Harbour Of Light Parade – Sydney Spectaculars

Sydney Counts Down To An Inspirational 2015

Spectacular aerial footage from inside tonight’s Midnight Fireworks display will be captured by drones and broadcast live for the 1st time anywhere in the world.

The drones will fly up to 1,000 feet above Sydney Harbour, recording high-resolution footage of the fireworks as they launch from the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Opera House and barges on the water.

Live footage from 2 drones will feature in the ABC’s TV broadcast and Sydney NYE Telstra YouTube Show.

A 3rd specially-built drone equipped with six cameras will capture amazing 360-degree views of the fireworks that audiences can view after the event via the Sydney NYE Telstra App.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the celebrations to welcome in 2015 were shaping up to be Sydney’s best yet.

“Our Sydney New Year’s Eve team and pyrotechnic experts are busy putting the finishing touches on tonight’s displays, and I can’t wait to see what they have in store for us,” the Lord Mayor said.

“We’re expecting large crowds tonight, so if you’re coming into the city, make sure you arrive early to secure a good spot and download the Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014 – ‘Inspire‘ app to receive live updates about the event.”

“If you’re staying at home, tune in to our fantastic broadcasts, which will include never-before-seen drone footage of the fireworks – giving you the chance to be part of the event without having to leave the house.”

“Wherever you are, and however you celebrate, there’s no doubt that Sydney will be at its best tonight as we countdown to the dawning of the New Year.”

The 9PM Family Fireworks and Midnight Fireworks displays will feature 7 tonnes of fireworks, including 11,000 shells, 25,000 shooting comets and more than 100,000 individual pyrotechnic effects.

More than 1.6 million people are expected to line the harbour foreshore to view the displays, which are recognised as one of the largest and most technologically advanced in the world.

The centrepiece of tonight’s displays will be the Sydney Harbour Bridge Effect – the top-secret, 12 storey high LED design that will be revealed at midnight.

The Bridge Effect ties into this year’s Sydney New Year’s Eve theme, Inspire. After debuting tonight, it will continue to shine brightly above the harbour from 8pm to midnight on Thursday and Friday night.

Pre-Show Entertainment will begin at 6pm when former fighter pilot Matt Hall performs daring aerial displays above the harbour. At 7pm, tug boats will blast tonnes of water into the sky from Millers Point to Fort Denison and back again.

Following the 9PM Family Fireworks, the Harbour of Light Parade will see more than 50 illuminated boats carry over 8,000 people on a majestic passage around 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.

Audiences around the harbour and at home are being encouraged to become part of the celebration by using the hashtag #SydNYE to tweet messages about how Sydney will inspire them in the New Year.

The tweets will appear live on the Sydney Harbour Bridge Pylons throughout the night, and will be seen by millions of people across Australia and more than a billion worldwide.

For up-to-the-minute information on tonight’s celebrations, follow the hashtag #SydNYE and @cityofsydney on Twitter.

For more information, visit sydneynewyearseve.com

Sydney New Year’s Eve 2014: ‘Inspire’ – Program Of Events

6pm & 8pm	Air Displays above Sydney Harbour Flying ace Matt Hall performs flyovers with aerial displays
7pm	Fire Tug Water Display on Sydney Harbour Tug boats blast tonnes of water into the sky from Millers Point to Fort Denison and back again.
8:30pm	Pylon Projections on the eastern side of the Sydney Harbour Bridge Projections will come to life on the pylon’s surfaces after sunset and huge images will be projected throughout the night.
8:40pm	Acknowledgement of Country Ceremony on Sydney Harbour A ceremony that reflects a respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and honours the relationship between traditional custodians and the land.
8:45pm	Sydney Harbour Bridge Effect The Sydney Harbour Bridge lights up in a design that features over 13 kilometres of spectacular LED rope lighting.
9pm	9PM Family Fireworks display An 8-minute fireworks display at a family-friendly time, complete with a soundtrack appealing to young children.
9:15pm	Harbour of Light Parade® Features more than 50 illuminated boats that carry over 8,000 people on a majestic passage within and around Sydney Harbour.
10:40pm	*The Inspire* Moment** An inspirational mini-fireworks display to keep crowds entertained during the countdown to midnight.
Midnight	Midnight Fireworks Display A show-stopping grand finale display on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House, barges along the harbour and city buildings.

For more information, visit sydneynewyearseve.com

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.

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.