of the NSW Government & myself, as the Premier of NSW.
The intentions of the Government were very straight forward to light up the Opera House, to create a place and a space for that community to come together to commemorate the horrific scenes that we’ve seen in Israel over the past 48 hours & we didn’t do that.
Not only did we not create a space for the Jewish community to come together to reflect on these terrible events in the Middle East but the Opera House Forecourt was obviously overrun with people that were spewing racial, uh, epithets & hatred on the streets of Sydney. Now that’s not good enough.
I want to make it clear I’m not blaming anyone for this. I’m the Premier Of NSW. I take full responsibility for it & we will make decisions to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
Chris Minns, NSW Premier
11/10/2023 11:45am – NSW Government To Prevent Next Pro-Arab March In Sydney
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Chris Minns, the New South Wales Premier, has announced that, given what happened on the Sydney Opera House Southern Forecourt on Monday night, authorities will take action against a pro-Palestinian protest march planned for Sunday, although permission for a gathering planned could still be granted.
The protest organisers have proven that they’re not peaceful. Shouting racial epithets at Jewish community members is not the definition of a peaceful protest so the idea that they are going to commandeer Sydney streets is not going to happen & I’m sure the NSW Police will make that clear this morning.
It’s really important to note that putting in a form to use Sydney streets requires the permission of police because of jaywalking & civil obstruction of the natural order of the city.
It requires coordination & this group has shown that they’re not a peaceful organisation.
Chris Minns, NSW Premier
It should be strongly pointed out the protest organisation group were peaceful & did not shout “racial epithets”. However, not all protesters were peaceful & did shout “racial epithets”.
Some organisers say it’s been hijacked – whatever – the results was hatred on the streets of Sydney & the police won’t allow them to commandeer our streets.
Chris Minns, NSW Premier
11/10/2023 10:30am – Palestine Advocacy Network President Says Australians With Palestinian Background Found Opera House Blue & White Illumination “Hurtful”
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Nasser Mashni, Palestine Advocacy Network President, said the move to project the Israeli colours on the Sydney Opera House was hurtful for Australians with a Palestinian background.
I’m Australian too, why don’t my children matter? When the Opera House is lit up in the Israeli flag (colours), there was an opportunity for Australia to have a moment of bringing together all peoples to say all children matter. Both the flags could have been there.
Nasser Mashni, Palestine Advocacy Network President
11/10/2023 10:15am – Zionist Federation Of Australia President Said Some Chanted Slogans “Unacceptable”
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Jeremy Leibler, Zionist Federation Of Australia said some of the slogans being chanted at the Sydney demonstration were unacceptable & the response from Australian political leaders so far had been heartening.
I’m terrified when I see these marches through the city that are not holding candles & calling for peace as we see from rallies in the Jewish community when things have flared up in the Middle East. What we’re seeing is violent protests.
I think we’ve had strong, very principled support – bipartisan support – both from the Prime Minister, from (Federal Opposition Leader) Peter Dutton & both at the state leadership levels as well so there should be as there was after 9/11.
Jeremy Leibler, Zionist Federation Of Australia President
10/10/2023 5:15pm – Australian PM Stands By Comments That Pro-Arab Protest Should Not Have Gone Ahead
On Monday afternoon before 5pm, Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister Of Australia, said the pro-Arab protest to start at Sydney Town Hall should not go ahead.
I stand by those comments I made yesterday afternoon. I think the footage that I have seen – I’ve only seen a small amount of footage but some of the commentary that was being made there is hurtful. It is antisemitic some of the slogans that I heard shouting & there’s no place for antisemitism in this country or, indeed, anywhere else. We need to fight racism wherever we see it, whether it’s antisemitism, islamophobia, some of the racially charged comments that have been made against Indigenous Australians during this referendum. It has no place & I find the fact that people thought it was appropriate to chant one of the slogans that I’ve heard – I won’t even repeat on air – to be completely reprehensible.
Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia
10/10/2023 5pm – Decision To March To Opera House Made After Illumination Announcement
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Josh Lees from Palestine Action Group Sydney said he denounced the offensive chants heard at the Opera House:
Well, firstly, there were thousands and thousands of people came out, uh, from all different backgrounds to show our, uh, support for the basic freedoms of Palestinian people & to support, uh, their right to (sorry chuckle) defend themselves as well &, um, to oppose what is going on right now, which is a horrific wholesale bombing of the Gaza Strip, uh, and so it was very important for us to come out & protest.
Israel has been at war with the Palestinian people effectively for 75 years. Um, they’ve been at war with the people of Gaza for that entire time & there’s been an horrific siege on the Gaza Strip for the last 16 years, uh, which has been repeatedly bombed so we had a big protest, um, last night. Thousands of people came out including – It’s important to emphasise – including members of the Jewish community who are a part of our protest because there are many Jewish people, who, of course, support, um, the freedom of Palestinians & do not agree with the policies of the state of Israel so we held a very successful, um, peaceful protest that marched from Town Hall, um down to the Opera House.
Of course, we wanted to march to the Opera House because of the terrible & hypocritical stance taken by the Government to light it up with the Israeli flag (colours). Um, they haven’t in the last 75 years of oppression ever lit up the Opera House with the Palestinian flag, uh, so we marched down there. Um, it was a wonderful, peaceful protest. Um, as we say in our statement, right at the end, there was a separate event organised by others. There was a tiny group of people, um, who came & for a couple of minutes, did chant a despicable, um, antisemitic chant. We’ve made it very clear they don’t represent anything to do with our movement. Um, they’re not welcome. We- They were told to leave immediately. Um, ours has always been a anti-racist movement & we condemn all forms of racism including antisemitism.
I mean, I don’t know who they were. Um, what we can do is make it very clear as we have that this has nothing to do with the movement for a free Palestine, you know, & this, as I made it clear, we have a very long history, um, of standing together with all different communities against the state of Israel’s policies so that’s what we stand for.
As soon as we heard that the government planned to light up the Opera House with the Israeli flag, that is when a lot of people started suggesting we should march our protest down there so that’s what we did & we were in contact with the police all day. We spoke with them. They helped to manage that protest, to go down there peacefully. Um, there were no problems at all so we marched down here & that’s what we did.
Josh Lees. Palestine Action Group Sydney
It should be pointed out that the Sydney Opera House opened in 1973, 50 years ago.
10/10/2023 2:15pm – Palestine Action Group Sydney Says Anti-Semitic Chants “Very Distressing”
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Fahad Ali from Palestine Action Group Sydney said he approached people in the crowd who made antisemitic comments & told them to leave:
Our comrades, our friends, and our fellow people of all diverse backgrounds certainly can’t feel good about this, and we have an obligation to call out this behaviour when we see it.
Last night there was a contingent organised by a group called Jews Against Oppression & Palestinian Christians so when the minority of individuals decided to centre themselves at the expense of the broader protests that was very distressing.
We have consistently taken an anti-racist stand and Palestinian liberation is an anti-racist movement.
What is happening now is there has been a lot of media attention diverted from the suffering of people in Gaza.
Fahad Ali, Palestine Action Group Sydney
10/10/2023 2pm – NSW Attorney-General “Not Briefed” By Police Before 2GB Breakfast Interview
The events of last night at the Opera House were shocking and appalling.
On the comments I made this morning, I had not been briefed on the operations of police in relation to the Opera House protests, nor any discussions they may have had or advice they may have given.
Micheal Daley, NSW Attorney-General
During an interview on 2GB’s The Ben Fordham Show earlier, Micheal Daley, NSW Attorney-General said: “I worked late last night so I’m not really across that (Opera House pro-Arab protest), no”.
10/10/2023 1:45pm – Police Minister Confirms She Did Not Ask Police To Stop Pro- Arab March
In NSW Parliament’s Legislative Assembly’s Question Time, the Minister for Police, Counter-Terrorism & the Hunter, Yasmin Catley, was asked:
Did she ask the Police Force to stop the mob moving from Town Hall to the Opera House?
Matt Cross, Member For The District Of Davidson
She responded “…as Minister I have zero role in operational policing decisions and, quite frankly, nor should I”.
10/10/2023 1:30pm – Police Minister Avoids Answering Whether She Will Apologise To The Jewish Community
In NSW Parliament’s Legislative Assembly’s Question Time, the Minister for Police, Counter-Terrorism & the Hunter, Yasmin Catley, was asked:
Will the Miniser apologise to the Jewish community for failing to stop a march & not letting the community hold a vigil at the Opera House last night?
Kellie Sloan, Member For The District Of Vaucluse
She avoided directly answering the question.
10/10/2023 1:15pm – CCTV Pro-Arab Protest Footage Obtained By Police
This is not a question about letting a protest go ahead. This is purely about dealing with the situation that police were confronted with in the best way to avoid conflict & ensure public safety. It is not about condoning, supporting or facilitating.
Operation Mealing was established to investigate the incident last night. CCTV footage has been obtained & police will examine closely any evidence of offences that were committed and they will take appropriate action. I suggest that anybody with information should report it to their local police or to Crimestoppers.
The police were managing the situation to maximise the safety of all concerned. Their priority yesterday was to control & to manage a large, volatile crowd and to prevent conflict, violence and breaches of the peace. I say it again: They were successful in doing that.
Yasmin Catley, NSW Minister For Police, Counter-Terrorism & The Hunter
10/10/2023 1pm – NSW Police Minister “Kept Abreast” Of Opera House Pro-Arab Protest
In NSW Parliament’s Legislative Assembly’s Question Time:
I was kept abreast of the events as they unfolded last night.
The NSW Police Force has engaged with community groups as they monitor the situation here and overseas. I know that the Jewish community has an excellent relationship with the New South Wales police & that the police have been in constant contact with the community over the past few days.
The number 1 priority for our Police Force is to keep our community safe & I am pleased to say they did that last night. The police are not here to make political judgment calls about who should have the right to protest. They are here to keep our community safe at events like those last night & again I am pleased to say they did just that. Police have advised me that operational commanders last night judged that the best option for police was to control & manage the crowd movements through the CBD. Their main aim was to prevent the risk of conflict & violence.
The police did not approve a march. The process for approving protests, meetings or marches—known as form 1—generally takes about a week to complete. There was no form 1 for this event. There was just a spontaneous gathering of a large number of people. After the horrific events in Israel on the weekend, police were closely monitoring the situation & became aware through intelligence and through social media that large numbers could be expected to gather in the city. They needed to manage a highly volatile crowd & again I say last night they did that successfully.
Yasmin Catley, NSW Minister For Police, Counter-Terrorism & The Hunter
10/10/2023 12:45pm – Palestine Action Group Sydney Responds
On 9 October 2023, Palestine Action Group organised a successful rally in support of Palestine, calling for the end of the occupation & for Australia to cut ties to Israel. Thousands on thousands of diverse attendees marched to the Opera House & demonstrated our opposition to Australia’s support to the State of Israel, a genocidal apartheid regime which has waged war on Palestinians for over 75 years.
Today, we have woken up to the Premier of NSW, the Prime Minister, the Foreign Affairs Minister & Independent MP, Allegra Spender, condemning our protests & questioning why it went ahead. Let us affirm, we have the right to demonstrate. At a conjuncture where anti-protest laws widen to target anyone who opposes the colonial & capitalist structures of this state from First Nations movements to the Climate Justice movement, the states attack on Pro-Palestinian protestors is no different. Australia as a colonial and imperialist entity will always support Israel & the state is frightened by people in their masses showing that we oppose imperialism & colonialism. At a time where the people of Palestine resist over 75 years of war and massacres & Israel declares intent to commit genocide against the people of Gaza, we will demonstrate. We will continue to demonstrate & we will show this state that we oppose apartheid, we oppose settler-colonialism & we oppose genocide.
Despite a very successful & peaceful rally, the media has reported on a tiny fringe (we estimate less than 20 people) of vile antisemitic attendees who showed up to the Opera House for an event unrelated to the demonstration we organised. Media reports & videos circulating show young boys, mostly in their teens chanting “f*ck the Jews”. From our observations, this occurred for less than 1 minute & was not an ongoing chant. They were quickly condemned for their chants & asked to leave. Long-standing Palestinian organisers and activists & Palestinian, Arab and Muslim elders attending the protest were disgusted & deplored by the action. This is not what our movement stands for. We oppose Zionism, an ideology distinct from Judaism. We oppose Israel, a racist state which has waged genocide on Palestinians. We are an anti-racist and anti-colonial movement & we refuse to fight racism with racism.
PAG has a long-standing history of working with Jewish activists & organisers who oppose Zionism, from Tzedek to Jews against the occupation, we share anti-racist & anti-colonial values with our anti-Zionist Jewish siblings. We thank them for their ongoing solidarity, including the contingent who attended this very rally. We’ve checked in with as many of those Jewish people in the contingent as we know to ensure they are feeling safe & okay.
For over a decade, we have organised peaceful Palestinian rallies & we have mobilised the Australian community & we will continue to mobilise. If you are an antisemite, you are not welcome at our rallies & are not a part of our movement. As we did today, we will ask you to leave & we will continue to do this. We thank the 99.9% who have continued to show up for Palestine, who have continued to help keep our rallies peaceful & promote anti-racist and anti-colonial values.
We will be back on the streets at 1pm, Sunday 15 October 2023, at Town Hall to continue to protest both attacks on Palestinian resistance & Israel’s declaration of genocide on Palestinians. We will not bow to pressure from parliamentarians to end our mobilisations. We will demonstrate until Palestine is free, from the river to the sea!
Free Palestine & f*ck racism.
Palestine Action Group Sydney
10/10/2023 12:30pm – NSW Opposition Leader Says Hate Speech “Simply Unacceptable”
We have a responsibility to promote cohesion and we have a responsibility to respect different perspectives on international politics but none of us should pull punches when we call out hate speech. What we have seen in the past 48 hours, whether it is on the forecourt of the Opera House or the streets of our suburbs, is simply unacceptable. We have to call out that behaviour whenever we see it, whether it is antisemitism or any other sort of hate speech.
Mark Speakman, NSW Opposition Leader
10/10/2023 12:15pm – NSW Premier Confirms Illumination At Jewish Community Request
In the Legislative Assembly of the New South Wales Parliament:
Last night the Opera House was lit at the request of the Jewish community, specifically to show solidarity with the Jewish community here in New South Wales.
The scenes last night, where epithets were thrown at the Jewish community by protesters, were nothing short of horrific. That is the opposite of what we want in Australia and in New South Wales, a harmonious, dynamic and multicultural society.
I want the Jewish community in New South Wales to know that my Government & the vast majority of people in this State, stand with them today and are horrified by the scenes not just in the Middle East but also on the forecourt of the Opera House last night.
Chris Minns, New South Wales Premier
10/10/2023 12pm – Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council Executive Director Says Pro-Arab Protest “Deeply Disturbing”
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Doctor Colin Rubenstein, Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council Executive Director, said people had a right to protest within limits but the pro-Arab protest went beyond those limits:
We happen to be a democratic multicultural Australian society embedded with certain key values of mutual respect and tolerance.
It’s deeply disturbing and disappointing that any Australian would celebrate the slaughters and the butchery that we saw over the weekend but the fact that they were allowed to march to the Sydney Opera House and that no Jews were allowed, I’m sure on security grounds, which the community respected, but nonetheless it’s a deeply disturbing state of affairs and I think the authorities and certainly the responsible ministers involved have a lot to answer for.
Doctor Colin Rubenstein, Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council Executive Director
10/10/2023 11:15am – Co-CEO of Australian Jewry Executive Council Says Pro-Arab Protest-Endorsing Leaders Should Be “Held To Account”
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Alex Ryvchin, Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-Chief Executive Officer said the leaders who endorsed the gathering should be “held to account”, that the Palestinian movement “is about … violence and hatred. It doesn’t seek to build peace, it seeks only to destroy…” & he accepts police were doing what they thought was necessary to protect people:
The Palestinian movement has been revealed for all to see. This isn’t about a territorial dispute. There is no place for this incitement and blood lust in our society.
I bear no grievances towards them (the Police) but I think it’s a lamentable state of affairs when you have members of the Jewish community in the city unable to go to our CBD unable to gather and rally to observe an act of solidarity such as this.
Alex Ryvchin, Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-Chief Executive Officer
10/10/2013 11am – City Of Sydney Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, Says Peace Dove Projection “Would Have Been Much More Appropriate”
I do not think it should be one (Israeli colours illumination) or the other (Palestinian colours illumination)
I think that (peace dove projection) would have been much more appropriate.
City Of Sydney Lord Mayor, Clover Moore
10/10/2023 10:45am – Federal NDIS & Government Services Minister Says Anti-Semitism Protest Chants “Un-Australian”
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Bill Shorten, Federal Government Services & National Disability Insurance Scheme Minister, said some of last night’s chants were “un-Australian”:
The truth of the matter is that some of the anti-Israel rhetoric has always been a mask for antisemitism.
It is un-Australian to attack someone because of what god they worship & this is what it is.
Bill Shorten, Federal Government Services & National Disability Insurance Scheme Minister
10/10/2023 10:30am – Federal Opposition Leader Describes Protests As “Despicable”
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the Federal Opposition Leader, Peter Dutton, said while people could express their view, even if others disagreed with it, the conduct last night was “despicable”, “unimaginable in modern Australia” with “no excuse”.
This was an act of terrorism and treachery & it should be properly condemned, uh, by every decent human being & I think some of the behaviour that we saw at the Opera House last night does not belong in our country & people can protest peacefully – That is a right – People can express their view even if we disagree with it, in our country, um, but some of the conduct last night , uh, was appalling & frankly there should have been a lot more done to deter that gathering from taking place in the first instance.
The Prime Minister should have been in contact with community leaders to stop this protest from taking place.
It’s a reminder of the fact that we need to continue our strong support for the people of Israel & the Jewish community here in Australia at what is a very dark hour.
If there was a terrorist attack in our country today, a couple of hundred people were taken hostage, hundreds of people were shot dead after a music festival, as Australians we wouldn’t want to see protesters gathering in New Zealand or another part of the world, cheering & chanting that that was a great thing.
Peter Dutton, Federal Opposition Leader
10/10/2023 10:15am – Metropolitan Assistant Police Commander Did Not Personally Speak With Palestinian Community
At a media conference, Tony Cooke, NSW Police Metropolitan Region Assistant Commander, confirmed he did not personally speak with the Palestinian community.
10/10/2023 10am – Police Approval For Pro-Arab Protest “Not A Question”
This is not a question about letting a protest go ahead. This is about us responding to what the concerns were & in the circumstances that presented us. In my view, very clearly, my best option was to control & manage the situation the best that we could do. In the end, uh, the risks of conflict were avoided & that did not occur. This is not about us condoning, supporting, facilitating any protest. This is about us (journalist ask question) – Can I just finish? Thank you – This is about us, uh, providing for the public’s safety.
We are continuing to work with all communities so people need to be reassured that police will provide a safe environment for everyone. This is New South Wales. We understand that this is a highly emotive issue, but we understand that people also should respect the fact that we are a very much a multicultural, multifaith community & that we need people to respect each other’s rights and observations & that we would continue to ask for people and the community at a large to do that.
I’m not – I did not have any conversations with the Minister in relation to the operational… (tactical decisions)
I spoke very clear, I spoke with members of the Jewish communities right throughout the day yesterday & as I said earlier, indicated to them that people attending these positions can put them at significant risk. They made a decision not to attend, which I’m supportive of in which that it shows good sense in the circumstances & we will certainty continue to support that community, if, in their own observances.
Tony Cooke, NSW Police Assistant Commander, Metropolitan Region
Very clearly, you can see from the footage that people were very agitated. I’m very disa-ppointed, uh, in, in, in, strongest possible terms that people saw fit to utilize flares & what not. However, I can tell you that that entire rally & protest was covered by CCTV footage. Operation ‘Mealing’ has been established to investigate the issues that occurred down there last night &, uh, we will certainly be attempting to identify people who committed offences & we will take the appropriate action to put them before the Courts where it is possible. If anybody has any information, we would be more than happy to receive that & people can do that directly to their local police or by contacting Crimestoppers.
Tony Cooke, NSW Police Assistant Commander, Metropolitan Region
10/10/2023 9:30am – NSW Police Became Aware Of Pro-Arab Protest March To Opera House On Monday Afternoon
During the day on Sunday, uh, past, Police became aware of the intent of a group of people to rally at the Sydney Town Hall, uh, that was by social media. Uh, a range of inquiries were conducted to attempt to identify & speak with those people prior to the rally taking place. We were able to, uh, find a person, uh, into the afternoon, yesterday afternoon. At that point, it became, uh, clear to us or, made-da-made, uh, clear to us that people intended to, uh, move from the Sydney Town Hall to the Opera House.
Uh, considering we’re very, very clear that this is a very strongly emotive issue. Um, in the circumstances, um, it was considered the, uh, best, ah, option for Police was to manage the movement of those people from, um. Sydney Town Hall to the Opera House to ensure that we were able to control the movement of the people & get them to a place where we could manage the rally in its form and to prevent, uh, the risk of conflict to prevent the risk offences, disturbances to the public aren’t throughout the city as it occurred. That did occur – the rally, as we well know, took place on, ah, the Forecourt, there, of the Opera House.
Police continue to negag-negotiate but not to negotiate, I’m sorry – to work with community right throughout the day. It was made very clear to people that, uh, people attending would and could expose themselves to risks & they made the decision not to attend and I’m very pleased they did so as that shows good common sense in the circumstances. I mean, we will continue to work with those communities to ensure they feel free & safe.
Uh, this is very clearly an emotive issue across community. We continue to work across all communities, absolutely. This is New South Wales. We do not expect people to bring conflict from other places to the streets of Sydney & the violence will not be tolerated and we were able to manage that to assure that there was no conflict last night. We are continuing to work across all community & all community can be assured that we will continue to do so so that they are free to go about their business without fear and that we will provide them support across all community.
My, my job is to deal with what I’ve got in front of me & we did just, and we did just that.
Tony Cooke, NSW Police Assistant Commander, Metropolitan Region
10/10/2023 9:15am – NSW Premier Says Government Discussions Taking Place With Jewish Community
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the NSW Premier defended the police’s event handling, saying it was an operational decision for the “safety & security” of Sydney:
I know that-that discussions are taking place this morning between the Government, police & the New South Wales Jewish community to ensure that those of Jewish heritage can enjoy their city, where they were born, where they’re raising their family, uh, where they’re a member of the community. We cannot have a situation where, um, members of the Jewish community feel like they can’t & are being told not to participate in their city. We lit up the Opera House specifically to show solidarity with the Jewish community & it’s a great shame that they weren’t able to, uh, commemorate solemnly with their community last night.
It’s to celebrate what’s happened in the Middle East in the last 48 hours is abhorrent. I can’t understand why the protest went ahead in any event & obviously, people feel, uh, ah, an enor-most Australians feel an enormous sense of solidarity with Israel today.
The position of the NSW Government is unambiguously clear: We lit up the Opera House in solidarity with the people of Israel & the Jewish community in NSW because we were as horrified as the rest of the community at the indiscriminate slaughter that took place in Israel.
We’ve got a large Jewish community in New South Wales. Many of them have long standing family and friend connections with Israel & I want them to know that the NSW Government and the vast majority of people in this state stand with them today and are horrified by the sc-scenes, not just in the Middle East but on the Forecourt of the Opera House last night.
To have the Opera House not lit up would have sent, in an ironic way, the reverse message, that we weren’t standing in solidarity with these horrific crimes when we were & I don’t want, and I don’t think it’s appropriate for the Jewish community in New South Wales to believe that there’s anything other than complete, uh, revulsion at, uh, those murders.
NSW Premier, Chris Minns
It should be noted the Jewish community makes up 0.5% of the New South Wales population.
10/10/2023 9am – Ambassador Of Israel To Australia Responds
To see these landmarks all over Australia illuminated in blue & white tells every Israeli that Australia cares. Thank you.
Amir Maimon, Ambassador Of Israel To Australia
10/10/2023 8am – Former Australian Ambassador Of Australia To Israel Calls Opera House Protest “Shocking”
It should be noted the NSW Police decision was made in conjunction with Community Safety Group, a Jewish community safety organisation.
I thought they were shocking and despicable & I thought the fact that members of the Jewish community were not able to come to the Opera House last night, uh, to see the Opera House sails lit up in the colours of the Israeli flag, they were specifically told by police to stay away, indicates a, a chronic f-failure or breakdown in New South Wales Police or within the NSW Police Minister’s office. This protest, this march should not have been allowed to go ahead last night & certainly not on the route that it had planned. Uh, they should have found another location or another evening for that to happen. It was just incredibly insensitive & I think some of the chants and slogans that the crowd were shouting last night were, uh, amount to racial incitement. I mean, they were despicable.
I mean, the material I saw promoting the rally made clear that it was not about commemorating the Israeli & civilian victims of Hamas terrorist attacks over the weekend. In fact, it was about siding with Hamas, celebrating what Hamas had done. I, I mean this would be like if we saw people come out on the streets in Sydney celebrating Al-Qaeda days after the September 11 attacks or people come out on the streets of Sydney and celebrate Jemaah Islamiyah days after the Bali bombing terrorists, which killed 88 Australians. I mean, this is just abhorrent & you know, I, I’m, I’m shocked but I’m also deeply disillusioned that people think this is something that should be coming out & be celebrated: the abduction of civilians, the defilement of bodies, the, uh, the wanton killing of people sheltering in their homes. This should never be celebrated.
Well, I mean, lo-look-look, I-I, think, yes, people have the right to political expression & the peaceful statement of their views & but I think last night, which was the night that the Opera House was being lit up with the colours of the Israeli flag, like is happening around the world, uh, the Jewish community should have been able to attend that event & show their solidarity with the victims of this terrorist attack without being told by police to stay away, without having to fear for their own personal safety & security. Uh, uh, I’m sure this other rally, which is seemingly celebrating those things, um, could have been scheduled at another date or in another venue.
Well I think, I mean, I-I find this astonishing that Chris Minns, the NSW Premier, uh, says we are lighting up the flags of the Opera House, lighting up the sails of the Opera House rather than in solidarity with the victims of this terrorist attack & then you have the NSW Police Minister or the NSW Police, um, green-lighting a protest which makes that event completely neutrally. I mean, someone has a crossed wire here.
Dave Sharma, former Australian Ambassador to Israel.
It should be noted the NSW Police decision was made in conjunction with Community Safety Group, a Jewish community safety organisation.
10/10/2023 7:45am – Federal Member For Wentworth Asks For “Abhorrent” Protest Explanation
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the Federal Member For Wentworth, Allegra Spender, has described the Sydney Opera House pro-Arab protest last night as “abhorrent” and asks for an explanation as to how the protest happened.
09/10/2023 11pm – NSW Premier Chris Minns Condemns Protest
According to The Daily Telegraph, New South Wales (NSW) Premier Chris Minns condemned the “horrible scenes” at the Sydney Opera House.
He said the protestors “do not represent the people of NSW” and, according to the Daily Mail, said “This sort of behaviour incites violence and creates division”.
It should be noted the NSW Police decision was made in conjunction with Community Safety Group, a Jewish community safety organisation.
Look, it can’t – we’re a free country and there’s always going to be idiots in a free country & this is absolutely outrageous behaviour, uh, but surely more could have been done here to separate groups. It’s sometimes are done at these kinds of events &, & look, the other thing I’d like to see here tomorrow is we have to see the leadership of, uh, Australia’s Muslim communities condemn this behaviour. As I say, there’s always going to be bad elements within any group but the problem I have here quite often is some of the leaders of our Muslim communities are, are of, sometimes seen to be silent or sometimes some Imam encourage this kind of conduct & it must be condemned. It has to be condemned across all groups in our society that people that are grieving the loss of their loved ones here should be able to do so in peace & quiet without these morons interrupting at these difficult times for the, for the Jewish communities of Australia.
Matta Canavan, Nationals Queensland Senator
09/10/2023 10pm – Pro-Arab Protesters Call On NSW Government To Light Up Sydney Opera House In Colours Of Palestinian Flag Tomorrow
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, at least 2 protesters including father & daughter, Maram Abu-Samen & Saud Abu-Samen, have called on the NSW Government to light up the Sydney Opera House in the colours of the Palestinian flag tomorrow.
The flag is red, green, white & black.
It should be equal. Palestinians and Israelis live in this country & we deserve the same opportunity.
Saud Abu-Samen
The below two people found the blue & white illumination divisive according to the Sydney Morning Herald:
It’s politics. It’s a major thing happening in the world but it’s sad that only 1 side of the story gets told.
Yunesh Padayatchi
Speaking about the pro-Israeli blue & white illumination:
I think it’s quite horrible. It’s narrow-minded & disappointed.
Siri Veseth
09/10/2023 9:15pm – The 4000 Pro-Arab Protesters Disperse From Sydney Opera House Southern Forecourt
Now that the Sydney Opera House illumination has ended, the pro-Arab protesters, which numbered 4000, have dispersed from the Southern Forecourt of the Sydney Opera House and are heading towards the public transport interchange at the northern end of Circular Quay. The human barricade of NSW Police officers followed with some pushing protestors in an effort to move them on according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
Although coarse language was used & a flare was thrown at police, the protest was deemed “generally well behaved” by NSW Police, who said protesters complied with directions according to Firstpost.
09/10/2023 8:45pm – The Sydney Opera House Illumination Abruptly Ends
Less than 20 minutes after Israel announced a total blockade on the Gaza Strip, the Sydney Opera House has gone dark. Normally, illuminations run to 11pm or as late as 1am but this one barely made 90 minutes. The controversial Everest Barrier Draw projection show in 2018, for comparison, was always intended to be a 10-minute show with follow-up illuminations lasting until the end of an associated function on the other side of Circular Quay.
Israeli supporters largely stayed away from the Sydney Opera House during the illumination according to The Daily Mail.
09/10/2023 8:30pm – 100 Police Block Access To Sydney Opera House Podium After Illumination Disruption Attempt
New South Wales Police have formed a human barricade at the bottom of the Monumental Steps to block access to the Podium of the Sydney Opera House. This follows what seemed to be an attempt to block the illumination through extra white light by pro-Arab protesters. However, the protestors only managed to luminate more of the white illumination rather than less of the blue illumination.
According to The Daily Mail, Arabic-language cries of ‘God is the greatest’ rang out as some members of the crowd swarmed towards the police human barricade with some brandishing pieces of the torn Israeli flag while some were heard chanting, at points, “f*** Albanese”.
The Prime Minister Of Australia, Anthony Albanese, had no role in the decision to light up the Sydney Opera House blue & white.
Flares have been spotted being lit in the Southern Forecourt of the Sydney Opera House as New South Wales Water Police boats gather around the World Heritage site. Illegal fireworks were also lit according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation & according to the Sydney Morning Herald, 1 flare was thrown at NSW Police. No one was injured from the flare. An Iraqi flag featured in the crowd around a flare on the ground while an Israeli flag burnt & according to The Daily Mail, stamped on & torn to shreds. No one was arrested over the setting off of flares. According to The Daily Telegraph, some protestors shouted “f*ck Israel!”.
Flares lit at Sydney Opera House Southern Forecourt during Pro-Arab rally. Photograph: Earth TV
Muslim mob appears to be attacking Sydney Opera House with flares after pro-terrorist rally. pic.twitter.com/Bh7EXoO1Dv
— Australian Jewish Association (@AustralianJA) October 9, 2023
09/10/2023 7:30pm – The Pro-Israeli Sydney Opera House Blue & White Illumination Begins As Pro-Arab Protesters Arrive
The Sydney Opera House is now illuminated blue & white in support of Israel after the Arab-Israeli Conflict escalated 2 days ago when Palestinian militant groups from the Gaza Strip broke through the Gaza-Israel barrier in a major surprise attack on Israel.
The illumination is expected to last at least until 3.5-5.5 hours.
Some pro-Israeli supporters watched the illumination from the western side of Circular Quay,
09/10/2023 7:15pm – Pro-Arab Protest March Arrives At Sydney Opera House
Pro-Arab protesters arrived, some with Palestinian, Lebanese for Australian Aboriginal flags. Some wearing masks were also seen & some were shouting slogans such as “f*ck the Jews”, “free Palestine” & “shame Israel” according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation as well as “gas the Jews”.
It should be noted Jewish does not completely equate to Israeli, though Jewish people make up 73% of the Israeli population.
09/10/2023 7pm – Prayer Session & Candle Messages At The Sydney Opera House Southern Forecourt
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, a prayer session was held at the Sydney Opera House Southern Forecourt at sunset & a group of women, in the growing darkness, lit a message with candles spelling ‘FREE PALESTINE’.
09/10/2023 6:45pm – Autonomous Collective Against Racism Describes Planned Opera House Illumination As “Slap To The Face”
Speaking to City Hub, a spokesperson for the Autonomous Collective Against Racism confirmed the collective’s presence “we will be there (at the march & upcoming protest at the Sydney Opera House), in massive numbers & with flags flying”.
Displaying the Israeli flag colours is not only a slap to the face of every Palestinian across the world, it’s evidence of the power of the Zionist lobby in this country and the chokehold it has on the Labor party.
Autonomous Collective Against Racism Spokesperson
09/10/2023 6:30pm – Pro-Arab March Begins At Sydney Town Hall/NSW Police & Community Safety Group Urge Jewish Community To Avoid Opera House Tonight
A 30-minute march, organised by Palestine Action Group Sydney, of at least 4000 pro-Arab supporters begun at Sydney Town Hall, via Pitt Street Mall & concludes at the Sydney Opera House in time for the pro-Israeli Sydney Opera House illumination at 7:30pm. A group called Jews Against Oppression & Palestinian Christians participated in the March.
New South Wales Police have confirmed they will have a “presence” & will “work with protesters to ensure there is no breaches of the peace & there is minimal impact to the community”. They encourage Jewish people to avoid the 7:30pm blue & white illumination of the Sydney Opera House because, according to the Australian Jewish Association President, David Adler, the NSW Police believe the Jewish community “…would be at risk if we were identified as Jewish in Sydney.”
The NSW Police Force recognises and supports the rights of individuals and groups to exercise their rights of free speech and peaceful assembly; however, the first priority for NSW Police is always the safety of the wider community
NSW Police
NSW Police and CSG are urging the community not to attend the Sydney Opera House precinct
The events tonight may pose a risk to the safety of community members.
NSW Police & Community Safety Group E-mail
Palestine Action Group Sydney called for protesters to respect the police.
To rapturous cheers & applause at Sydney Town Hall, one of the rally’s speakers said it was a “disgrace that the Sydney Opera House is going to be lit up in the colours of the Israeli flag” according to The Daily Mail.
09/10/2023 5:45pm – Greens Newtown MP Describes Planned Opera House Illumination As “Appalling”
In response to the statement issued by the Arab Council Of Australia a few hours prior, Greens Member Of Legislative Assembly For The District Of Newtown, Jenny Leong, has described the planned Sydney Opera House blue & white illumination in support of Israel as “appalling”.
This rush to declare support for Israel is a blatant disregard of Palestinian and Arab lives, and of the Arab community here in NSW. It is also a total obfuscation of the reality on the ground and the relentless atrocities that Israel rains daily upon defenceless civilians.
This decision is offensive on many levels and has made a tragic situation that much worse. At the exact time that Israel’s colours will be emblazoned upon a Sydney icon, innocent Palestinian civilians will be under heavy and deadly bombardment by Israel. You have effectively trampled on our humanity and told the Arab Australian community in NSW that we do not matter.
Innocents on both sides are being killed in this conflict and the militarised, settler-colonial occupation that Israel maintains traps both people. If the government feels the need to light up the Opera House for the world to see, then the symbol of peace would be the only sensible call to ensure equality, unity and cohesion across this multicultural state rather than declaring support for one side or another.
We urge you to exercise positive leadership for all your constituents and reconsider your decision.
Randa Kattan, Arab Council Of Australia Chief Executive Officer
The City Of Sydney has approved the appointment of the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Settlement Services International Limited & the Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation as the charity partners for Sydney New Year’s Eve, Sydney Lunar Festival & Sydney Christmas respectively.
Details about each charity are at the end of this article.
The approval was made following an Expression Of Interest (EOI) process in accordance with the City’s Support For Charities policy & is for the next edition of each event with the option to extend to the edition after that.
17 organisations applied to be an official charity partner of at least 1 event.
For Sydney Christmas, 2 extra criteria were added after the EOI closed, which was in early May 2023:
cash handling policy and,
point of sale infrastructure & floats for interactive activations
The applications were then assessed & then recommended to the Cultural & Creative Committee by:
Producer, Major Events and Festivals;
Audience Manager, Major Events and Festivals; &
Social Programs Officer (LGBTIQA+), Social City.
The Cultural & Creative Committee meeting, held on Monday the 19th of June 2023, then recommended the appointments to Council, who approved the recommendations on Monday the 26th of June 2023.
Now the Council has approved the appointments, the signing of Charity Participation Agreements are next & were due by mid-July 2023.
National Breast Cancer Foundation
National Breast Cancer Foundation is a leading not-for-profit organisation funding world-class breast cancer research. Since their inception in 1994, they have been involved in more than 600 world-class research projects across Australia & continue to fund further research to create a greater impact and help reach their vision of 0 deaths from breast cancer.
Settlement Services International Limited (SSI)
SSI is a not-for-profit organisation established over 20 years ago who provide life-changing human & social services. Their purpose is to empower individuals, children, families & communities from diverse backgrounds & identities to fully participate in the economic, social, civic & diverse cultural life of Australia. SSI’s mission is to create a more equitable, resilient, enriched & inclusive society.
Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation
Sydney Children’s Hospital is one of the largest children’s health charities in the country. Since 1986, they have been delivering on their vision of a world where every child has access to the best healthcare when & where they need it. Each year, they raise vital funds for 5 of their key entities including Sydney Children’s Hospital Randwick, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Bear Cottage, Kids Research & Newborn and Paediatric Emergency Transport Service, to enable powerful change for children’s health care.
The City Of Sydney has been looking for new charity partners as part of an Expression Of Interest (EOI) process for the next edition of Sydney New Year’s Eve (NYE), Sydney Lunar Festival & Sydney Christmas with the option of the following edition after that too.
Charity partners use the respective events to promote and raise funds for their cause including through the event’s media & marketing campaigns. For Sydney Lunar Festival, they will also get speech & networking opportunities while for Sydney Christmas, they will get a merchandise stall.
The EOI revealed Sydney Christmas this year will have at their concerts interactive paid activations.
Aside from charities applying, throughout the EOI process, the City Of Sydney may also approach potential candidates.
The EOI process opened in late April & closed in early May. An evaluation panel will review applications with the successful charities:
being an official registered charity or public benevolent institution,
not being associated with religion,
undertaking work which produces significant community benefits,
aligned with the City of Sydney’s values,
values’ being important for the respective event &,
holding reasonably required insurances.
demonstrated previous experience in successful online fundraising (does not apply to Sydney Christmas)
providing & managing a minimum of 2 employees or volunteers to operate an interactive paid activation at each concert (Sydney Christmas only)
A recommendation will be sent to Council & once Council approves the recommendation, which should be by September 2023, the City Of Sydney will prepare letters of agreement.
The ABC unilaterally (that is, not in conjunction with the City Of Sydney) tried to repeat the success of the NYE2019 charity concert for NYE2020 by replacing the Red Cross with Lifeline & Kids Helpline as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it was not as great a success as NYE2019 despite the massive effects of the pandemic on mental health though it did raise about $700,000 on NYE alone (that’s about 5 cents per Australian).
Also interesting, the City Of Sydney specifically mentioned for the EOi that they reserve the right to not choose a charity partner, which is a very rare thing to do, and also to not hold the events, which is understandable, as we’ve seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Is the City Of Sydney about to bring back some creativity into Sydney New Year’s Eve (NYE)?
The City Of Sydney has announced they want to hear ‘fresh concepts’ & ‘innovative ideas with capacity to broaden the creative contribution’ of their events as part of a Big Creative Ideas process.
And they want to hear from anyone!
It’s not just Sydney NYE that want concepts & ideas for but any of their events including Sydney Christmas & Sydney Lunar Festival.
Proposals can be just 1 small thing to redesigning a whole event but they should be adaptable, sustainable proposals with “improved environmental performance”. Where applicable, they should be experienced by a live & broadcast audience. For a live audience, it should be accessible to a large-scale audience.
Proposals should also reflect the event’s traditions & objectives.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore said proposals should be similar in scale, timing and impact to their respective events.
We want to explore new technologies & ideas that may be included in our major events to showcase Sydney’s creative innovation to the world – this could include drones, light shows & projections – but the sky’s the limit.
Our aim is to build on Sydney’s status of producing cutting-edge, dynamic & extraordinary events that push the boundaries of innovation & leave a lasting impact on attendees and audiences.
City Of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore
All Proposals Criteria
Creative concept including curatorial vision and detail, concept presentation, reference images & collaborating artists’ experience and calibre.
Relevant production experience including in carrying out services of a similar scale and nature.
Technical production ability
Feasibility
Risk
Sydney NYE Proposals Extra Criteria
Fireworks engagement reflection
Fireworks integration reflection
Sydney Harbour exclusion zone & its’ airspace focus (see map below)
8pm-12am activation (note: sunset is around 8:10pm & fireworks are held at 9pm-9:08pm and 12am-12:12am)
Clearly visible to a live audience about 650 metres away
Positioned to be filmed by Sydney Opera House television cameras
Global appeal
Meet major international event standards
Sydney New Year’s Eve 2022 – Pride Maritime Map Image: New South Wales Government
How To Apply
While applications close at 11am AEDT on Thursday the 26th of October 2023, there is an optional 1-hour briefing session to be held at Town Hall House, 456 Kent Street, Sydney on Thursday the 28th of September 2023 at 2:15pm AEST. This briefing session will also be held online. If you want to register for the optional 1-hour briefing session, e-mail crivilloosborne@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au .
For more information on the Big Creative Ideas process, click here.
Successful applications will be notified in January 2024.
If you are successful, you may either make a shortlist to work with the City Of Sydney to develop the ideas or participate in a tender process or both.
As of 22nd August 2023, Sydney Spectaculars is no longer considering the Rugby World Cups 2027-29 as an ‘extraordinary’ Sydney Spectacular.
The reasoning behind this judgement is as follows:
A 3-minute fireworks display, using 2 barges & the upper arch and catwalk of the Sydney Harbour Bridge as well as a Bridge Effect featured after the Rugby World Cup 2003 – Australia Final.
A drone show is the modern equivalent of the Bridge Effect.
The FIFA Women’s World Cup – Australia & New Zealand 2023 had an event attendance of 79,000 per event day.
The FIFA Women’s World Cup – Australia & New Zealand 2023 was removed as an ‘extraordinary’ Sydney Spectacular on 5th April 2023. The reasons, at the time, are detailed here.
19 days into FIFA Women’s World Cup – Australia & New Zealand 2023, 13 Sydney landmarks, including the western sails of the Sydney Opera House, were lit up in gold. In all but one case, green was also added. These illuminations were done on the night of a Round Of 16, Quarter-Final, Semi-Final, 3rd Place Playoff or Final match involving the Matildas. However, this was insufficient for the FIFA Women’s World Cup – Australia & New Zealand 2023 to be readded as an ‘extraordinary’ Sydney Spectacular. The reasons are detailed here.
No Sydney Harbour (Bridge) fireworks display or drone show featured during the FIFA Women’s World Cup – Australia & New Zealand 2023.
In 2019, World Rugby decided that the words ‘Rugby World Cup’ would now refer to both the men’s and women’s editions.
The Rugby World Cup – Australia 2003 (men’s edition) had an event attendance of 66,000 per event day.
The Rugby World Cup – Japan 2019 (men’s edition) had an event attendance of 65,000 per event day.
The Rugby World Cup – New Zealand 2021 (women’s edition held in 2022) had an event attendance of 15,000 per event day.
Sydney is the likely host city of the Opening Match & Final of the Rugby World Cups – Australia 2027-29.
As the Rugby World Cup – Australia 2003, Japan 2019 & New Zealand 2021 all had attendances lower than the FIFA Women’s World Cup – Australia & New Zealand 2023, this means no more than 13 Sydney landmarks, particularly the western sails of the Sydney Opera House, should be lit up in gold during the Rugby World Cups – Australia 2027-29. In all but one case, green is added as well. This would happen only IF the Wallabies or the Wallaroos make it to the Quarter-Finals, Semi-Final, 3rd Place Playoff or Final of those respective future tournaments. Also, no Sydney Harbour (Bridge) fireworks display or drone show should now be expected during those tournaments.
As these illuminations were insufficient to be considered an ‘extraordinary’ Sydney Spectacular for the FIFA Women’s World Cup – Australia & New Zealand 2023, Sydney Spectaculars is of the opinion that the same should apply to the Rugby World Cups – Australia 2027-29, which is, as stated above, now very likely to be an event of less attendance & importance as the just-concluded FIFA Women’s World Cup – Australia & New Zealand 2023.
Therefore, as of 22nd August 2023, Sydney Spectaculars has decided to downgrade the Rugby World Cups – Australia 2027-29 from an ‘extraordinary’ Sydney Spectacular to just another Sydney Spectacular but not a ‘flagship’ Sydney Spectacular as it is not an annual event.
This is another major blow for Sydney’s event industry, culture & night-time economy. As, like with the FIFA Women’s World Cup – Australia & New Zealand 2023, there is a very likely lack of a major Sydney Harbour (Bridge) fireworks display & drone show (which would replace the Bridge Effect), it will be another notable absence in the history of major events in Sydney, reducing the significance or chance of hosting future mega events like the men’s FIFA World Cup.
If Sydney Spectaculars finds out that the either of the Rugby World Cups – Australia2027-29 will be treated like the Rugby World Cup – Australia 2003 (except with a drone show instead of a Bridge Effect), we will immediately resume coverage of the event but at this stage, it looks very unlikely. There is still every chance for a projection on the Sydney Opera House but. as stated above, this is insufficient. A stand-alone drone show is possible but such a drone show could have been held anywhere in the world – it just would be themed to Australia.
To bring Sydney’s mega event status back to where it belongs, Sydney Spectaculars will also lobby to World Rugby, the New South Wales (NSW) Government & Rugby Australia until those future tournaments are held to put on a Sydney Opera House/Harbour (Bridge) fireworks display & drone show during the Capping and Opening Ceremonies & after the Final as well as tournament-long projection/light shows on the Sydney Opera House/Harbour Bridge during those future tournaments after the failure to do so by the NSW Government, Football Australia & FIFA during the recently-concluded FIFA Women’s World Cup – Australia & New Zealand 2023.
We will review this decision after the Rugby World Cup – France 2023 (men’s edition), which begins today, as well as the Rugby World Cup – England 2025 (women’s edition).
We wish the Rugby World Cups – Australia 2027-29 every success.
The image above, from EarthTV, shows the Sydney Harbour Bridge at the moment of full time of the Final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup – Australia & New Zealand 2023 when Spain won the tournament. Below is a YouTube video showing the Sydney Harbour Bridge after the Final of the Rugby World Cup 2003, which before the more-recent tournament was held, was the nearest similar-sized sporting event Sydney had hosted.
Sydney, what has happened? Where are the big celebrations for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Final?
No doubt the tournament was a success on its own. In terms of the football played, attendance, broadcast viewership and the promotion of female association football participation, it was a massive success. With 79,000 spectators per event day, it became the largest sporting event Sydney has hosted since the 2000 Paralympics – beating the 2003 Rugby World Cup‘s 66,000 per event day. Unsurprisingly, the Matildas captured Australia’s heart as they journeyed to their best ever Cup result – 4th. This result has largely hidden mostly from view the lack of activation in Sydney especially around the time of the final though early in the tournament, a 3rd of Sydneysiders seemed to be well aware of this.
We say ‘Unsurprisingly’ as any Australian sports fan (that is pretty much every Aussie) knew the Matildas had the potential to go far in this tournament particularly at home. Their best result before 2023 was to reach the quarterfinals. Reaching the semi-finals was historic. However, it seemed New South Wales (NSW)’s politicians were completely unaware of the massive juggernaut that was approaching, even if the Matildas ended up having a shock elimination in the group stage (which nearly happened). It took them until the Matildas made it to the Round Of 16 to start activating Sydney in any real sense, using that milestone to mark a ‘unique’ achievement despite the Matildas having achieved it in the past 4 tournaments!
The NSW Premier has to be given leeway. In early May, he declared an ‘only necessary’ Sydney Opera House projection policy to save costs. This was after it was revealed the Opera House didn’t light up for the Coronation of Charles III (There was no historical precedent to justify it). The policy was well needed as the World Heritage site was being lit up too much – too much for us to even keep track of! Essentially, it was to keep the Opera House projections to just Vivid & Australia Day but out of the possible extra reasons to light up the Opera House, our co-hosting of the FIFA Women’s World Cup was a must. It took them 19 days INTO the tournament to justify celebrating the event! Mostly, it was because the Premier clung too tightly to his relatively new policy.
Whilst any country would think it is right to celebrate a national team’s success, historically, for Sydney’s major events, this has been for historic milestones in tournaments hosted out of the country. When it is hosted by us, we celebrate every country & the event itself. This time we didn’t. It looked selfish, particularly when the Matildas headed to the 3rd place playoff rather than the Final. Nothing was done for the Final to celebrate England & particularly, Spain’s achievements. The question is would they have done anything if it was the Men’s tournament where the Socceroos are not among the top 10 teams in the world & rarely make it out of the group stage? Highly likely they would have particularly as the Men’s tournament is still double the size of the Women’s but that is beside the point as in 2003 for the now-smaller Rugby World Cup we did do something and as we pointed out in April, the Rugby World Cup refers to both men’s & women’s tournaments since 2019 so the FIFA Women’s World Cup, for Sydney’s events, had to be treated as much as like the men’s tournament as possible but why wasn’t it?
Matilda, Sam Kerr’s flip, projected on the Sydney Opera House to celebrate Australia winning the co-hosting rights for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Photograph: Sydney Opera House
The reason is simply – marketing and political imperatives have overtaken the community and creative aspects. This is notable particularly as the Sydney Opera House was lit up for when we won the bid to co-host the FIFA Women’s World Cup (above) & the Sydney Harbour Bridge eastern pylons to celebrate for 1 year to go (below) but nothing for the event itself as the ‘hard work’ had been done.
Sydney Harbour Bridge eastern pylons lit up to celebrate 1 year to go until the FIFA Women’s World Cup – Australia & New Zealand 2023. Photograph: Getty Images
On September 24 1993, everyone was awake at 5am to find out whether we would host the Olympics and when we did, the whole city turned into 1 party from 1997, when the first Olympic Art Festival began to 2008, when the Pope headed back to Vatican City after World Youth Day. We welcomed everyone – foreign, indigenous, with a disability – everyone, and we gave our athletes and volunteers thank you parades.
Sydney’s golden era in events was between 1997 & 2008 when it began with the iconic Games Of The XXVIIth Olympiad (1997-2000) and Millennium celebrations (1999/2000), followed by the II Summer Paralympics (2000), the Centenary Of Federation (2001), the Rugby World Cup (2003) and World Youth Day (2008). When the Opening Ceremony of The Games Of The XXVIIth Olympiad began, we did not the stop the party then and there because the ‘hard work’ of branding, marketing and testing the city was ‘done’. We partied for 7 more years! But now we don’t anymore.
In 2006, the New South Wales Coalition, then in Opposition, voiced concerns that our neighbouring Victoria was ‘out-doing’ Sydney in the tourism and events industry with bigger budgets, a dedicated major events corporation & the March hosting of the XXVIIIth Commonwealth Games. The high Sydney had experienced post-Olympics was also coming to an end sooner than expected even though World Youth Day was 2 years away. But what was sooner was a state election in March 2007. The Opposition promised a major events corporation for NSW if elected. 2 months from the election, Labor, then in Government, also promised one and immediately commissioned a review into NSW’s major events. This is when politics became intertwined with NSW’s events.
In the last 2 years of these golden era, the warning signs of the impending disaster were shown. In September 2007, a Bridge Effect (the iconic symbol that used to be placed on the Sydney Harbour Bridge for major events) was created for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit Leaders Week, an event that had an event attendance of 4000 per event day. The event was controversial for its over-the-top security (famously thwarted by satirists, The Chaser) but also for the fact that the Leaders had their own private (and expensive at that!) Sydney Harbour fireworks display, which The Chaser also satirised:
At the time, this did not stand out as significant. Bridge Effects were done for every major event since the Millennium. 1 extra would not hurt. That would change 10 months later but this was the first sign that politicians were starting to use Sydney’s events to squeeze political capital out of them outside of election campaigns.
In July 2008, the biggest event since the Olympics finally hit town: World Youth Day 2008, a Catholic youth festival. Sydney sparkled during the week with the Pope travelling down Sydney Harbour in a “boatacade” and massive masses held throughout Sydney with a Stations Of The Cross re-enactment being the key headline act outside of religious services. An event of this size deserved a Bridge Effect, most likely a Cross in the middle of the Harbour Bridge, but nothing was done. Instead, a relatively new technology was used: projection mapping. Both eastern pylons of the Sydney Harbour Bridge were lit up with projections for the event.
World Youth Day 2008 Sydney Harbour Bridge Pylon Projections Photograph: Time
It was something new for a major event, but it was not its debut. It debuted 2 months earlier for the FIFA Congress (1500 per event day) but only on the south-eastern pylon. The innovative use of the pylons hid the real reason why a Bridge Effect was not done: It was cheaper. This led the APEC Summit Leaders Week Bridge Effect to be the last non-NYE Bridge Effect before its demise in 2015 when the company that built it went bust. The only other non-NYE event it could have been used for was the International Fleet Review Spectacular in 2013 but their extraordinary use of projections really made up for its loss and the show’s conclusion showed what the Bridge Effect would have been – the Royal Australian Navy logo. In the end, July 2008 was when Sydney’s events were starting to be used for solely marketing purposes by spending the minimum to ‘reach’ the most branding-wise but without putting extra effort into entertaining the attendees like by putting up a Bridge Effect or putting on a special Harbour fireworks display.
‘Events NSW’ projection during the FIFA Congress, 28-29 May 2008 Photograph: Events NSW
The FIFA Congress was the beginning of a push to win the hosting rights of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which were controversially given to Qatar 2 years later. When the FIFA Congress was held in May 2008, it coincided with the creation of Events NSW, the major events corporation promised at the March 2007 state election to host & create events like Sydney knew how, which was formally brought into being in November 2007. It was headed by John O’Neill, who ran Australian Rugby Union and thus, was the main man regarding the 2003 Rugby World Cup. He also did the 2007 major events review on behalf of the Government.
The aim of Events NSW was to create a ‘Master Events Calendar’ to promote events in NSW while also promoting 5 anchor ‘events’. Released in October 2008 for 2009, it revealed the names & types of the 5 anchor events:
Vivacity Sydney
Autumn Racing Carnival
Vivid Sydney
Crave Sydney
Australian Open Golf Championships
The Australian Open Golf Championships had been held in Sydney since 2006 so this was not suddenly a deservedly ‘anchor’ event. Same with the Autumn Racing Carnival, a multiple-week thoroughbred horse racing carnival. Calling these events ‘anchor’ events, when the general public did not consider them as one was never going to work. If there was going to be an ‘anchor event’, it would have been Sydney New Year’s Eve (NYE) with an attendance of 1.5 million per event day but no, they did something different for that event.
The other 3 events were not existing events but new brands for Sydney’s events. The first one, Vivacity, was a brand for all of Sydney’s summer events including NYE. This was never going to work as it was just a label covering all existing events to make it look like the NSW Government put on the events when really it was mainly local governments & non-government organisations. The only event that was NSW Government-run was the NSW Art Gallery special exhibition during the period. The Vivacity brand lasted just 2 years though was pretty much forgotten after 1.
Crave was another over-brand for outdoor/food/art events in Sydney during October but they did create a new unique event: Breakfast On The Bridge, a picnic event on the Sydney Harbour Bridge where the roadway was turned into a grassy pasture. This event without a doubt was going to create buzz & did indeed get people’s attention but with the logistics of closing the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the morning for a breakfast for just 6000 people rather than say a fireworks display at Midnight for 1.5 million people, it was not a surprise it lasted just 2 years before moving to Bondi Beach for its final edition.
Breakfast On The Bridge 2010 Photograph: Breakfast On The Bridge
The final event needs no introduction – Vivid. Again, originally intended to be just a brand name, it was for creative events during late May & early June. This event whilst also containing existing events had numerous new events, which more importantly played to Sydney’s strengths. It included a new festival called Smart Light Sydney, a walk of eco-friendly light installations around Circular Quay, to be held biannually, to be headlined by the use of the new projection mapping technology on the sails of the Sydney Opera House. This event had the potential to become big particularly as it did not involve any logistical issues like Breakfast On The Bridge. No need to tell you how that event turned out…
John O’Neill was replaced in 2010 by John Conde, who had an interest in sporting events, primarily the controversial Sydney 500 (57,000 per event day) and the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup 2015 (39,000 per event day), the latter a reaction to our failed 2022 FIFA World Cup bid & the former a reaction to the impending closure of Oran Park Raceway & the 28,000 per event day V8 Supercar Championship Series attendance of Eastern Creek International Raceway.
Whilst focusing on brands & marketing, Events NSW did succeed in doing its most important job – creating the next big event like Sydney NYE and that was Vivid Sydney (144,000 per event day) but that could be more of a happy accident than a well-thought-out events strategy given the other 2 brands failed. In late March 2011, a State Election was held and a change in Government occurred for the 1st time in 16 years. 3 months later, legislation was introduced to dissolve Events NSW and create Destination NSW, which combined Events NSW & Tourism NSW. With an emphasis on ‘Destination’, it was primarily a tourism marketing agency.
There has also been a distinct lack of cohesion between our success in acquiring events, our strategies to enhance them & our marketing and promotion activities in attracting visitors to New South Wales.
George Souris, Major Events Minister, Destination NSW Bill 2nd Reading,17 June 2011
No new events of note have been created during Destination NSW’s run so far & in fact, instead took tight precious control of the Vivid Sydney brand the former Events NSW agency created to use its social media friendliness to boost tourism marketing of Sydney, expanding the event to such lengths that crowd control is annually a serious concern. However, as you have seen on our blog since 2019, existing events like State Of Origin (1982), Australia Day In Sydney (1989) & Airshows Downunder Shellharbour (2006) have been encouraged to use Sydney’s strengths to prop up the lack of creativity in new or mega events.
In 2014, John Conde left as chairman of Destination NSW to be replaced by John Hartigan, a former media executive. The media & events industries are very intertwined through broadcasting, but an event & a broadcast of an event are 2 completely different things. An event can be attended by many people but with no broadcast while an event in a broadcast may be attended by very few people.
This is when the decline truly began & more importantly, became obvious, all hastened by the Bridge Effect’s demise. With the Bridge Effect gone, Sydney NYE also shifted to a focus on annual artworks with a minimalist theme before in 2019, completely ditching themes & the artworks to focus on ‘visual identities’, though there was a slight hint of a theme in each edition.
In 2018, John Warn, a retail executive, was appointed as Destination NSW chair. Again, a completely different industry, with marketing at its core.
We want to attract the world’s best and biggest events right here in NSW
Rugby World Cup 2027- 103,000 per event day (NSW last (co-)hosted it in 2003)
International Cycling Union Road World Championships 2022 – 78,000 per event day
FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 – 68,000 per event day
International Cricket Council (ICC) World Twenty20 2020 (men’s & women’s) – 41,000 per event day
Rugby League World Cup 2029 – 26,000 per event day (NSW last (co-)hosted it in 2017)
Netball World Cup 2027 – 16,000 per event day (NSW last hosted it in 2015)
World Team Cup 2020-2030 – 11,000 per event day. Last held in 2012.
Women’s Rugby World Cup 2021 – 4,000 per event day
Rugby League World Cup 9s 2019 – Event didn’t exist yet
You can see, despite the claim of “world’s best & biggest”, outside of the top 3, these events were actually chosen with NSW voters in mind with their favourite sports of rugby league, cricket & netball, particularly with ‘tested-and-tried’ events that we pretty much just hosted like the Netball & Rugby League World Cups. 1 event didn’t exist yet so was made just for Sydney, yet still needed to use the Sydney Harbour Bridge pylons to market it – it only lasted 1 edition before folding. The bizarre World Team Cup inclusion, which was a relic of history, was a result of pressure from Tennis Australia after the Davis Cup changed their rules. This ended up being the controversial ATP Cup, which lasted 3 editions before folding. Lastly, the ICC World Twenty20 2020 we already won the rights to 3 years prior in 2015 and was to be held as 2 separate tournaments – men’s and women’s, which had not been done before – though a stand-alone men’s tournament was held in 2007 at 47,000 per event day.
The only positive was the focus on sports with female participation yet when the big event arrived, the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, everyone was caught napping, as stated at the article’s start. Below was the NSW Government’s estimated total annual visitor spend ($million) for these events with in brackets the per visitor amount based on above attendances.
Rugby World Cup 2027- $578 ($5,600)
International Cycling Union (UCI) Road World Championships 2022 – $94 ($1,200)
ICC World Twenty20 2020 – $46 ($1122)
Netball World Cup 2027 – $31 ($2000)
Women’s Rugby World Cup 2021 – $23 ($5,800)
FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 – $21 ($308)
Rugby League World Cup 2029 – $21 ($808)
World Team Cup 2020-2030 – $15 ($1,400)
Rugby League World Cup 9s 2019 – $11 (N/A)
The Rugby League World Cup 9s ended up having 14,000 visitors per event day, which would be $786 per visitor. Strangely, Government estimates predicted the FIFA Women’s World Cup would contribute less to the visitor economy than the Women’s Rugby World Cup, despite the former being a behemoth & the latter being no bigger than a drop in the ocean. Typically, the higher the per visitor price, the further spectators are coming from. Except for the Rugby World Cup & the UCI Road World Championships, this makes the per visitor price for all events questionable as they are targeted to local audiences with an abundance of that event product with quality already in their communities (For the ICC World Twenty20, this applies to all potential audiences not just local) or in the case of the Women’s Rugby World Cup, the event has a really low attendance. The World Team Cup‘s estimate was optimistic at best given the 8-year absence of the annual event.
In the end, it should be noted the NSW Government considers ‘visitor’ & ‘spectator’ as 2 different things – the latter are the people attending the event for entertainment while the former, which includes spectators from other states or countries, also includes officials, athletes, coaches and other athlete support staff. This contributes to the terrible optics of hosting events very few people attend but require a lot of interstate/national visitation and thus, contribute to the ‘visitor’ economy, which does not include local economic contribution in the equation despite being an essential element of event success. Adding the local economic contribution gives a more accurate picture of the economic contribution, which is the main reason apart from political posturing & the note-worthy focus on sports with female participation, that this policy was implemented.
The benefits are not just for sports fans being able to see the best in the world, but for jobs and the economy as well – the 10 major events would inject at least $1 billion into the economy in visitor spend alone
Gladys Berejiklian, NSW Premier 2017-2021
Sydney came alive during the 2000 Olympics. We know what excitement great sport brings to our city & I am thrilled to be part of this pursuit of 10 world cups
Rod McGeoch, former Chief Executive Officer of the Sydney 2000 Olympics bid
Rod McGeoch was appointed to oversee a committee that would advise on how to bid for these events. Clearly, he imagined Sydney 2000 all over again & while we point out it was not his job to advise how to run the events, his vision obviously didn’t come to fruition.
All bids were successful so far except for the Women’s Rugby World Cup, which was lost to neighbouring country, New Zealand, in November 2018. However, in 2020, they started to bid for the 2029 edition, now called just Rugby World Cup like the men’s tournament, which they both won last year. The Men’s ICC World Twenty20 (now called ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup with the women’s edition renamed too) was postponed by 2 years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the USA, Canada & France all withdrawing from hosting the 2026 edition at some point, the Rugby League World Cup bid is pushed back a year to 2030, which is still to be decided along with the 2026 edition, which has been confirmed to be held in the Southern Hemisphere at a minimum. However, the 2030 edition will not include a women’s competition anymore, returning as its own separate event due to the “phenomenal rate of growth” in the women’s game. It is unknown whether NSW is bidding for the Women’s Rugby League World Cup 2028 or 2032, but with the initial focus on sports with female participation, it is likely. The ATP Cup became the mixed-gender United Cup this year.
After the Everest Barrier Draw fiasco, the Sydney Opera House wasn’t used for marketing anymore but instead, political posturing: the Christchurch mosque shootings, the Sri Lanka Easter bombings, the Beirut explosion, Greece’s 200th Anniversary of Independence, Italy’s Republic Day, the ANZUS Treaty’s 70th Anniversary, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the assassination of Shinzo Abe & India’s 75th Anniversary of Independance. Still, before the March state election, the NSW Coalition was promising to light it up for Israel’s 75th Anniversary Of Independence if it won it. The Federal Government also lit up the eastern Bennelong (smallest) sail & the Sydney Harbour Bridge for Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s visit in late May.
During this time, in 2021, Christine McLoughlin was appointed Destination NSW chair. She is a former telecommunications/financial services executive – industries that rely on marketing to succeed. In November 2022, she was replaced by Sally Loane, who is the 1st chair since 2014 to have an interest in events, even if it is just business events.
We now finally return to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023. As Sydney’s biggest event since the International Fleet Review in 2013 and the biggest sporting event since the Rugby World Cup – Australia 2003, we expected something big for the Final but in a very-unlike Sydney manner, it never happened. Why? Well the above paragraphs showed the decline to that point. Time for an analogy.
Like always, FIFA is very protective of its sponsors. There are 7 main event sponsors (the rest are sponsors of FIFA, the organisation, or region-specific partners):
McDonald’s – 200,000 employees
AB InBev – 167,000 employees
Unilever – 148,000 employees
Mengniu Dairy – 30,000 employees
Globant – 27,000 employees
Booking.com – 22,000 employees
Algorand – <100 employees
This is about 600,000 employees in total. They are the only beneficiaries of having their sponsorship protected. This is about 0.008% of the world’s population. After all, no spectator cares about the sponsorship IF the tournament is on. We don’t know for sure if FIFA’s overprotection of their sponsorships & brand, particularly with their FIFA Fan Festival live sites, is why the NSW Government never attempted to stage a fireworks/drone show post-Final or a tournament-long light/projection show. If this was attempted, it would have been for the 3 billion citizens of the 32 countries represented at the tournament or 40% of the world’s population to celebrate their participation.
This shows the contrast between the 2 approaches – FIFA’s is one of marketing, using politics, to make the most financial capital or profit. While the other approach is about celebrating participation to generate the most social capital or unity. As I learnt in high school, capital comes in many forms and in a mostly capitalist global society, we’ve forgotten that social capital is just or more important than financial capital, which tends to go to the few. We need to invest into generating social capital. After all, which benefits the most – 600,000 wages being paid from increased sales or 3 billion lives living through peace thanks to the unity and power of sport?
Some people may say the financial capital goes to supporting grassroots or community, but it is only if a community can participate in an event, that grassroots are formed, and money can then be spent in growing those roots. To grow a plant, you need a seed. Funding grassroots without existing or growing participation or just to win cheap political points is watering a patch of dirt with no seed. You might look to be gardening but the garden won’t grow.
The whole theme of this article is marketing a cause is not the same as being a part of the celebration of the cause. As you can see, our events are now no longer about bringing the community together, about being a player on the world stage or celebrating diversity, unity & humanity, it’s about what can make the biggest profit, allow a Minister to make an announcement, win the most votes, improve the brand, get the most ‘likes’, produce more broadcast hours, attract the most tourism etc. We’ve thus also forgotten what events are truly about: people & community. In the end, at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, we only celebrated a nation of 26 million people or 0.3% of the world’s population – ourselves.
When people attend a creatively well-done event like the few (10,000 per event day) who attended the first Vivid in 2009, unlike the 0 who attended the total brand Vivacity (as you can’t attend a non-tangible item), they spread the word and it unites the community, Sydney, and now 144,000 attend Vivid per event day. THAT is when tourists eventually hear it & you start marketing it to them. You don’t do the opposite: Here is a new Sydney event – people outside of Sydney, we hope you attend. First, do the local citizens even want to host it? Second, are the local citizens even interested in the event? Third, if they are, are they attending it? If you’re getting a ‘no’ to all three, it sounds like a bad event to attend as there may be firstly, protests, secondly, no atmosphere or thirdly, boredom & all 3 do not do well for potential tourism. So, Sydney, forget the tourism marketing or political potential of events from the get-go and instead focus on making or hosting events creatively first. From there, you will reap the benefits.
We can’t say we weren’t warned. Sydney’s Millennium & Olympic maestro, Ric Birch, wrote in the epilogue to his 2004 biography, Master Of The Ceremonies:
Since I left Sydney at the end of 2000, the world of special events has grown more than ever. The opportunity to produce ceremonies…is attracting more & more interest – although the role of creative producer of ceremonies seems to have been overtaken by consultant project managers, who refer to ceremonies as ‘deliverables’ that produce marketing & promotional ‘outcomes’.
Since 2000, there have been several competitive tenders for major events & the tender documents appear to have been drawn up by the construction industry. Production companies are being asked to lodge ‘completion guarantees’ and, depending upon on the success of the ceremonies, they may or may not be entitled to obtain their fees. Unfortunately, this won’t result in better ceremonies but will simply provide more employment for lawyers and accountants, resulting in less money being spent on actual production.
Ric Birch
In 2006, we worried about Melbourne & Victoria. In 2018, Gold Coast City of another neighbouring state, Queensland, hosted the XXIst Commonwealth Games and in 2021, their capital city, Brisbane, was announced to host The Games Of The XXXVth Olympiad and the 10th Summer Paralympic Games. Why aren’t we worried about them? Well people’s attitudes to mega events have shifted. They realise that the tourism. marketing & legacy promises of late in the bidding and/or preparation phase are actually all political hubris. Who should we worry about?
Next July, the eyes of the world turn to Paris, Sydney’s most iconic competitor since the Millennium, to host The Games Of The XXXIIIrd Olympiad. With an opening ceremony utilising the city itself particularly the River Seine, it is highly likely Paris will produce an opening ceremony that will blow Sydney’s annual mega event claim-to-fame out of the water. They have been subtly preparing for this event for nearly a decade, reintroducing Eiffel Tower fireworks displays for Bastille Day in the 2010s, which are now, in our opinion, better than Sydney NYE since 2019, as well as cleaning up the city to the point the cobblestone patterns around the Arc De Triomphe are now clearly visible.
Apart from obvious risks of riots and Notre Dame not reopening in time, the only creative risk is their Opening Ceremony Parade Of Nations falling to the same fate as Victoria’s 2022 AFL Grand Final Parade, which decided to use the same concept. Like any Olympic host city, they are also using other major events as test events such as the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup & next month, the Rugby World Cup. Their Tour De France road cycling stage race is also perfect for practicing the management of temporary mega events, being one itself on an annual basis.
Paris is aiming to put on a show in more ways than one. With less than a year to go, there is no time for Sydney to do anything but sit and watch particularly as we just blew our only chance to still be up there with Paris. Sydney 2000 was famed for its atmosphere and volunteers. If Paris puts on an Olympics equal or better than Sydney in these aspects as well, as former International Olympic Committee President, Juan Antonio Samaranch, is no longer with us, Sydney should graciously praise Paris & declare on his (and the world’s) behalf: I am proud and happy to proclaim that you have presented to the world the best Olympic Games ever!
If that happens, as much as we would be happy for Paris to finally beat us after 24 years, Sydney will need to have a good look at itself, particularly reflecting on the past FIFA Women’s World Cup tournament and the lack of activation & the decline of creativity in the city’s events since 2015, to figure out how to become the mega event capital of the world again. We cannot bid for the Olympics again, particularly as Brisbane will host it in 2032 (and Brisbane trying to beat Paris out of national pride & on behalf of Sydney is a whole other story, which isn’t any better than this one), the 2034 FIFA World Cup is possible but after the women’s tournament, it would look very not gender-equal if we suddenly made a huge fuss right now over the men’s tournament (that does not mean we should not bid for it). Instead of bringing Sydney to the world like through broadcast-friendly events like the Olympics, the FIFA World Cup & the Rugby World Cup, the only possibility, while not broadcast-friendly but friendly to the attendees, is to bring the world to us.
Sydney Spectaculars has received confirmation that the 13 landmarks that were illuminated last night in green & gold in support of the Matildas in their FIFA Women’s World Cup – Australia & New Zealand 2023 Round Of 16 match-up against Denmark, including the Sydney Opera House, will be lit up again every extra night that the Matildas play in the tournament from now on.
This means Sydney will next light up at 6pm on Saturday the 12th of August 2023 as the Matildas next play either France or Morocco in the Quarter-Final that day at 5pm AEST at Lang Park, Brisbane. Their opponent will be decided in a Round of 16 match-up tonight at Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide from 8:30pm local time.
Again, as these illuminations are for 1 team & not all the teams/the whole event, the FIFA Women’s World Cup – Australia & New Zealand 2023 will not be redesignated as an ‘extraordinary’ Sydney Spectacular.
The landmarks to be illuminated are:
Sydney Opera House (western sails only)
Luna Park including the Ferris Wheel
Central Station Concourse
Central Station Clock Tower (gold only)
International Towers
The State Library of New South Wales (NSW),
The Art Gallery of NSW,
The Calyx in the Royal Botanic Gardens,
International Convention Centre,
Novotel Sydney Central,
Hyde Hacienda,
The Argyle &
Western Sydney Stadium.
The Final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup – Australia & New Zealand 2023 will be held at Stadium Australia, Sydney on Sunday the 20th of August 2023 at 8pm AEST.
Sydney has lit up in green & gold as the Matildas defeat Denmark 2-0 in regular time to head to their 4th quarter-finals in FIFA Women’s World Cup history.
Landmarks that lit up in green & gold in support of the Matildas since shortly before 6pm included:
Sydney Opera House (western sails only)
Luna Park including the Ferris Wheel
Central Station Concourse
Central Station Clock Tower (gold only)
International Towers
The State Library of New South Wales (NSW),
The Art Gallery of NSW,
The Calyx in the Royal Botanic Gardens,
International Convention Centre,
Novotel Sydney Central,
Hyde Hacienda,
The Argyle &
Western Sydney Stadium.
Despite a very resistant Danish defence, the Matildas managed to put in 2 into the back of their nets. A tactical kicking masterstroke from Mary Fowler at around the field’s halfway mark allowed Caitlin Foord to score the opening goal in the 29th minute as she ran down a quarter of the length of the Danish sidelines to kick the ball through Danish goalkeeper, Lene Christensen’s legs to relieve the pressure from the Danes.
In the 70th minute, the Matildas once again got into the Denmark box & after a little pinball machine effect, the ball perfectly aligned between the goal & Hayley Raso, which she booted straight into the goal, to potentially seal Denmark’s fate.
In the 80th minute & what would become be the final 15 minutes of the match, Australian superstar, Sam Kerr, finally took to the field for her 1st match-time in the whole tournament so far after a calf injury in pre-opening match training. After an awkward fall shortly after taking the field left the entire Australian audience holding their breath, she got up uninjured & successfully led her team to their 4th quarter-finals in FIFA Women’s World Cup history & the 1st since 2015.
The Matildas will now play either France or Morocco in the quarter-final at Lang Park, Brisbane on Saturday at 5pm AEST. Their opponent will be decided tomorrow night in a Round of 16 match-up at Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide at 8:30pm local time.
It has not been confirmed whether the illuminations will now run nightly until & including the night of the quarter-final, but we expect confirmation before 6pm tomorrow. At the minimum, we are expecting the Sydney Opera House to continue lighting up. Any extra illuminations will be held, if any, until Midnight each night.
Even if any illumination continues, this will not be enough to redesignate the FIFA Women’s World Cup – Australia & New Zealand 2023 as an ‘extraordinary’ Sydney Spectacular as it features only 1 team & not all the teams/the event itself.
The final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup – Australia & New Zealand 2023 will be held at Stadium Australia, Sydney on Sunday the 20th of August at 8pm AEST.
The New South Wales (NSW) Government has announced 10 extra Sydney landmarks will be illuminated green & gold for tonight’s FIFA Women’s World Cup – Australia & New Zealand 2023 Round Of 16 match between the Matildas & Denmark.
Other buildings to be lit green & gold include:
The State Library Of NSW,
The Art Gallery of NSW,
Luna Park,
Western Sydney Stadium,
The Calyx in the Royal Botanic Gardens,
The International Convention Centre,
International Towers,
Novotel Sydney Central,
Hyde Hacienda &
The Argyle.
Again, this will not mean the FIFA Women’s World Cup – Australia & New Zealand 2023 will be redesignated as an ‘extraordinary’ Sydney Spectacular as the illuminations are focused on 1 team & not all the teams/the event itself.
With again more calls from the NSW Premier, Chris Minns, that NSW is “alive” during this FIFA Women’s World Cup that the state is co-hosting despite evidence to the contrary (full statement below), the extra 10 Sydney landmarks being lit green & gold make this illumination reek even more of desperation.
The Matildas compete against Denmark in their Round Of 16 match of the FIFA Women’s World Cup – Australia & New Zealand 2023 on Monday the 7th of August at 8:30pm AEST at Stadium Australia, Sydney.
The Final will be held at the same venue on Sunday the 20th of August 2023 at 8pm AEST.
We couldn’t be prouder of the ‘Matildas’ making it through to the final 16 & finishing at the top of their group for the 1st time.
The World Cup has brought our city & state alive. We are taking this even further by turning NSW green & gold to cheer on the mighty ‘Matildas’.
NSW is so proud to be playing such a significant role in hosting this World Cup. With all of NSW behind them, let’s cheer the Matildas on to the next round of the World Cup!
NSW Premier, Chris Minns
It is awesome that Sydney will shine green & gold tonight. This is a defining moment for the rise of women’s sport.
We are thrilled to have the ‘Matildas’ here in Sydney tonight & it is great knowing our city is hosting the final in a few weeks’ time.
NSW Minister For Sport, Steve Kamper
The ‘Matildas’ have made Australia proud & we’re all going green and gold tonight.
The ‘Matildas’ are superb role models that women & girls can aspire to.
Sydney Spectaculars 
You must be logged in to post a comment.