Tag: Fireworks Soundtracks

Fireworks Soundtracks To ‘Inspire’ This Sydney New Year’s Eve

One of Australia’s most popular DJ’s, Nina Las Vegas, is serving as musical director for the Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 – ‘Inspire’ fireworks displays.

Nina, who currently hosts triple j’s Mix Up Exclusives, has created 2 spectacular soundtracks that will be synchronised to the 9PM Family Fireworks and Midnight Fireworks displays.

The 9pm Family Fireworks soundtrack will feature a family-friendly mix of pop songs and tracks from recent children’s films, while the Midnight Fireworks display includes some of Nina’s favourite dance tunes from the past year, along with pop hits and well-known rock anthems.

The soundtracks will be broadcast live on 104.1 2DayFM at 9pm and Midnight.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the Sydney New Year’s Eve soundtracks play a special role in bringing the celebrations to life.

“Sydney Harbour provides a stunning backdrop for the world’s most famous fireworks displays and each year, the fireworks soundtracks makes the celebration even more exciting,” the Lord Mayor said.

“I’m looking forward to hearing the mixes Nina has put together to accompany our spectacular fireworks displays as we welcome in the New Year.”

Nina Las Vegas is known across Australia for her encyclopaedic knowledge of dance music and strong support for the local music scene.

Nina has worked in Australian radio for over a decade, along the way establishing herself as one of Australia’s premier dance music DJ’s.

She has appeared at music festivals including Splendour in the Grass and Stereosonic, and played shows with Pharrell Williams, MIA and Baauer.

“Sydney New Year’s Eve is such an iconic event, so I was thrilled to be asked to be involved. It’s one of those rare moments when the whole city comes together and the eyes of the world are on Sydney,” Nina said.

“In coming up with the fireworks soundtracks, my goal was to find the middle ground between my musical passion – which is to showcase the best local and international dance talent – with what works well with fireworks, and what will appeal to the public at large.”

“The music for the 9PM Family Fireworks will be something that young children and their parents will enjoy equally, and for the Midnight Fireworks, the music is powerful and optimistic.”

“I can’t wait for people to be surprised on the night as they watch the fireworks and hear the fireworks soundtracks I’ve created.”

The fireworks soundtracks include 45 songs by a diverse range of local and international artists, including:

  • ARIA award-winning electropop artist Sia’s Chandelier, which has been nominated for 4 Grammy Awards;
  • Sydney producer Flume’s remix of New Zealand singer Lorde’s Tennis Court, which reached number 12 in this year’s triple j’s Hottest 100;
  • UK dance star Calvin Harris’s Summer, the 2nd single from his international number 1 album Motion;
  • US sensation Katy Perry’s Roar, which spent 2 weeks at the top of the Billboard charts and went 10 times platinum in Australia; and
  • Sydney-born boy band 5 Seconds of Summer’s Amnesia, which went platinum on the ARIA charts this year.

12 computers are used to synchronise the fireworks to the fireworks soundtracks and ensure the displays go off together seamlessly.

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.

Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 – ‘Inspire’: Fireworks Facts

  • The City of Sydney’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display is recognised as one of the world’s largest and most technologically advanced New Year’s Eve fireworks displays.
  • The 9pm Family Fireworks and Midnight Fireworks displays are watched by 1.6 million people on Sydney Harbour, millions across Australia and more than a billion worldwide.
  • Sydney’s celebrations draw larger crowds than New York City (1 million), Berlin (1 million), London (700,000) and Paris (100,000).
  • The fireworks are designed by Foti International Fireworks, led by Fireworks Director Fortunato Foti, and require a pyrotechnic crew of 45 people. This is the 17th consecutive year the company has been involved in Sydney New Year’s Eve.
  • Approximately 11,000 shells, 25,000 shooting comets and 100,000 individual pyrotechnic effects will be used in the display, which is made up of 7 tonnes of fireworks.
  • 14 shipping containers of equipment, weighing 120 tonnes, are needed for both the 9pm Family Fireworks and Midnight Fireworks displays.
  • 12 computers will digitally launch the fireworks from the Sydney Harbour Bridge, barges and buildings, shooting 10,000 cues. The computers will be used to fire the show and will ensure the fireworks are synchronised to the music.
  • More than 60 kilometres of wire and cables link the launch computers, and there are 130 firing points on the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
  • The 9pm Family Fireworks will go off from 4 fireworks barges, while the Midnight Fireworks will launch from 7 barges, jet-skis, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House.
  • Each year the top-secret Sydney Harbour Bridge Effect is a highly anticipated part of the night and is only revealed at the end of the Midnight Fireworks display. The Effect has been a highlight since the mid-1990’s when a smiley face appeared on the Bridge.
  • This year, the Bridge Effect will be made from more than 13 kilometres of LED ropelight, and measure 12 storeys high.
  • Previous Bridge Effects have included the word ‘PEACE’ and a dove (2002), 3 concentric hearts (2005), a mandala (2007) and an all-seeing eye (2013).
  • The Harbour of Light Parade® features more than 50 illuminated boats, which make a majestic passage within and around the Sydney Harbour Exclusion Zone after the 9pm Family Fireworks, building up excitement before the countdown to midnight.
  • The boats carry over 8,000 people and join more than 3,000 other vessels celebrating New Year’s Eve on Sydney Harbour.

For more information, visit sydneynewyearseve.com.

Sydney Skies To Light Up 3 Times In 1 Great Night

Master pyrotechnician Fortunato Foti is preparing to inspire Sydneysiders and visitors with his most colourful fireworks displays yet this Sydney New Year’s Eve.

Fortunato – a 7th-generation pyrotechnician whose family has been making fireworks since 1793 – has created a series of stunning new colours and shapes for this year’s displays, including silver and gold palm trees.

To mark his 15th year involved in the event, multicoloured fireworks and a special red glitter effect will also feature in the displays, which are recognised as one of the largest and most technologically advanced in the world.

A pyrotechnic crew of 45 will launch 7 tonnes of fireworks throughout the night – including 11,000 shells, 25,000 shooting comets and over 100,000 individual effects.

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.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said 1.6 million people were expected to gather around the Harbour on Wednesday night to enjoy Sydney’s world-famous fireworks displays.

“For 15 years now, Fortunato Foti and his crew at Foti Fireworks have made Sydney New Year’s Eve a night to remember with their imaginative, innovative fireworks displays,” the Lord Mayor said.

“This year’s celebration promises to be just as spectacular, with new colours, shapes and a special 90-second show at 10:40pm that will build anticipation before the main event at midnight.”

Over the years, Fortunato and his crew have created dozens of original fireworks for Sydney New Year’s Eve, including shells in the shape of hands, musical notes, koalas, bees and birds.

Fortunato said his lifelong passion for fireworks means he is not daunted by the challenge of creating something exciting and new each year.

“We started working on Sydney New Year’s Eve back in 1999, and we quickly learnt what works best – and what doesn’t work so well – for a show of this size and scale,” Fortunato said.

“We’ve reached a point now where each year we walk away thinking ‘that was the best show we’ve ever done’ – and that just spurs us on to do even better the following year.”

“This year we’ve focused on making the displays as colourful as possible – you’ll see a lot of metallics, as well as bright reds, greens, blues and purples – and some fun new shapes, including palm trees with shimmering centres and multicoloured ends.”

“The displays will also have a lot of variety – because they’re synchronised to a specially curated soundtrack, the fireworks change as frequently as the music does, keeping audiences entertained and surprised.”

“For us, fireworks are truly inspirational, so we hope that the displays reflect our love and passion, and that they inspire everyone watching – both around the Harbour and across Australia and worldwide.”

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.

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.

Many Ways To Celebrate This Sydney New Year’s Eve

This New Year’s Eve, the best seat in the house for Sydney’s world famous fireworks displays may well be at home – in front of the TV, next to the radio or by your computer, tablet or phone.

The City of Sydney is teaming up with ABC TV, 104.1 2DayFM and Telstra to give audiences across Australia front row seats to the celebrations without having to leave the house.

The broadcasts will feature performances by some of Australia’s most popular musical acts, exclusive interviews with special guests and, of course, live coverage of the 9PM Family Fireworks and Midnight Fireworks displays.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 – ‘Inspire‘ broadcasts were a fantastic option for those who want to celebrate in the comfort of their own homes.

“This year, we’re giving Sydneysiders the opportunity to be part of the world’s biggest and best New Year’s Eve experience with their family and friends, without having to leave the house,” the Lord Mayor said.

“Our live TV, radio and online broadcasts will feature hours of free entertainment and provide a box seat for Sydney’s spectacular fireworks displays.”

“These are great choices for those who can’t make it into the city or who would rather avoid the queues and crowds.”

The live TV broadcast will kick off at 8:30pm on ABC, hosted by Julia Zemiro from RocKwiz and Toby Truslove from Utopia.

The 4-hour program will feature a Pub Quiz hosted by Lawrence Mooney, a special edition of The Agony of New Year’s Eve, and a review of the year’s biggest stories in news, sport and music.

The broadcast will also feature an exclusive interview with Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 – ‘Inspire‘ Creative Ambassador Jack Thompson, live performances by Suze DeMarchi, Kasey Chambers and The Tap Dogs, and live crosses from roving reporters across Australia and in New Zealand. For more information, visit abc.net.au/tv/programs/new-years-eve/.

The official radio broadcast on 104.1 2DayFM will feature the live soundtracks to the 9PM Family Fireworks and Midnight Fireworks displays, which have been curated by renowned Australian DJ Nina Las Vegas.

The broadcast, which starts at 6pm, will also feature live crosses and exclusive coverage from around Sydney Harbour. For more information, visit 2dayfm.com.au/city-of-sydney-nye-hub/.

The Sydney NYE Telstra YouTube Show will live stream all the action from different vantage points around the harbour for 4 hours from 8:30pm through Telstra’s Sydney NYE app, on YouTube and via T-Box (Channel 919).

The Show, which will be hosted by Luke Jacobz from The X Factor Australia and comedian Em Rusciano, will feature exclusive New Year’s Eve content, interviews and live performances by The Temper Trap and Art vs Science. For more information, visit telstra.com/nye

As part of its’ efforts to make Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 – ‘Inspire‘ inclusive and accessible for all, a live audio description of the celebrations will also be broadcast on radio 2RPH from 7:45pm on 1224AM, 100.5FM, 2RPH digital and online.

Professional audio describers Emma Bedford and Daryl Colquhoun will bring the full program of events to life, including the 9PM Family Fireworks, Harbour of Light Parade and Midnight Fireworks displays. For more information, visit 2rph.org.au.

For the full program, 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.

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