Sydney NYE2024 – ‘Women’ – Sydney Spectaculars

Organiser/Event Creative Director: City Of Sydney
Midnight Fireworks Soundtrack Producer: Luna Pan
Fireworks Provider: Foti International Fireworks
Light Show: 32 Hundred Lighting
Pylon Projections: VANDAL
‘Calling Country’ Creative Directors: We Are Warriors, supported by R/GA, Solid Lines & Sonder Films
Charity Partner: National Breast Cancer Foundation
Television/Internet Broadcaster: Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)
Television/Internet Broadcast Co-Hosts: Charlie Pickering & Zan Rowe
Roving Television/Internet Broadcast Co-Host: Concetta Caristo
Radio Broadcaster: KIIS 106.5 (fireworks soundtracks), ABC (concert and audio descriptions), 2RPH (audio descriptions)
Visual Identity: Garbett Design
Attendance: 1.1 million

The designated theme of ‘Women’ was chosen by Sydney Spectaculars as the best matching the edition retrospectively.

This edition saw the most women ever working on the event.

When the Sydney NYE2024 creative team first met in April, Calling Country creative director, Nooky, shared his intention to awaken the spirit of Barangaroo. Alongside Fortunato Foti’s renders of drop comet fish & shark shapes from rock carvings around Sydney Harbour, this inspired the creative team to explore Sydney Harbour, where they have drawn inspiration from its’ sounds, shapes & colours as well as its’ surrounding beaches. The official pyrotechnics provider, Foti International Fireworks, has worked 4500 hours in preparation for the iconic displays.

The official website was launched on Thursday the 5th of September.

Celebrating one of the biggest New Year’s Eve spectacles in the world takes planning so it’s important to us to ensure we enhance that visitor experience from the outset.

Pivotal to the visitor experience is making it as easy as possible to find out all the information they need to plan ahead for the big night.

I encourage everyone looking to celebrate New Year’s Eve to make arrangements in advance & explore our site for details about all the fantastic experiences Sydney has to offer.
Monica Barone, City Of Sydney Chief Executive Officer

The media launch was held on Thursday the 5th of December on the Western Broadwalk of the Sydney Opera House.

From left to right: Nicolette Anastasio (nee Foti), Elena Colosi (nee Foti), Calula Webster, Olivia Webster, Georgia Rapisarda (nee Foti), Luna Pan
Photograph: Pheobe Pratt/Sydney New Year’s Eve

Sydney New Year’s Eve is a wonderful celebration of our multicultural, harmonious, safe and inclusive community & it helps us promote Sydney and our stunning harbour setting to the world.

As one of the 1st cities in the world to ring in the new year, we set the benchmark with a spectacle that reflects what our beautiful city is all about.

With 26,500 lights & 9 tonnes of fireworks to be fired off 8 floating platforms & from 80 new positions on the western side of the Bridge, we’ll be lighting up 7 kilometres of Sydney Harbour, from Cockatoo Island to Point Piper & beyond.

It’s no wonder our New Year’s Eve display is regarded as one of the largest & most technologically advanced fireworks shows on earth.

Every year, the Foti family works its magic to produce an event that continues to be bigger, brighter & more innovative and entertaining.

Planning starts 15 months in advance, with many thousands of hours going into every aspect from programming & creative to safety, transport & logistics. More than 1,000 accredited personnel work together to ensure Sydney shines in all its splendour on New Year’s Eve.

From ages 6 to 79, women have been the force behind Sydney’s New Year’s Eve celebrations this year.

Composers, singers, producers, creatives, technicians and directors have spent more than a year preparing for Sydney’s night of nights that will encompass an incomparable showcase of fireworks, pyrotechnics, lights & music.

As a nod to one of the most powerful female figures in Australia’s history, the 9pm & Midnight Fireworks shows will honour the spirit of Barangaroo, the Cammeraygal woman who led her people and who embodies the deep connection of Eora women to the waterways of Sydney Harbour.

Once again, the eyes of the world will be on Sydney as we ring in the new year & we’re ready for our biggest New Year’s Eve event ever.

Tonight’s spectacular event will feature world-leading fireworks, incredible musicians, spectacular light shows & hours of cutting-edge Sydney Harbour Bridge projections.

Our New Year’s Eve celebrations are the best in the world & whether you’re joining us along the foreshore or watching at home, I hope everyone enjoys the show.

Sydney sets the global benchmark for New Year’s Eve & whether you’re joining us along the foreshore or watching on TV, I hope you enjoy the show. Happy New Year!
Clover Moore, City Of Sydney Lord Mayor

From left to right: Luna Pan, Associate Professor Cleola Anderiesz (National Breast Cancer Foundation Chief Executive Officer), Kath Earle ABC Arts, Music & Events Head), Olivia Webster, Emma Rigney (City Of Sydney Life Executive Director) Lord Mayor Clover Moore, Calula Webster, Nicolette Anastasio, Elena Colosi, Georgia Rapisarda, Alice Robinson (VANDAL) Photograph: Pheobe Pratt/Sydney New Year’s Eve

Since the 20th of December, Foti International Fireworks have unpacked 120 tonnes of equipment from 18 shipping containers to link over 80 kilometres of wires & cables to 16 computers & 32 firing panels.

Foti International Fireworks preparing a barge for the ‘Sydney New Year’s Eve’ 2024 fireworks
Photograph: Chris Southwood for City Of Sydney

The Glebe Island media call was held on the 27th of December.

Fortunato Foti, Sydney NYE2024 Fireworks Director & Stephen Gilby, City Of Sydney Executive Producer Photograph: Chris Southwood for City Of Sydney

Georgia Rapisarda, Fortunato Foti & Nicolette Anastasio of Foti International Fireworks at the Glebe Island Sydney NYE2024 Pyrotechnic Barge Preparation Site
Photograph: Chris Southwood for the City Of Sydney

On NYE, 70 staff from Foti International Fireworks worked for the event.

(From left to right) ‘Calling Country’ Creative Director ‘Nooky’ & City Of Sydney Lord Mayor, Clover Moore and Producer, Stephen Gilby
Photograph: Chris Southwood for City Of Sydney

While thousands of extra public transport services will run throughout the day & into the early hours, services close to the Harbour do pause for periods & extensive road closures are in place.

We’re expecting big crowds & it can be a long, hot day so please make sure you’re prepared with water & sun protection.

Celebrate safely by coming into the city centre early on public transport, regularly checking how busy viewing spots are online & planning your trip home.
Stephen Gilby, City Of Sydney Producer

City Of Sydney Lord Mayor, Clover Moore at Hickson Road Reserve on NYE
Photograph: Chris Southwood for City Of Sydney

More than 1000 accredited personnel & 250 volunteers worked on NYE.

The message of Calling Country in 2024 was also reinforced in a series of outdoor signage.

Luna Park became an official Sydney NYE vantage point for the 1st time. It was a paid ticketed 18 years & above only vantage point. Vantage points at Pirrama Park and Observatory Hill also offered food stalls & for the 1st time ever, live disc jockeys, who performed from 7pm to Midnight.

The fireworks, 9 tonnes in total & the highest exploding 450 metres in the air, featured 23,000 individual pyrotechnic shots, more than 13,000 aerial shells, 40,000 ground-based shooting effects & 10 new unique-to-Sydney designs including birds, fish such as sharks, fishhooks, jellyfish & emu’s feet & their tracks! The Sydney Harbour Bridge was home to 264 firing points. For the 1st time ever in Australia, 4 pyrotechnic drones (“aerial pyrotechnic platforms”) were used to the north-east of the Sydney Opera House, launching around 600 pyrotechnic effects.

We spend weeks meticulously planning the displays to ensure they are perfectly synchronised with each show’s specially created soundtrack.

We work through every segment of the soundtracks – the lyrics, the highs & lows of the music, the breaks & the crescendo – to ensure the display visually matches the mood & energy as perfectly as possible.

We’re always looking at how we can evolve our show & believe this will be one of the most innovative New Year’s Eve displays in the world.

Not only do we have more fireworks than ever before, we’re extremely excited to introduce the aerial platforms concept – the 1st time this has been done in Australian fireworks history.

The introduction of 80 new positions on the Bridge & an additional firing location on the western side has enabled us to extend the footprint of the display & offer people a better view of the fireworks. No matter where you are around the harbour, you’re in for a great show!
Fortunato Foti, Foti International Fireworks Director

Joining the NYE team for the 1st time was Nicolette Anatasio, one of the many women in the family-focused Foti team.

I’m so excited to be joining my cousins Georgia and Elena this year. I’ll be in the control room alongside Georgia.
Nicolette Anatasio

We have more than a dozen women in the crew & everyone plays a big role. We get together. There’ll be coffee, maybe some Italian pastries & everyone puts their ideas on the table
Georgia Rapisada

I think that’s what makes it so effective – the ideas come fresh from your head & each generation has their own perspective
Nicolette Anatasio

More than 100 creatives worked on the Calling Country & Midnight Fireworks.

Barangaroo & her clan’s other fisherwoman would sing, talk & laugh while paddling in unison often beyond the Heads of Sydney Harbour with up to 3 children in their nawi (canoe). This special connection to the water, Barangaroo’s role as a provider for her people & her fiercely independent pride in her culture is the basis of the rich visuals for this edition that brought the underwater rhythms to the sky, immersing the audience in an aquatic experience from fish, sharks, dolphins, whales, stingrays, gropers, cuttlefish & eels to tides, sand, seaweed, waves, shells, watering holes, caves, & the unknown!

Smoking Ceremony

Beginning at 7:30pm, the Smoking Ceremony was on board the Indigenous vessels, Tribal Warrior, Mari Nawi & Wirawi, beginning at Barangaroo’s ferry wharves before heading north past it’s Reserve, east past the Walsh Bay wharves, around Dawes Point before completing a lap of Circular Quay before heading to its centre, arriving & finishing there at around 8:30pm.

Harbour Bridge Light Show & Pylon Projections

The annual light show on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which this year featured 20 sky trackers along with 26,500 lights around Sydney Harbour including on Sydney Harbour Lights boats was on from 8pm to 2am.

Welcome To Country

Between 8.30pm & 8:32pm, a Welcome to Country was presented by Yvonne Weldon on behalf of the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council as part of the Sydney Harbour Bridge Pylon Projections. It concluded with the City Of Sydney Lord Mayor making some remarks. On the broadcast, it was done as video from 8:32pm.

Video coming soon.

Sydney Harbour Bridge Pylon Projections

After the Welcome To Country, the Sydney Harbour Bridge pylon projections will feature “ancient & futuristic themes” & bioluminescence as well as the “shape” of water itself until 2am.

We’ve made huge strides this year in our work with generative AI, which has paved the way for a visual experience that merges human artistic performance with stunning generative graphics. Not only does it look spectacular, but this fusion of human & technological art symbolises where we see the future of AI. We’re proud to be at the forefront, creating something truly unique for Sydney & the world to experience.
Chris Scott, ‘VANDAL’ Creative Director

Calling Country – Forward With Heart

Live Performance (Includes 20 seconds of Fireworks)

Held at 8:57pm but started 13 seconds late.

Country’s Calling – Nooky featuring Becca Hatch & Kaiit

Fireworks

Held at 9pm. The below video, which is missing the 1st 13 seconds of the soundtrack due to the late live performance, will be combined with the live performance video soon.

Fireworks Soundtrack

Our Greats – 3% featuring BARKAA, Alinta-Jade Quaylee, Olivia, Calula and Eliana Webster & Lenny and Paycen Wright

‘Our Greats’ Credits

Producer: 18YOMAN, Nooky, Tasker & One Above
Writer: Nooky, Dallas Woods, Angus Field & One Above
Mixing: Tasker
Mastering: Tasker

The Calling Country projections for this edition we have decided were made partially exclusively for the 9pm show as the last 4 minutes of the projections were shown at 11:45pm so for this edition, the Calling Country fireworks only consisted of the fireworks, lights, soundtrack & the projections for the 1st 5 minutes. Outside of the fireworks throughout the night, the pylon projections also included the words ‘Bujari Gamarruwa’ & ‘Always was. Always will be.’ along with a sun held in an Indigenous person’s hands.

This is about unity – honouring history, celebrating First Nations identity & embracing the diversity that defines Australia. It’s a reminder to First Nations people that these are your fireworks, your evening & your celebration.

I wanted to give them (his daughters, Olivia & Calula Webster) the opportunity to get up here & show the world their culture and the strength they carry.
‘Nooky’, Yuin and Thungutti rapper & ‘We Are Warriors’ Co-Founder

I felt a little bit afraid, but you’ve just got to stand up, tell them what you’re feeling, what your culture is & what you want to do.
Calula Webster, singer

I was a bit nervous & when I found out that my favourite singer (BARKAA) was on the song too, I really wanted to do it.
Olivia Webster, singer

Last year’s Calling Country was fierce & provocative, capturing the intensity of the post-referendum moment. It sparked love, pride, respect & even animosity – a response we were proud to provoke.

This year, we’ve pivoted. Our message unites the foreshore & viewers at home, focusing on positivity & the love of the next generation. It’s about moving forward together, embracing femininity, strength, matriarchy & regeneration. Value we can all rally behind, no matter our background.
Ben Miles, ‘We Are Warriors’ Co-Founder & R/GA Chief Design Officer, Asia-Pacific

Regarding the above quote, last year’s Calling Country “capturing the intensity of the post-referendum moment” was entirely coincidental. The referendum was held on the 14th of October 2023 & the creative planning for Calling Country finished on the 9th of October 5 days prior.

Concert

A ballot for tickets opened on the 5th of December & will closed at 11:59pm on the 22nd of December. Each successful person received a maximum of 4 tickets, each costing AUD$50 with the full cost going to the Gurrumul Yunupingu Foundation. Also, between the 9th & 16th of December, Breakfast on ABC Radio Sydney held a competition to win a double pass (20 were up for grabs) to the concert.

The concert was broadcast on local ABC Radio nationwide so people down on the Harbour (105.7 FM) could tune in.

Held on the Northern Forecourt of the Sydney Opera House at 9:08pm, the concert celebrated national youth radio station Triple J’s 50th anniversary.

*Featured the house band

Robbie Williams’s performance of Rock DJ was also broadcast, on delay, in the United States Of America on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest at about 9:02pm New York time.

Robbie Williams, during his set, was suffering from generalized anxiety disorder, the common cold & jet lag.

NYE is a night that has it all – fireworks, live music, stunning visuals, spectacular lighting and the best entertainment & we love working together with our partner, C.ity Of Sydney. to bring this celebration to people across Australia & all around the world.

It’s always thrilling to bring the images of Sydney’s iconic New Year’s Eve fireworks & celebrations to millions of Australians & people all over the world.

A huge congratulations to our partner City of Sydney for another incredible New Year’s Eve – it was without doubt a night to remember & I’d like to thank everyone, especially all the ABC staff, who have worked tirelessly over the past few months to bring our audience music, fireworks & every moment of the celebrations across ABC TV and ABC iView, ABC Radio, ABC Digital and Social Media. A very happy new year to all!
Kath Earle, ABC Head Of Arts, Music & Events

Sydney Harbour Lights

Adorned with thousands of light-emitting diodes, a procession of tall ships, commercials vessels & ferries paraded around Sydney Harbour from 9:15pm to 11pm.

Pink Moments

Between 10:01pm-11:42pm but mainly from 10:01pm-10:06pm & 10:55pm-10:57pm.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge, 10 city buildings, the Sydney Harbour Lights boats & the Luna Park Ferris Wheel will be turned pink, the latter with 1,200 light-emitting diodes, to raise awareness for the official Sydney NYE2024 charity partner, the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF), to celebrate their 30th anniversary & to honour the 58 people in Australia diagnosed with breast cancer each day. It will include a photo of NBCF Community Ambassador, Tarryn Fowler, accompanied by key breast cancer statistics & the Foundation’s logo.

Video coming soon.

Harbour Sing-Along

Held at 11:42pm.

Preceded at 11:39pm by the sentence ‘Prepare to sing…with Robbie Williams‘ with the title of Robbie Williams’ film, Better Man, lyrics & a live stream were projected onto the Sydney Harbour Bridge pylons along with the words ‘Live from Sydney NYE‘. Robbie WIlliams unexpectedly changed some of the lyrics mid-performance to humorously promote his feature film, Better Man, which was in cinemas at the time. TV & Internet viewers had no lyrics to sing along to unless they already knew the song.

Soundtrack

Better Man (Feature Film Promotional Version) – Robbie Williams

I love and adore Australia & the Sydney fireworks are truly magical. To be ringing in the New Year in the country where my biopic, Better Man, was shot will be the perfect end to 2024 & the ideal start to 2025. I can’t wait to perform & celebrate with my incredible Australian fans.
Robbie Williams

Midnight Fireworks

It was preceded by a 60 second countdown with the last 10 seconds featuring pyrotechnic spirals from the 4 aerial pyrotechnic platforms (drones).

The Midnight Fireworks projections for this edition we have decided were not made exclusively for the 12am show as they were shown throughout the night before Midnight so for this edition, the Midnight Fireworks only consisted of the fireworks, lights & soundtrack. The projections’ transitions were at Midnight synchronised to the soundtrack but there was no narrative.

Soundtrack (Listen on Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes Store & Deezer!)

Extra Soundtrack Credits

Lead Vocalists: Luna Pan, Josie Mann & Bronte Horder
Backing Vocalist: Sam Marks
Electric Bassist: Simon Kong
Electric Guitarists: Stephen Taranto & Mitch Clews
Flute & Piccolo: Ashley Jarmack
Orchestrator: Jessica Wells & Clifford Bradley
Orchestra: Budapest Scoring
Mixing & Mastering Engineer: Sean Carey

It was recorded in the ABC’s studios.

Creating this soundtrack has been the best experience I’ve ever had as a composer. Knowing that millions of people are going to be hearing your music, at the same time, for the very 1st time, is both amazing & pretty terrifying!
Luna Pan, Composer

A new record was set for ABC iView live streams of ABC TV – 1 million – which is also the amount of people who watched from around Sydney Harbour with more than 1000 boats watching from the water as well, whose exclusion zone was lifted at 12:52am.

We have once again set the benchmark for New Year’s Eve celebrations with an event that was simply out of this world.

Sydney sets the benchmark for New Year’s celebrations & our team have outdone themselves yet again with an unforgettable event.

I know I’m a bit biased & I tend to say this every year, but it well & truly was our best New Year’s Eve ever.

Sydney New Year’s Eve is the result of more than 15 months of meticulous planning & more than 4,500 hours dedicated to design, preparation and execution. On behalf of all those who joined us along the foreshore or who watched around the world, my sincere thanks to the creatives who dreamed up last night’s show, those who focused on the logistics so it all ran smoothly & the crews who worked tirelessly into the early hours to clean up after the party. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all the creatives, event professionals, partners & sponsors who contributed this year.

Thousands of people flocked to the Harbour to see Sydney’s breathtaking fireworks displays & ring in the new year under a kaleidoscope of colour. Pyrotechnics, pylon projections & a celebration of First Nations cultures dazzled crowds gathered around the foreshore & watching on TV and online. Restaurants, venues & vantage points buzzed with locals and visitors from near & far, putting the challenges of the past few years behind us.

Tonight, we launched more fireworks from more locations than ever before including from new aerial pyrotechnic platforms & new firing positions on the western side of the Harbour Bridge, making this our biggest NYE spectacle ever. We were treated to new and uniquely Australian explosive effects, amazing light and visual displays & unforgettable music.

Our New Year’s Eve celebration is a moment to come together as a community & it helps us promote Sydney and our stunning harbour setting to the world.

It’s no wonder that people want to come to Sydney to celebrate the new year. Last night was joyous & optimistic, full of hope that 2025 will be a great year.

It’s no wonder that people want to come to Sydney to celebrate the new year. Last night was joyous & optimistic, full of hope that 2025 will be a great year. It’s no wonder that people want to come to Sydney to celebrate the new year. Last night was joyous & optimistic, full of hope that 2025 will be a great year.

Whether you watched at home or joined us along the foreshore I hope you enjoyed the show & I wish everyone all the best for a very peaceful, happy and prosperous new year!
Clover Moore, City Of Sydney Lord Mayor