2015 – Sydney Spectaculars

Vivid Sydney 2015: Biggest Ever Program Announced

Expansion into city suburbs Chatswood and Central Park

Over 60 Lighting Installations and Projections

Expanded Music Program and Australian exclusives including The Hoodoo Gurus and Daniel Johns

Award-winning, Australian-first global speakers at Vivid Ideas

Vivid Sydney is set to shine even more brightly in 2015 when the world’s largest festival of light, music and ideas delivers its biggest program yet. For 18 nights, from 22 May – 8 June, Vivid Sydney will again transform the city and harbour.The 2015 program includes expansion into new city precincts Chatswood and Central Park, its biggest ever music program including Australian exclusives such as The Hoodoo Gurus at the Powerhouse Museum and Daniel Johns’ international solo debut at the Sydney Opera House, and heavy-hitting speakers at Vivid Ideas.

Vivid Sydney, now in its seventh year, is owned and managed by the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency Destination NSW.

Destination NSW Chief Executive Officer Sandra Chipchase said: “Vivid Sydney is an incredible public event that has seen amazing growth, attracting a record 1.43 million attendees in 2014. It’s the largest festival of its kind in the world, and with our biggest program yet, there’s even more to love about Vivid Sydney this year.

“While the heart of Vivid Light is still beating strongly in and around Circular Quay, Vivid Sydney is spreading even further into the city suburbs, with Central Park and Chatswood joining the program this year,” Ms Chipchase said.

“Favourite locations Circular Quay, Walsh Bay, Martin Place, and Darling Harbour are back with over 60 light installations and projections with even more opportunity for visitors to get hands on, more water theatre shows – this time with lasers and fire – and new and expanded programming at Pyrmont & The Star and the University of Sydney. The sandstone canvases of Customs House and the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA) will also return with spectacular new 3D projections.

“With all eyes on the Sydney Opera House, Lighting Of The Sails will once again take its place as the centrepiece of the amazing light spectacular during Vivid Sydney, with Universal Everything promising awe-inspiring projections that will reimagine the architecture as a living mural, with a diverse series of vibrant, hand-drawn sequences.

“Vivid Music will introduce its most expansive program yet, featuring more shows and venues and an impressive line-up of local and international talent,” she said.

The Hoodoo Gurus will perform an exclusive one-off show at the Powerhouse Museum and a new line up of cutting edge, innovative performances will be held across the city at new venues Goodgod Small Club, Oxford Art Factory and Freda’s, with the Seymour Centre, The Basement, The Argyle and Barrio Cellar part of the line-up again in 2015.

Part of the Vivid Music program, Vivid LIVE at the Sydney Opera House features a 10-night run of exclusive Sydney-only performances and for the first time will also include two large scale outdoor events, internal light projections and an event for kids and families. Features include four exclusive performances from Morrissey, Daniel Johns in his international solo debut, Sufjan Stevens in his only Australian performances and FCX – 10 Years of Future Classics featuring Flume and Flight Facilities. With a line-up of heavy-hitting speakers, Vivid Ideas introduces The Game Changers, a new talk series this year headlined by three global influencers: multi Emmy-winning writer Matthew Weiner, series creator and executive producer of Mad Men and former executive producer and writer on The Sopranos; Grammy-winning designer Stefan Sagmeister, whose clients include the Rolling Stones, Lou Reed and the Guggenheim Museum; and entrepreneur and publisher Tyler Brûlé, founder of the world-famous magazines Wallpaper and Monocle.

“With such an amazing festival planned, Destination NSW will continue to work with the travel industry to encourage visitation to Sydney from across Australia and the globe for this incredible event. We aim to build on the results from last year when more than 20,000 international visitors travelled to Sydney on dedicated Vivid Sydney travel packages,” Ms Chipchase said.

“Vivid Sydney will also work with event partners, land owners and a new accessibility specialist to build on the positive initiatives undertaken last year.

“A new sustainability partnership with The Banksia Foundation will also further develop Vivid Sydney’s sustainability agenda which includes recycling assets, environmental waste management practises and improved energy efficiency,” she said.

Vivid Sydney welcomes the return of Intel, a world-leader in computing technology, as event partner for the fifth consecutive year. 2015 Supporters include Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority, City of Sydney, Sydney Opera house, The Star, Canon, Indeed, 32 Hundred Lighting, Oracle and TDC.

Some of the highlights of Vivid Sydney 2015 program:

Where	What	When
Sydney Opera House	Design collective Universal Everything will be Lighting the Sails with spectacular projections.	Nightly from 6pm
Customs House	Enchanted Sydney by Spinifex, a continually evolving and blossoming world with free-flowing images of Sydney’s flora and fauna.	Nightly from 6pm
MCA (sandstone original building)	Mechanised Colour Assemblage by Danny Rose and Rebecca Baumann transforms the MCA into a series of sound and colour machines.	Nightly from 6pm
Sydney Harbour, Circular Quay, The Rocks and Walsh Bay	Harbour Lights returns with boats lit up, floating on the Harbour in a symphony of colour, Paint the Town allows visitors to illuminate the city’s skyscrapers, plus more than 60 light installations adorn the harbour foreshore.	Nightly from 6pm
Martin Place	The daytime centre of the city is illuminated at night with installations including Transcendence, an impressive towering structure featuring mesmerising projection mapping, code-driven light shows and divine fare from Sydney’s hippest purveyors of food and beverage.	Nightly from 6pm
Darling Harbour	Vivid Laser-Fountain Water Theatre presented by Oracle-Liquid is a choreographed audio visual symphony featuring fountain jets and spirals, colour lighting, rainbow lasers and dancing flames.	Nightly from 6pm
Central Park	STREETS AHEAD featuring projections from contemporary artists Reko Rennie and Beastman onto the heritage Carlton & United Brewery façade, plus Silent Discos every Friday and Saturday.	Nightly from 6pm
University Of Sydney	Vivid Path to the Future, a week long program of light, music and ideas with spectacular 3D mapped projections and a light walk.	25-31 May
Pyrmont & The Star	Vivid Sydney Game Zone, a buzzing multisensory entertainment precinct with interactive installations at Pyrmont Bay Park and Sky Terrace at The Star.	Nightly from 6pm
Chatswood	Aquatic Wonderland, a mesmerising water world featuring giant sea creatures and an animated aquarium, culminating in a beautifully-illustrated 3D animation set over the façade of The Concourse.	Nightly from 6pm to 11pm
Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House	Morrissey, Daniel Johns, Sufjan Stevens and FCX – 10 Years of Future Classic featuring Flume and Flight Facilities.	22 May to 8 June
Vivid Music	Hoodoo Gurus at Powerhouse Museum, Modulations at Carriageworks, the Seymour Centre and new venues Oxford Art Factory, Freda’s and Goodgod Small Club.	22 May to 8 June
Vivid Ideas	The Game Changers talk series with Matthew Weiner, Stefan Sagmeister and Tyler Brûlé, plus the Vivid Ideas Exchange sessions at the MCA.	22 May to 8 June

For more information on Vivid Sydney, visit www.vividsydney.com.

Accessibility Initiatives Mean Everyone Can Be Inspired This Sydney New Year’s Eve

A range of City Of Sydney accessibility initiatives will make this year’s New Year’s Eve celebrations safer and more inclusive for all.

This year’s event will feature a live audio description broadcast, designated accessible viewing areas and projections of giant hands spelling out Auslan messages on the Sydney Harbour Bridge Pylons.

A dedicated page on the official Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 – ‘Inspire‘ website will provide accessible transport information and an interactive vantage point map highlighting accessible facilities around the Sydney Harbour foreshore.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the City was committed to ensuring everyone can take part in Australia’s largest public event.

“Sydney New Year’s Eve is an event for everyone, so we want to make sure the many Sydneysiders and visitors living with a disability have a safe and enjoyable night,” the Lord Mayor said.

“Our accessible route maps and designated accessible viewing areas will make getting to the event easier, so audiences can focus on relaxing with family and friends and welcoming in the New Year.”

A live audio description will be broadcast on radio station 2RPH from 7:45pm on 1224AM, 100.5FM, 2RPH digital and online at 2rph.org.au.

Professional audio describers Emma Bedford and Daryl Colquhoun will bring the full Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 – ‘Inspire‘ program to life, including the 9PM Family Fireworks, Harbour Of Light Parade and Midnight Fireworks display.

There will be designated accessible viewing areas at the Sydney Opera House, Mrs Macquarie’s Point, the Cahill Expressway & Pirrama Park and Ballarat Park in Pyrmont.

People interested in visiting these areas should check the Sydney New Year’s Eve website for more details.

The website also features maps showing the most accessible routes to some vantage points, accessible public toilets, information booths, transport hubs and other points of interest.

Throughout the night, welcome messages will be projected onto the Sydney Harbour Bridge Pylons in Auslan, the sign language of Australia’s deaf community, as well as the languages of Sydney’s 16 top migrant populations and tourist nationalities.

And for those staying at home, live closed captions will be available for the ABC’s TV broadcast of the celebrations and Telstra’s YouTube Show, while the soundtracks of the 9PM Family Fireworks and Midnight Fireworks displays will be simulcast on 104.1 2DayFM.

For more information, visit sydneynewyearseve.com.

Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 – ‘Inspire’ acknowledges the support of Leadership Partner – Telstra, Charity Partner – Engineers Without Borders Australia, & NSW Government agencies and landholders including the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority and the Sydney Opera House Trust.

‘Mustang’ Paces Ford’s Transformation And Exciting New Line-Up By Starring At Sydney NYE2014 – ‘Inspire’

Ford accelerates its’ Australian transformation with the Mustang to be featured at Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 – ‘Inspire‘ after the City Of Sydney names Ford an associate partner for the event
After scaling the Empire State Building and Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest skyscraper in Dubai, the all-new Ford Mustang will now take centre stage at the world’s most spectacular New Year’s Eve event in Sydney, hosting the event’s 1st-ever soundtrack for the crowd
Ford also plans a surprise Ford Mustang appearance at the event, capping a year of iconic moments around the world
Ford is accelerating its’ Australian transformation by introducing a wave of new products in 2015, highlighted by the all-new Mondeo, Everest and iconic Mustang
Aussies can enter for a chance to win tickets at an exclusive area for fireworks and entertainment courtesy of Ford

Ford Motor Company, marking the company’s Australian transformation and wave of stylish, innovative new products, will place its’ globally iconic Mustang centre stage at the world’s most spectacular New Year’s Eve event to punctuate a history-making year for the ‘Blue Oval’.

The City Of Sydney today announced Ford as an associate partner for this year’s Sydney New Year’s Eve. This completes a history-making year in which the Ford Mustang sat atop the Empire State Building in April – re-creating the original Mustang’s debut 50 years ago – and scaled the Burj Khalifa, the world’s current tallest building in November.

To enhance the day-long event, Ford will bring music entertainment for the 1st time ever to the crowds at key Sydney Harbour vantage points. And, the Mustang will make a surprise appearance to cap a big year.

“We are sending a message that Ford has an exciting future in Australia with a great line-up of new vehicles, including the re-introduction of the Mustang, which is going global after 50 years as America’s greatest motoring icon,” said Bob Graziano, Ford of Australia President and CEO.

“We could not take the all-new Mustang any higher, so now we will give the world a view never seen from a car of Sydney’s spectacular New Year’s Eve fireworks.”

Scheduled to officially join the brand’s Australian line-up in late 2015, the Ford Mustang will be displayed to the public for the 1st time on 31 December as part of Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 – ‘Inspire‘, which will be attended by 1.6 million people and viewed by more than a billion globally.

Taking pride of place at a Mustang concert stage harbour-side, this marks the 1st time a car has been this close to the Sydney Harbour Bridge for display purposes, which offers views of the evening’s fireworks, including incredible placement for the Midnight Fireworks display’s ‘waterfall’ pyrotechnics.

Ford is introducing a wave of new products that will accelerate next year as the company plans to refresh its’ entire line-up by 2017. In addition to the new Mustang, the new vehicles include:

2015 Ford Mondeo: The all-new, stylish and technologically advanced Mondeo mid-size sedan arrives early in 2015. The new Mondeo will feature at least 10 advanced models not available on the Camry, including a diesel model that will be more fuel efficient than Camry Hybrid.
2015 Ford Kuga: The newly launched Ford Kuga will be freshened in early 2015 with new EcoBoost technology available, including the 2L EcoBoost engine on high series which offers more power than Toyota’s RAV-4.
2015 Ford Focus: A freshened version of the popular car nameplate arrives in the middle of the year and will include a refreshed performance model of the Focus ST.
All-New Ford Everest: The Australian designed and engineered Everest is a technologically advanced, stunningly capable and refined 7-seat SUV that will be launched in 2015.
2015 Ford Ranger: A freshened version of the tough, capable and Australian-created Ranger will arrive in 2015 to build on its’ momentum after cutting Toyota Hilux’s sales lead by 38% since 2011.

“The theme for Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 is ‘Inspire’, which is a perfect fit for the future of our brand – especially with the arrival of the Mustang as people see the car as a way to explore their dreams and the freedom of the open road,” said Graziano.

“Sydney is one of the 1st major cities to ring in the New Year so we want to help the City make the event even more memorable.”

Crowd Entertainment

Ford will bring the soundtrack for the evening to life, hosting a number of Aussie music favourites and broadcasting music to tens of thousands of people around Sydney Harbour.

“People show up early and wait all day for the fireworks displays,” said Graziano. “We are bringing the 1st-ever soundtrack to help people enjoy the day even more. It’s also a chance to celebrate Ford’s exciting future in Australia with a great line-up of new vehicles, including the re-introduction of the Mustang, which is going global after 50 years as America’s greatest motoring icon.” said Graziano.

Ford is also giving Aussies the chance to enter to win tickets to the exclusive event[1]. From 11 December 2014, fans are invited to head to the Ford Australia Facebook page (www.facebook.com/FordAustralia) and share their most adventurous New Year’s resolutions by uploading a photo on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #FordNYE to win[2].

3 winners will receive flights, accommodation, and exclusive tickets for themselves and 3 friends at the coveted location, one of the best vantage spots to watch Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 – ‘Inspire’. In addition, 1 grand prize winner will also win the chance to help make his or her adventurous resolution come true. Entries close December 18 2014.

Australians are also encouraged to follow all the action from the evening by following #FordNYE and #SydNYE.

Global Icon Joins Australian Family

The all-new Ford Mustang is the most advanced version yet of the iconic pony car, offering more advanced driver-assist technology than any other car in its’ class. The sleek new design of the Mustang, fastback and convertible, is backed up by world-class performance from a range of available engines, including a new turbocharged EcoBoost® 2.3-litre and an upgraded 5.0-litre V8 with more than 420 horsepower. In addition to state-of-the-art connectivity systems, Mustang features available track apps, launch control and more.

The Ford Mustang was revealed to the world with a television advertising campaign on the evening of April 16, 1964, before being shown to the public at the New York World’s Fair the next day. The car officially went on sale that day, and Ford dealers accumulated a record 22,000 sales and orders that 1st day on the way to more than 418,000 sales in the 1st year and 1 million sales in less than 2 years. In the past 5 decades, more than 9 million Mustangs have been sold.

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Michigan, manufactures or distributes automobiles across 6 continents. With about 189,000 employees and 65 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its’ products worldwide, please visit corporate.ford.com.

[1] Terms and conditions apply.

[2] Entrants who enter using Instagram also need to tag @FordAustralia to be eligible to win. See the terms and conditions.

The Only Place To Be On New Year’s Eve Is…

… in front of the TV and tuned to ABC for a 4-hour entertainment extravaganza filled with music and laughs. You’ll have the best seats in the house for both the 9pm Family Fireworks as well as the world-famous Midnight Fireworks.

The New Year’s Eve 2014 show will be jam-packed with some of the country’s funniest comedians, brilliant musical performances and more celebrities than you can poke a sparkler at. And Julia Zemiro and Toby Truslove will be there to navigate us through all the celebrations, live from the Sydney Opera House Northern Forecourt.

This year the ABC is going all out to make this night full of entertainment for all the family. Charlie Pickering will give us a sneak peak at his new show which will debut on ABC in 2015, and throughout the night they’ll cross to Lawrence Mooney hosting Australia’s biggest ever Pub Quiz, featuring guests Denise Scott, Tom Gleeson and Alan Brough and music by Barry Morgan. You can play along at home or sit back and just enjoy the fun. Adam Zwar and some of the favourite Agony Aunts and Uncles will present a special edition of The Agony of New Year’s Eve.

Legendary journalist Fran Kelly will look back at the stories that made news headlines in 2014; self-confessed sports nut Stephanie Brantz will take us through the year in sports; and triple j’s music guru Zan Rowe will review the year in music.

Julia will chat to Jack Thompson, Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 – ‘Inspire’ Creative Ambassador, plus they’ll cross to the Lord Mayor’s Party for live performances by Suze Demarchi, Kasey Chambers, Josh Earl and The Tap Dogs.

They’ll check out what’s happening around the country with crosses to roving reporters – Dave O’Neil (Melbourne), Lawrence Leunig (Brisbane), Anne Edmonds (Darwin), Tegan Higginbotham (Perth) and Urzila Carson (New Zealand). They’ll also cross to Peter Hellier partying at home, Adam Richard at the Lord Mayor’s Party chatting to a cavalcade of special guests, and Tom Ballard, flying above the ‘International Date Line’ in the ABC chopper.

Younger viewers will be entertained by ABC3’s Kayne Tremills and ABC4Kids’ Jimmy Giggle as they chat to families and spectators live from the Harbour’s edge. Plus, fans of Nowhere Boys will be treated to a special 1-off episode that bridges episodes 6 to 7 from the latest series.

The New Year’s Eve 2014 broadcast starts on Wednesday December 31 at 8:30pm on ABC*.

Rundown highlights (exact times subject to change):

8:30pm: Opening welcome – Julia Zemiro and Toby Truslove
9:00pm: Family Fireworks Display
9:15pm: Nowhere Boys mini-episode
9:20pm: 2014 Pub Quiz – Part 1
9:50pm: Chat to Jack Thompson (Sydney NYE2014 – ‘Inspire’ Creative Ambassador)
10:00pm: Fran Kelly presents the News Year In Review
10:10pm: Comedy performance by Josh Earl
10:15pm: 2014 Pub Quiz – Part 2
10:35pm: Performance by The Tap Dogs
10:45pm: Stephanie Brantz presents the Sport Year In Review
10:50pm: 2014 Pub Quiz – Part 3
11:15pm: Musical performance by Suze DeMarchi
11:25pm: Adam Zwar presents The Agony of New Year’s Eve
11:40pm: 2014 Pub Quiz – Part 4
11:50pm: Musical performance by Kasey Chambers
12:00am: Midnight Fireworks display

*ABC broadcast delayed to local times.

ABC News 24 will broadcast both the 9pm Family Fireworks display and the Midnight Fireworks display live AEDT.

Come celebrate your New Year’s Eve 2014 with us, on ABC TV.

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See Your Tweets Light Up The Bridge!

This Sydney New Year’s Eve, for the 1st time, the world’s most famous bridge will be lit up with tweets from Sydneysiders and visitors about how the harbour city will inspire them in 2015.

In the lead up to the world-renowned Midnight Fireworks display, audiences gathered around Sydney Harbour – along with those watching at home – will be encouraged to use the hashtag #SydNYE to tweet New Year messages that tie into this year’s theme, Inspire.

The tweets will appear live on the Sydney Harbour Bridge pylons throughout the night, and will be broadcast around Australia and the world in coverage of the 1st major city to ring in the New Year.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said Sydney was known as the ‘New Year’s Eve Capital Of The World’ for good reason, and this year’s event would not disappoint.

“Each year, more than 1.6 million people gather around the Harbour foreshore, and millions more around Australia watch at home, as Sydney rings in the New Year with the most spectacular fireworks display in the world,” the Lord Mayor said.

“This year, for the 1st time in Sydney New Year’s Eve history, our audience will become part of the celebration as their New Year tweets are displayed on the Harbour Bridge pylons throughout the night.”

‘Tweet the Bridge’ is just 1 exciting new element of this year’s $7.2 million Sydney New Year’s Eve celebrations.

During the 9PM Family Fireworks and Midnight Fireworks displays, 7 tonnes of fireworks – including 11,000 shells, 25,000 shooting comets and more than 100,000 individual pyrotechnic effects – will be launched from the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Opera House and barges on Sydney Harbour.

A 3rd mini-fireworks display, known as the ‘Inspire Moment’, will also feature at 10.40pm to keep crowds entertained during the countdown to midnight.

As in previous years, the crowning glory will be the top-secret Sydney Harbour Bridge Effect. This will form the centrepiece of the fireworks displays, featuring 13 kilometres of LED rope light and reaching 12 storeys high.

“With an exciting Pre-Show Entertainment program, 3 fireworks displays and the dazzling Bridge Effect, this Sydney New Year’s Eve promises to be a truly unforgettable evening,” the Lord Mayor said.

NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for Tourism and Major Events, Troy Grant, said more than a billion people worldwide watch as Sydney Harbour shines behind the backdrop of one of the largest and most technologically advanced fireworks displays in the world.

“I can’t think of a better way to start each year, than Sydney and NSW in the global spotlight with hundreds of images beamed around the world of our magnificent Harbour,” Mr Grant said.

“Major events such as the world-famous Sydney New Year’s Eve are why Sydney is regarded as Australia’s global city, and help drive visitation and contribute to the NSW Government’s goal of doubling overnight visitor expenditure by 2020.”

The Creative Ambassador for this year’s event is Australian screen legend and storyteller Jack Thompson.

Mr Thompson has been working with the City of Sydney and Sydney New Year’s Eve creative agency Imagination Australia on plans for the event since early this year, including writing his own poem describing how Sydney inspires him – ‘I Am Sydney’.

“It is such an honour to be able to represent my home town – one of the world’s truly great cities – as the Creative Ambassador of 2014 Sydney New Year’s Eve,” Mr Thompson said.

“Sydney is filled with stories that inspire, from the ancient engravings of the Gadigal people in the sandstone of the headlands to the unique architecture of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.”

“As we prepare to celebrate the year that’s passed and look to the future at what lies ahead, I encourage Sydneysiders and visitors alike to join with us and share their own inspirational stories of Sydney.”

This year’s official Sydney New Year’s Eve charity partner is Engineers Without Borders Australia (EWB). The non-profit organisation works with communities worldwide to provide clean water and sanitation, energy, basic infrastructure, waste systems, communication technologies and engineering education.

CEO of EWB, Lizzie Brown, said: “EWB is very proud to be the charity partner for the Sydney New Year’s Eve celebrations for a 2nd consecutive year.”

“This is a unique opportunity for our organisation to celebrate the inspiring contribution that the Australian engineering sector makes towards creating lasting social change in Australia and around the world.”

People coming into the city on New Year’s Eve will have access to a range of tools to help them plan a safe and enjoyable night, including the official 2014 Sydney New Year’s Eve website, which features an interactive vantage point map and live transport and road closure information, and the Sydney NYE Telstra app.

A new printed event guide will also be available for audiences to pick up from Sydney Airport, major transport hubs throughout the city, hotels, tourism information kiosks and the City’s libraries and community centres.

The City is committed to making Sydney New Year’s Eve an inclusive event for the many Sydneysiders and visitors with a disability. A live audio description will be broadcast on 2RPH, and designated accessible viewing areas and accessible route maps will be available online.

Those who would rather stay at home on New Year’s Eve can tune into ABC TV’s broadcast, listen to 104.1 2DayFM’s live fireworks soundtracks, or live stream the Sydney NYE Telstra Show on YouTube.

And for the 2nd year in a row, the City has teamed up with the Royal Australian Mint to develop a souvenir coin celebrating the Inspire theme with colourful images of fireworks.

2014 Sydney New Year’s Eve acknowledges the support of Leadership Partner – Telstra, Charity Partner – Engineers Without Borders Australia, & NSW Government agencies and landholders including the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority and the Sydney Opera House Trust.

For more information, visit sydneynewyearseve.com

A New Coin That Inspires

The Sydney New Year’s Eve celebrations are well-known all around the world for their stunning fireworks and fascinating Sydney Harbour Bridge Effect. Following the popular holographic Sydney New Year’s Eve 2013 – Shine coin from nearly a year ago, the Royal Australian Mint has once again partnered with the City of Sydney to present and release an exciting coin souvenir: a 2015 $1 Coloured Fine Silver Frosted Uncirculated Coin featuring the official theme of the Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 celebrations – Inspire. Sydney is a city that inspires people throughout the world to visit and explore its friendly shores. This year’s theme of Inspire is interpreted in colour on this beautiful silver piece, which will be popular with tourists and New Year’s Eve revellers. With a mintage of 5000, this 1/2 an ounce coin with a diameter of 35.89mm is a fantastic souvenir to keep of this year’s event.

Obverse side of the 2015 $1 Coloured Fine Silver Frosted Uncirculated Sydney New Years Eve 2014 - 'Inspire' Coin Image: Royal Australian Mint — Obverse side of the 2015 $1 Coloured Fine Silver Frosted Uncirculated Sydney New Years Eve 2014 – ‘Inspire’ Coin
Image: Royal Australian Mint

Reverse side of the 2015 $1 Coloured Fine Silver Frosted Uncirculated Sydney New Year's Eve 2014 - 'Inspire' Coin Image: Royal Australian Mint — Reverse side of the 2015 $1 Coloured Fine Silver Frosted Uncirculated Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 – ‘Inspire’ Coin
Image: Royal Australian Mint

Packaging of the 2015 $1 Coloured Fine Silver Frosted Uncirculated Sydney New Years Eve 2014 - 'Inspire' Coin Image: Royal Australian Mint — Packaging of the 2015 $1 Coloured Fine Silver Frosted Uncirculated Sydney New Years Eve 2014 – ‘Inspire’ Coin
Image: Royal Australian Mint

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

New Year’s Eve 2014 On ABC

ABC will welcome in 2015 with a 4-hour entertainment extravaganza to celebrate New Year’s Eve when they again join with the City of Sydney to bring the world-renowned fireworks to audiences around Australia.

The team that brought you the Friday Night Crack Up now brings you ABC TV’s New Year’s Eve Spectacular. Counting us down to the sensational fireworks on Sydney Harbour, Julia Zemiro and Toby Truslove guide us through the biggest night of the year. This 4-hour entertainment bonanza will feature a special mini-episode of Nowhere Boys, Lawrence Mooney will host Australia’s biggest ever Pub Quiz, and Adam Zwar presents a special edition of The Agony of New Year’s Eve. While the harbour is showered with fireworks, home viewers will be dazzled by a night of comedy, music and more celebrities than you can shake a sparkler at.

Sydney New Year's Eve 2013 - 'Shine': 9pm Family Fireworks Photograph: Sydney New Year's Eve 2013 - 'Shine' — Sydney New Year’s Eve 2013 – ‘Shine’: 9pm Family Fireworks
Photograph: Sydney New Year’s Eve 2013 – ‘Shine’

Engineering A Better Sydney New Year’s Eve Event

‘Engineering A Better Sydney NYE’ is a campaign between the City of Sydney and Engineers Without Borders Australia (EWB) to encourage the community to get creative and suggest ideas to address New Year’s Eve challenges in and around Sydney.

For the 2nd consecutive year, EWB has been chosen as the official charity partner of the 2014 Sydney New Year’s Eve celebrations. For more information: http://www.sydneynewyearseve.com/about/charity–partner/

Lizzie Brown, CEO of EWB said sustainability, crowds, road closures and access for people with a disability were common problems facing Sydney revellers on New Year’s Eve.

“EWB’s ‘Engineering A Better Sydney NYE’ competition invites the community to come up with innovative ideas to solve these problems,” Ms Brown said.

“Ideas will be judged as to whether they embody the spirit of Sydney NYE, represent socially conscious design, are scalable, utilise business and technology in a meaningful way and embody the values of EWB: community, sustainability, respect, learning and quality.”

The top 5 ideas will receive tickets to an exclusive Sydney New Year’s Eve viewing area and will be announced on 5 December 2014.

Judging the top ideas are a pre–eminent judging panel of: Lizzie Brown, Danny Almagor (Founder of EWB Australia, Co-Founder and CEO Small Giants), Aneurin Coffey (Sydney NYE Producer), Sally Dominguez (award winning designer and creative thinking educator) and Dr Brandon Gien (CEO Good Design Australia).

The competition encourages the community to submit ideas in the following categories:

Crowd management
Access for people with disability
Harbourside sustainable audience engagement
Unattractive event infrastructure.

For more information about the campaign and competition, please visit www.engineeringabetterworld.com.au

To get involved with Engineers Without Borders Australia or for more information, please visit www.ewb.org.au.

Screen Legend Inspires A Cracker Night For Sydney NYE2014

Australian screen legend Jack Thompson is preparing to take on his latest starring role as the Creative Ambassador for 2014 Sydney New Year’s Eve.

One of the country’s most accomplished storytellers – both as an award-winning actor and lifelong lover of poetry – Mr Thompson will bring the theme of this year’s celebrations, Inspire, to life with a series of stories inspired by the harbour city.

“It is such an honour to be able to represent my home town – one of the world’s truly great cities – as the Creative Ambassador of 2014 Sydney New Year’s Eve,” Mr Thompson said.

“Sydney is filled with stories that inspire, from the ancient engravings of the Gadigal people in the sandstone of the headlands to the unique architecture of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge.”

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said she could not think of a better ambassador for 2014 Sydney New Year’s Eve than one of Australia’s best loved cinematic figures.

“From classic Australian films like Breaker Morant to more recent global hits like The Great Gatsby and Australia, Jack Thompson is one of our finest and most accomplished actors,” the Lord Mayor said.

“He also has one of the most famous voices in the country and is known by many for his best-selling recordings of iconic Australian poems, including The Man from Snowy River by Banjo Patterson.”

“As Creative Ambassador for 2014 Sydney New Year’s Eve, Jack will share his favourite stories of our beautiful city: its stunning harbour setting, rich Aboriginal heritage, thriving creative scene and, most of all, diverse and friendly people.”

“I look forward to the celebrations and can’t wait to see how Jack inspires us all as we farewell 2014 and welcome the dawning of a new year.”

Mr Thompson, who was born and raised on Sydney’s northern beaches, has appeared in more than 100 films and television shows over the past 45 years.

He has won prestigious Cannes and AFI Awards, and was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1986 for his accomplishments in the film industry.

More recently, he received a Doctor of Letters from Charles Darwin University for his commitment to indigenous territorians through The Jack Thompson Foundation’s Homelands Building Program.

Mr Thompson has been working with the City of Sydney and Sydney New Year’s Eve creative agency Imagination Australia on plans for the event since early this year.

He is the latest high-profile Australian to take on the role of Creative Ambassador for Sydney New Year’s Eve. Last year’s event was led by artist and musician Reg Mombassa, while pop princess Kylie Minogue featured in 2012 and designer Marc Newson headlined in 2011.

Joining Mr Thompson for this year’s event is the official Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 charity partner, Engineers Without Borders Australia – a non-profit organisation that works with local groups and communities worldwide to provide clean water, sanitation and hygiene, energy, basic infrastructure, waste systems, communication technologies and engineering education.

Sydney New Year’s Eve is Australia’s biggest public event, reaching 1.6 million people on Sydney Harbour, millions across Australia and more than a billion worldwide, and generating an estimated $156 million to the local economy.

Unannounced: Two Sydney Harbour Bridge Light Shows For Vivid Sydney 2014 & More!

Second Sydney Harbour Bridge Light Show For Vivid Sydney 2014 – ‘The Vivid Climb’

For the first time in 2014, turn the ‘climb of your life’ into your very own light show thanks to BridgeClimb Sydney. By wearing a special ‘Vivid Climb’ vest, your heartbeat brightens up the summit of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in your own personal light show. As your heart beats, the Bridge beats. Be at one with the structure as your heartbeat brightens up the summit in a vibrant light show. Your display will be as unique as you – the lights will react based on your exhilaration. The ‘Vivid Climb’ will only be available during all climbs departing at night during Vivid Sydney (23 May – 9 June 2014). A ‘Vivid Climb’ in Mandarin departs at 5pm each night during Vivid Sydney.

The Star Features In Vivid Sydney For The First Time In 2014

For the first time in 2014, The Star joins Vivid Sydney as the entire façade of the Astral Tower, The Darling hotel and Sky Terrace rooftop is transformed into a massive light show. The spectacular show will be visible from many vantage points across the city including the Barangaroo-Darling Harbour-Pyrmont precinct. And exclusively at The Star, highlights of Vivid from across the city will be show at the Vivid Bar while guests soak up the ambiance. Sip on a Vivid-inspired cocktail, enjoy great accommodation and dining packages, as well as the entertainment on offer at The Star. The Astral Tower is lit by The Electric Canvas every night from 6pm to midnight, 23 May to 9 June 2014.

Artist Impression By The Electric Canvas

Vivid Photography

Looking for helpful hints to capture the colours of Vivid Sydney 2014? Representatives from Canon Australia will be in the Light Walk precinct to help you get the best results. For useful camera tips, go to canon.com.au/imagespectrum. Vantage points for photographers are located around the Harbour from North Sydney and Luna Park to the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Dawes Point, Cockle Bay and Pyrmont Bridge. Share your Vivid photos with #vividsydney.

Sydney in Winter: Love Every Second Magazine

A 40-page full colour magazine titled ‘Sydney in Winter: Love Every Second’ , has been inserted into more than 2 million newspapers across Australia and New Zealand from Sunday 30 March 2014. It features over 20 dedicated pages to Vivid Sydney 2014 and will also be available on the Apple Newsstand from early May 2014. Distribution of the magazine will cease around late July 2014.

MIDLAKE Play Vivid LIVE At The Sydney Opera House

Rewiring fan favourites and their cult hits with a freewheeling honesty on stage, MIDLAKE return in adventurous form for a startling new chapter – a band re-born for a heart-rending opening to Vivid LIVE At The Sydney Opera House on Friday May 23rd May 2014 at 8:30pm. Tickets went on sale at 9am on Monday 31st March 2014.

MIDLAKE Photograph: Vivid Sydney 2014 — MIDLAKE
Photograph: Vivid Sydney 2014

Second James Vincent McMorrow Performance For Vivid LIVE At The Sydney Opera House 2014

Miss out on tickets to James Vincent McMorrow at Vivid LIVE At The Sydney Opera House? Never fear! They have announced a second performance for Saturday May 31! Tickets went on sale at 9am on April 9.

James Vincent McMorrow Photograph: Vivid LIVE — James Vincent McMorrow
Photograph: Vivid LIVE 2014

Stand Up, Stand Out: Call For Applications

Here’s your chance to win $3,000! As part of Vivid Ideas 2014, Pozible presents ‘Stand Up, Stand Out’, a one night only live pitching event to take place at the Museum of Contemporary Art. 4 selected participants will be asked to deliver a 5 minute pitch of their creative crowdfunding campaign to a live audience as well as a 5-10 minute performance of what they do – be that a film screening, music performance, fashion show or anything else! The event will be hosted by Sydney comedian, filmmaker, writer and successful Pozible crowdfunder Dan Ilic, who raised more than $50,000 to create a 10 week satirical comedy, A Rational Fear. On the night every member of the audience will have $30 to pledge to their favourite pitch. All projects must have a $30 reward to offer in return for pledges. All support received by projects on the night will go towards their campaigns. Once all pitches have been made the number of pledges for each project will be tallied and the one with the most will receive a further $3000 thanks to Foxtel’s arts & entertainment channel STUDIO. Pozible is accepting submissions from creatives for ‘Stand Up, Stand Out‘ until April 20.

Sydney Film Festival Preview

Here are 26 films to feature at the 2014 Sydney Film Festival:

Altman on Altman (On Sale Now)
Black Coal, Thin Ice
Cold in July
E-Team
Frank
Gabrielle
God Help the Girl
Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy?
Joe
Killers
Love Is Strange
The Lunchbox
Nelson Mandela: The Myth and Me
Omar
Particle Fever
Pulp
The Redfern Story
Rosebud Exhibition at the Hub
Ruin
Sepideh: Reaching for the Stars
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (On Sale Now)
Tom at the Farm
Ukraine Is Not a Brothel
The Unknown Known
Watermark
We Are the Best!

Sydney Film Festival 2014 Flexipasses are also now on sale. If you buy a Flexipass before April 24th, you will automatically go into the draw to win a VIP Opening Night Gala experience for two. Sydney Film Festival runs June 4 – 15 2014.

'God Help The Girl' Photograph: Vivid Sydney 2014 — ‘God Help The Girl’
Photograph: Vivid Sydney 2014

New Wave: Sound at Vivid Sydney 2014

Collarbones Meets Synergy Percussion

Premiere Performance: Best of Collarbones, all original sound-design remix like never before. Live percussion and digital wizardry thrash it out on stage in this coming-together of two musical powerhouses. Synergy’s raw, delicate and brutal percussion soundscape is the perfect prism for re-imagining Collarbones’ catchy rhythmic asymmetries, mesmeric harmonies and intricately layered detail. Acoustic percussion textures are manipulated live, Marcus’ hefty soulful voice rises out of the chaos, beats drop and then recede against a spare but cinematic musical backdrop. Tickets went on sale on 12th April.

'Collarbones' Image courtesy of 'Collarbones' — ‘Collarbones’
Image courtesy of ‘Collarbones’

The Adventures of Prince Achmed

The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926) is a silent silhouette animation by Lotte Reineger, considered by many to be the first feature-length animated film. The story, taken from The Arabian Nights, takes you on a fantastical journey, where you encounter a wicked sorcerer, a magical flying horse, an army of monsters and demons, a beautiful princess, and, of course, Aladdin and his magic lamp. The music combines both a live band and a pre-recorded electronic soundtrack, in a boundary-crossing style that includes jazz, blues, rock, classical, electronica and new music. Composer Phillip Johnston has been creating new scores for silent films for 25 years, and has performed his work in the United States, Europe and Australia, at venues that include the New York Film Festival, The Philadelphia Festival of World Cinema, the Roma Jazz & Image Festival (ITALY), Rote Fabrik (Switzerland), as well as the Melbourne International Festival of the Arts, the Sydney Film Festival, and the Sydney Opera House. The Adventures of Prince Achmed is a cutting-edge work of new music and silent film that is fun for the whole family! Tickets went on sale on the 21st April 2014.

The Sydney Opera House Tour – Celebrating VIVID LIVE

Concerts and lights aren’t the only things to see at Vivid LIVE At The Sydney Opera House 2014 – step behind the scenes and experience their state-of-the-art recording studio, where the artists warm-up, and much more with The Sydney Opera House Tour – Celebrating VIVID LIVE!

The Loop’s Portfolio Masterclasses

Hosted by The Loop at Vivid Sydney 2014, get feedback from the professionals on your portfolio (advertising, graphic design, fashion, photography plus more!).

Industry Insight – Graphic Design In 2020

Want to know what trends we will be navigating in the next 6 years? Experts give their top 3 picks at Industry Insight – Graphic Design In 2020 at Vivid Sydney 2014.

The Internet Of Things – From Electric Dreams to Reality

Tickets are now on sale to get schooled on the emerging ‘Internet of Things – From Electric Dreams to Reality’ at Vivid Sydney 2014. You can get an early bird discount plus access to an IRL after-party with drinks & canapés.

The Big (Shift) To Smarter Working

9am to 5pm? Yawn! The Big (Shift) To Smarter Working will explain how work is changing and why that’s a good thing at Vivid Sydney 2014.

A Cheat’s Guide To Getting That Thing Off The Ground

Hindsight is 20/20 – Hear 4 self-starters tell what they’d do differently if starting-up from scratch at A Cheat’s Guide To Getting That Thing Off The Ground, hosted by Junkee at Vivid Sydney 2014.

‘Making Iconic Houses’ – Iconic Houses Talk Series

Grand Designs’ Peter Maddison and Karen McCartney explain once and for all what makes a house iconic at ‘Making Iconic Houses’ – Iconic Houses Talk Series held during Vivid Sydney 2014.

Appetite For Distraction

The findings from one of the most in-depth studies into how 16-30 year olds share information is revealed at Appetite For Distraction held during Vivid Sydney 2014.

Blog Society: The Retreat

From labour of love to full-time job – learn how to evolve your blog at this crash course titled Blog Society: The Retreat at Vivid Sydney 2014.

Designers’ Den

It all comes down to the survival of the best designs at Designers’ Den during Vivid Sydney 2014! Witness the design process in action as they throw emerging designers to the industry’s Design Dragons. At the event, a pre-selected number of contestants will be invited to present their designs to a panel of industry experts before a live audience in a suspense filled game-show format. At Designers’ Den contestants have a unique opportunity to present their ‘idea’ to our carefully curated panel to gather invaluable feedback in their quest for design survival. Our panel of experts represents various ways that success can be defined, through different facets and approaches of the ‘design to market’ process.

China Australia Millennial Project (CAMP) Workshop

Contribute to the first ever crowd-sourced China-Australia ideas jam on June 2 2014 via this international workshop at Vivid Sydney 2014. Within Vivid Ideas 2015, 100 young innovators from China will touch down in Sydney and collaborate with 100 peers from Australia. Together, participants will hack into the Australia-China relationship to create new solutions for issues common to both our countries. In order to shape this world-first event in 2015, this June 2014 workshop is inviting key influencers (you) in innovation, entrepreneurship, social change and investment and across sectors such as creative industries, education, science and technology, business, government and more. The workshop is an exciting opportunity to explore and learn about international relations in an increasingly globalised world, and a genuine opportunity to co-create a new way for two nations to craft the future.

Cinecity: Making

30 short film screenings about architecture selected by world-renowned experts at Vivid Sydney 2014.

Made For People: Wearable Tech & Healthcare

Wearable technology and healthcare trends and forecasts from market leaders Google, Samsung USA, Microsoft, Nike, and more as part of Made For People: Wearable Tech & Healthcare at Vivid Sydney 2014.

Sydney New Year’s Eve 2013 – ‘Shine’ Banners & Lanyards Sold Out!

The Sydney New Year’s Eve 2013 – ‘Shine’ banners & lanyards are now sold out.

NSW Lotteries Scratch eClub – Instant Scratch-Its National Treasure Second Chance Draw Promotion

Are you a member of NSW Lotteries’ Scratch eClub? Well if you purchase a ‘NSW Lotteries $2 National Treasure Instant Scratch-Its Ticket‘ and lose, log on to the NSW Lotteries Scratch eClub website and proceed to the entry page for the ‘NSW Lotteries Scratch eClub – Instant Scratch-Its National Treasure Second Chance Draw Promotion’. Enter the SYS code and you will go into the running to win a $12,000 Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 holiday package for you and 3 friends which include:

A return economy flight to Sydney from the main commercial airport nearest the winner’s residence in New South Wales, with flights to be scheduled between 30 December 2014 and 4 January 2015;
3 nights’ accommodation at a 4 star hotel in Sydney of the promoter’s choice consisting of a total of two rooms with each room being for two people twin share for three nights between 30 December 2014 and 4 January 2015;
Tickets to a New Year’s Eve event located in the vicinity of Circular Quay in Sydney to be held on 31 December 2014, which will include viewing of the Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 fireworks, general entertainment and limited food;
Travel transfers in Sydney consisting of a return transfer in a chauffeur driven black sedan car from Sydney Domestic Airport to a four star hotel in Sydney chosen by the promoter
$1,000 spending money for the winner

Competition runs from 12am AEST Monday 14th April 2014 until 11:59pm AEST Monday 12th May 2014. Terms and conditions apply. Gamble responsibly.