Sydney New Year’s Eve – Page 3

‘Sydney Spectaculars’ At Risk Due To Proposed Glebe Island Housing Development

Circular Quay drone shows, Vivid Sydney water shows, Handa Opera On Sydney Harbour, Australia SailGP & fireworks from barges over Sydney Harbour at any time of the year are under threat from a proposed high-density housing development at Glebe Island. This does not affect Sydney NYE2024 (the upcoming edition).

Glebe Island is home to a port with 260 metres of deep waterfront wharf space, where Handa Opera On Sydney Harbour‘s enormous stage is prepared before been moved to Fleet Steps. Barges & pontoons are also moored at Glebe Island for the preparation of pyrotechnic displays & drone shows held from them. For the pyrotechnics, cranes are used to load the fireworks onto the barges & pontoons while for both drones & fireworks, the barges & pontoons are then moved into Sydney Harbour (or in the drone shows’ case, moored at Campbells’ Cove) for the displays. The same also applies for the annual water show held in Cockle Bay during Vivid Sydney, whose water pump infrastructure is first prepared at Glebe Island while Australia SailGP requires the delivery of 120 shipping containers.

Sydney New Year’s Eve (NYE), the most significant annual pyrotechnic event on Sydney Harbour, uses 6 barges and 4 pontoons. Without these, the display would be reduced to just the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House & city buildings. Fireworks displays at any other time of year & drone/water shows as well as Handa Opera On Sydney Harbour & Australia SailGP will be impossible to be held.

And according to Adam Huie of Banks Events, who has helped produce Sydney Spectaculars (the events, not the blog) since 1997, that’s what will happen if Glebe Island is no longer a port.

First things first, Glebe Island is a bit of a misnomer. It was an island originally, but it doesn’t exist anymore. It was joined to the mainland just over a century ago but now, fast forward to 2016.

On the 14th of November 2016, the New South Wales (NSW) Government announced Sydney Metro West, an underground rapid transit line. One of its proposed stations is to be at The Bays precinct, “Sydney’s new innovation hub where 95 hectares of land is being regenerated”.

Green: Glebe Island, Brown: Reclaimed Land, Blue Line: Sydney Metro West (under construction), Blue Boxes: Sydney Metro West Stations (under construction).

At the time, the land regeneration wasn’t to include Glebe Island, which was instead marked as “for further study”.

The Bays Precinct Urban Renewal Area In 2014
Image: *The Sydney Morning Herald*

And indeed, further study it was, in secret. On the 25th of July this year, The Sydney Morning Herald revealed that the NSW Government had secretly commissioned a review into Glebe Island. The now not-so-secret review is being undertaken by Michael Schur, a consultant who was a former NSW Treasury secretary in 2011, who will also review the non-cruise ship terminal portion of the White Bay foreshore. He will be assessing options including:

Retaining the ports with no nearby high-density housing
Moving the ports for nearby high-density housing
Building a hybrid model

The proposal by the NSW Government to turn it into high-density housing is made due to the now-under construction The Bays Metro Station, which would be able to handle large amounts of passengers & therefore, potential residents. The NSW Government later admitted the review was real.

Tom Forrest, Urban Taskforce Chief Executive said Glebe Island had the potential to be Sydney’s next Barangaroo which he described as “vibrant, open & perfect” but industry wants to stay at Glebe Island.

For example, the Port Authority of NSW, a corporation of the NSW Government, while supporting the Schur review, is opposed to the Glebe Island port closing down or being relocated. As noise, pollution & truck movements are all key considerations in whether the hybrid model can work, they even warned against that option, saying “sensitive uses” near ports & shipping threatened to upset operations. It is this position that has led event producers to not make a collective submission.

The NSW Liberal Party is also opposed to the relocation while Stuart Aryes, Urban Development Institute Of Australia, Chief Executive said a mixed-use precinct “could be a new jewel in the Sydney Harbour crown”.

The City Of Sydney, in a statement (below), gave a response which sounds like a wait and see approach with supreme confidence. The confidence is justified as Glebe Island/White Bay has not always been the location the pyrotechnic barges been prepared from. For example, in 1996, Wooloomooloo was the location for the set-up of the main barge used in the 9pm Family Fireworks that year. It relocated to White Bay/Glebe Island the following year.

However, Adam Huie told Sydney Spectaculars (the blog this time) that Wooloomooloo is “now occupied by other uses and unavailable”. You can read his full comments, which were published by The Daily Telegraph, at the bottom of this article.

The review is likely to be published by the end of the year.

The Sydney NYE2024 Glebe Island media call is on Friday the 27th of December at 10am & it wouldn’t be a surprise if questions are asked there about this situation.

Sydney NYE2024 is on at 7:30pm on the 31st of December while Australia SailGP returns on the 8th-9th of February with Handa Opera On Sydney Harbour 2025 being held between March 21 and April 20 & will be musical Guys & Dolls this edition.

There is a range of things that you could do with Glebe Island that are better than the way it has been used for a long period of time & one of those is obviously housing.
Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister Of Australia

If the government has an announcement to make, it will be made at an appropriate time.
NSW Government Spokesperson

The harbour is our jewel in the crown & Glebe Island supports that gem. Our harbour is also more complex & multifaceted than people realise so while we excel at events, they need a platform supporting them.
Margy Osmond, Tourism & Transport Forum Australia Chief Executive Officer

The government’s own department is telling them that this is a bad idea – that should tell you all you need to know.
Natalie Ward, NSW Legislative Councillor

Any proposed plans for the Glebe Island site is a matter for the state government.

Our experience over the years has meant we are adept at working around evolving changes to the event’s production to ensure we continue to deliver one of the world’s most spectacular New Year’s Eve celebrations.
City Of Sydney Spokesperson

(Barangaroo) That’s the sort of vision we need to see. Maintaining Sydney as a quasi-working harbour was a prospect that was abandoned by governments 30 years ago. Continuing to operate a hybrid model ensures the Bays Precinct will fail to deliver its potential. The last thing we want is to keep that giant hardstand area in order to satisfy the old Maritime Services Board.
Tom Forrest, Urban Taskforce Chief Executive

Sydney will struggle to be a better city without Glebe Island. The thought that the fireworks & other major events could be in jeopardy is truly alarming. Access to Glebe Island for preparing events is vital for the events sector & for Sydney’s economy, tourism and culture.
Paul Nicolau, Business Sydney Executive Director

We live here because of the working harbour.
Elizabeth Elenius, Pyrmont Action Group Founder

We use Glebe Island for a lot of events that mean so much to this city.

Because the Port Authority has had management of the site and their support for events is strong. We’ve seen that as the state government supporting our events but this report that’s coming has given everyone the jitters. We don’t know what is going on. These events are too important to Sydney. People around the world know us for our NYE celebrations. It would be terrible if we had to scale that back because a necessary work site was not available.

There’s quite a number of events that use that space as an essential part of their work. There’s Australia Day, Vivid, SailGP and Opera On The Harbour. They would all have major issues putting on some of their events without Glebe Island.

The drone show for Vivid in June required 110m of wharf space at Glebe Island for 4 weeks to build a barge & install the equipment allowing 800 drones to take off. Every city in the world that SailGP operates in, they deliver essentials by ship & set up on a wharf. If Sydney doesn’t have Glebe Island port, where are they going to go? All these events need waterfront access on the harbour.

People have spent years trying to work out how to deliver the New Year’s Eve fireworks if Glebe Island suddenly wasn’t available. We’ve never come up with a solution. The only sensible option would be to scale back on the event & surely no one wants that. Sydney has one of the best fireworks displays in the world, but the event could not be done the way it’s currently done without that Glebe Island facility.

I’d laugh at anyone suggesting (Port Botany, Kembla, Newcastle) that. There’s no way you’d be loading barges there & then shipping them here. Logistics require clear weather windows of opportunity. It would be unworkable, virtually impossible but why does that even have to be considered when we’ve got a working wharf right here?
Adam Huie, Banks Events Producer

Robbie Williams To Headline ABC’s Sydney NYE2024 Concert As Ticket Ballot Extended

BREAKING NEWS HERE FOR ROBBIE WILLIAMS FANS!

18-time Brit Award winner, Robbie Williams, will headline the New Year’s Eve (NYE) concert hosted by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on the Northern Broadwalk of the Sydney Opera House, performing his hits as well as promoting his critically acclaimed satirical musical ‘biographical’ film, Better Man, which opens in cinemas to the general public on the 26th of December (Boxing Day), with a behind the scenes look at how it was made.

With this news, the ABC has extended the concert’s ticket ballot to close at 11:59pm on the 22nd of December. It originally closed on the 18th of December. If you are successful, you will only receive a maximum of 4 tickets per person, each costing AUD$50 with the full cost going to the Gurrumul Yunupingu Foundation.

Other artists already announced to be performing at the concert are Casey Donovan, Nooky, G Flip, Becca Hatch, Fanning Dempsey National Park, Cyril, 1300 & Randy Houser.

The concert will be broadcast on local ABC Radio nationwide so people down on the Harbour (105.7 FM) can tune in. It will also be streamed online & televised globally via the ABC.

The concert has already been announced to celebrate national youth radio station Triple J’s 50th anniversary with covers of some popular classic songs from Triple J’s Hottest 100 music polls, which was first held in 1989. There will also be interviews with some iconic Triple J hosts, including Doctor Karl, who will explain how fireworks work.

The ABC’s NYE concert is held at 9:10pm Sydney time on the 31st of December, hosted by Charlie Pickering & Zan Rowe, with Concetta Caristo roving around Sydney Harbour.

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

‘Pink Moment’ To Be 30 Minutes Long For National Breast Cancer Foundation’s 30th Anniversary

Sydney New Year’s Eve’s Pink Moment, which returns for a 2nd consecutive year, will be 30 minutes long this edition to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF), who has proudly been the event’s charity partner for this & the previous edition.

For 30 years since 1994, the NBCF has invested, in Australia, more than AUD$200 million into over 600 critical world-class research projects, contributing to a 40% reduction in breast cancer mortality rates in Australia.

Last edition, the Pink Moment was 4 minutes long from 10:01pm as the Foundation was about to leave their 29th anniversary year & welcome in their 30th anniversary year.

Now celebrating that milestone, the 30-minute long Pink Moment this edition also honours the 58 people in Australia diagnosed with breast cancer each day & will see the Sydney Harbour Bridge, pyrotechnic barges, 10 city buildings, the Sydney Harbour Lights boats & the Luna Park Ferris Wheel lit up in pink from 10pm.

Last edition, only the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Harbour Lights boats & the Luna Park Ferris Wheel were lit pink.

NBCF Community Ambassador, Tarryn Forster.
Image: NBCF

Also, as part of the half an hour-long Pink Moment, the Sydney Harbour Bridge pylon projections will once again feature key breast cancer statistics & the NBCF’s logo accompanied by images of NBCF Community Ambassador, Tarryn Fowler.

While caring for her 2 young children, aged 2.5 years and 18 months, she found a lump in her breast. In November 2020, at the age of 33, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Despite initially believing she was too young for breast cancer, she immediately looked for medical attention. Her motivation: To be there for her children’s life milestones. 10 days later, her diagnosis was received: Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (IDC) & Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS).

A full mastectomy and reconstruction were scheduled in December by the 25th, Christmas. Tarryn found herself too unwell to join her family in Christmas activities like viewing the neighbourhood’s lights & while striving to minimise the impact on her children, finished chemotherapy and radiation therapy the following May in 2021, which was celebrated by ringing the Captain’s Bell, a symbol of hope & accomplishment. She remains hopeful for a future with 0 deaths from breast cancer.

Tarryn Fowler ringing the Captain’s Bell.

Breast cancer is the 2nd most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia & the most prevalent among women, with around 1,000 cases occurring in women under 40 each year, about 3 women every day. 1 woman under 40 loses her life to the disease each week while 9 Australians die from breast cancer each day.

The Sydney New Year’s Eve 2024 Pink Moment will be held at 10pm on the 31st of December.

The City Of Sydney selects a charity to support each New Year’s Eve. I am happy to welcome back the National Breast Cancer Foundation for the 2nd consecutive year. Through this collaboration, we can continue to raise awareness & inspire hope for those impacted by breast cancer. As we ring in the new year, the City is proud to help shine a spotlight on the Foundation’s vision of 0 deaths from breast cancer.

Over the last 30 years, the NBCF has invested AUD$232 million in 642 projects. In this time, the death rate from breast cancer has reduced by over 40%. While the significant progress in reducing deaths from breast cancer is to be celebrated, the number of Australians diagnosed with breast cancer continue to increase. Each day, 58 people in Australia are diagnosed with breast cancer & 9 people die from breast cancer in Australia.
Clover Moore, City Of Sydney Lord Mayor

I think many people would put off doing something until the new year when health-related resolutions are top of mind but I wanted to find out immediately so I could enjoy the holidays. I wanted to finish treatment quickly so they (her children) wouldn’t remember or have too many questions about what was happening.

The hardest part wasn’t the pain or losing my hair. It was being unable to hold my kids for 6 weeks post-surgery. Missing out on their laughter while recovering was tough but it made me even more grateful to be here for their future.

Although the death rate from breast cancer in Australia has reduced,
there is still a percentage of people who die. There are more young women diagnosed each year & it’s a timely reminder that it can happen to anyone but with continued investment into research, we can truly make a difference.
Tarryn Fowler, NBCF Community Ambassador

For 30 years, our commitment to funding world-class breast cancer research has led to extraordinary discoveries.

Driving awareness of the importance of breast cancer research, on
one of the world’s biggest stages on New Year’s Eve is a special opportunity we’re incredibly grateful for.

New Year’s Eve is about celebrating new beginnings, setting goals and resolutions & entering a new year with positivity and hope. We are excited to see the City Of Sydney light up pink to support the research the National Breast Cancer Foundation leads to move us closer to our vision of 0 deaths from breast cancer.

The generosity of partners including the City of Sydney &our community enables us to accelerate progress in research that ultimately helps save lives. This is a collective effort – together, we can make 0 deaths from breast cancer possible.
Associate Professor Cleola Anderiesz, NBCF Chief Executive Officer

‘Calling Country’ 2024 Themed ‘Forward With Heart’

The Sydney New Year’s Eve Calling Country segment is themed Forward With Heart in 2024.

The segment for the 2nd year running is produced by Indigenous social enterprise We Are Warriors, supported by R/GA Australia, a creative studio. They both crafted the segment’s script & voiceover.

The word ‘Heart’ in the theme will be symbolised through references to connection, unity & togetherness, such as Barangaroo’s role as a provider for her children & community. That role will also symbolise regeneration while her connection to the ocean will be a symbol of strength.

These references & symbols will feature in the Sydney Harbour Bridge pylon projections, which are designed by Bundjalung & South Sea Islander artist, Kimberly Engwicht & Anungu graphic designer, Oumoula McKenzie. The pylon projections will blend these cultural symbols with vibrant landscapes.

*Calling Country* 2024 – *Forward With Heart* Sydney Harbour Bridge Pylon Projections
Image: Sydney New Year’s Eve & R/GA

The Calling Country soundtrack will also feature First Nations supergroup, 3%, First Nations rapper, Alinta-Jade Quaylee & 3 other First Nations children, Eliana Webster & Lenny and Paycen Wright. These, along with already-announced Calling Country soundtrack artists are the next generation, expressing their pride of being young, Blak & bold.

The message of Calling Country 2024 is also being reinforced in a series of outdoor signage, emphasising that the ground connects & unites us all, inviting everyone to recognise our shared history.

Sydney NYE2024’s Calling Country is to be held at 8:57pm on the 31st of December with a Welcome To Country (video on television & pylon projections at the event) at 8:30pm.

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.
Nooky, Yuin rapper & ‘We Are Warriors’ Co-Founder

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.

Sneak Peek At The Sydney NYE2024 Midnight Fireworks!

VANDAL, the Sydney New Year’s Eve (NYE) 2024 pylon projection designers, have revealed that this year’s Midnight Fireworks sequence will utilise the largest and most complex generative artificial intelligence (AI) motion capture animations yet as they & the City Of Sydney release previews of the world-famous Midnight Fireworks show.

The Midnight Fireworks pylon projection show will have as its centrepiece, The Woman Of The Water, an ocean spirit representing the Gadigal women of Sydney Harbour. Using a custom AI system, VANDAL integrated a dancer, Alice Robinson, with photographs of ocean flora, marine fauna & the texture of water to form The Woman Of The Water.

Set to an original soundtrack composed by Luna Pan, this pylon projection show will turn the upcoming Midnight Fireworks as the most creative in a decade, when the Bridge Effect was last used.

Below is a 30 second preview of the Midnight Fireworks soundtrack when it was being recorded, with a 10 second preview of the Sydney Harbour Bridge pylon projection show in the middle. Based on the soundtrack preview, Sydney Spectaculars believes that music will be the opening sequence to the Midnight Fireworks – essentially the 1st thing Sydneysiders will hear in 2025 as the Sydney Harbour Bridge & Opera House erupt in celebration.

https://videopress.com/v/IqJ7NCIs?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&posterUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fvideos.files.wordpress.com%2FIqJ7NCIs%2Fnye2024-midnight-fireworks-preview_avi_std.original.jpg&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true

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

Sydney NYE2024 is on the 31st of December 2024 to 1st of January 2025, beginning at 7:30pm.

Girl Power To Shine As Sydney NYE2024 Fireworks Themed To The Gadigal Women of Sydney Harbour

The Gadigal women of Sydney Harbour will be the theme of the Sydney New Year’s Eve (NYE) 2024 fireworks displays as more women than ever help produce the world-famous event.

This is only the theme of the fireworks & not the whole event.

The fireworks will feature 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, jellyfish & emu’s feet!

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

Held at 8:57pm on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) stage on the Sydney Opera House’s Northern Broadwalk with an original song titled Country’s Calling led by producer, rapper and Australian Recording Industry Association-Award winner, Nooky, which, by sonically representing Barangaroo’s spirit, will call for Australians to move forward, together, leading with heart.

When the Calling Country Fireworks kick off at 9pm, projections on the Sydney Harbour Bridge Pylons will illustrate Barangaroo & her female warriors’ connection to water & fishing in the Harbour while an exclusive accompanying soundtrack, also produced by Nooky, will featuring the voices of his daughters, Olivia & Calula Webster, who are aged 7 & 6 respectively. Barangaroo’s story will culminate with the message that by putting aside differences & working together, we can create a future that works for us all.

As part of the Midnight Fireworks, the Sydney Harbour Bridge pylon projections will feature a dancer, Alice Robinson, representing the Gadigal women of Sydney Harbour, moving to the ocean’s rhythms, morphing in-between coral, kelp, fish, octopus & finally to water (the latter wouldn’t be a surprise if it coincided with the golden waterfall off the Sydney Harbour Bridge). Produced by creative studio VANDAL, this sequence combines human dance, motion capture & cutting-edge generative artificial intelligence.

The “ocean’s rhythms” including the underwater world’s fluidity and freedom form the 3-part soundtrack, composed and produced over 8 weeks by Luna Pan & will combine various music genres incorporating orchestral music, techno house, reggae, lofi hiphop, liquid drum and bass & rock to showcase strong, feminine energy.

The 12-minute fireworks display will feature 264 firing locations across the Sydney Harbour Bridge, including 80 on the western side for the 1st time ever. Fireworks will also be fired from the 4 sails of the Sydney Opera House & 5 skyscrapers in the city centre on the southern side of Sydney Harbour.

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

It was also announced today that for the 1st time since the early 1990’s, the pyrotechnic barges will also host spotlights, which will be turned on from 8:30pm, accompanied by the annual light show on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which this year will feature dozens of sky beams.

Between 9:15pm & 11pm is the Sydney Harbour Lights parade, where a procession of tall ships, commercials vessels & ferries adorned with thousands of light-emitting diodes will parade around Sydney Harbour.

At 10pm, there will be the return of the Pink Moment where the Sydney Harbour Bridge, pyrotechnic barges, the Sydney Harbour Lights boats & the Luna Park Ferris Wheel lit up pink for the official Sydney NYE2024 charity partner, the National Breast Cancer Foundation. This year, there will also be 10 extra city buildings illuminated pink.

Vantage points at Pirrama Park and Observatory Hill will also offer food stalls & for the 1st time ever, live disc jockeys, performing from 7pm to Midnight.

Meanwhile, the ABC concert on the Northern Broadwalk of the Sydney Opera House will feature Casey Donovan, G Flip, Becca Hatch, Fanning Dempsey National Park, Cyril, 1300 & American country music singer, Randy Houser. Calling Country‘s Nooky will also be part of the line-up.

The concert, as announced in May, will celebrate national youth radio station, Triple J’s, 50th anniversary & the television (TV) broadcast will, as a result, hear from some iconic Triple J hosts including Doctor Karl, who will explain how fireworks work. 4 people working on Sydney NYE2024 used to or are currently hosting on Triple J: the TV broadcast co-hosts, Zan Rowe & Charlie Pickering, the TV broadcast’s roving host, Concetta Caristo (currently co-hosting Breakfast) as well as Calling Country’s Nooky (who currently hosts Blak Out). It was also revealed today that now only some of the songs will be classics from the national youth radio station’s Hottest 100 countdown.

A ballot for concert tickets opened today while 20 double passes will be up for grabs on ABC Radio Sydney’s Breakfast from Monday the 9th to the 16th of December. The ballot closes on the 18th of December.

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.

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.

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.
Clover Moore, City Of Sydney Lord Mayor

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, City Of Sydney. to bring this celebration to people across Australia & all around the world.
Kath Earle, ABC Head Of Arts, Music & Events

Luna Pan To Compose Sydney NYE2024 Midnight Fireworks Soundtrack As City Of Sydney Issued EOI For NYE2025-2027

The City Of Sydney have announced that Luna Pan will compose the Midnight Fireworks soundtrack for Sydney New Year’s Eve (NYE) 2024.

Luna Pan is a local award-winning composer who has created soundtracks for films, television, theatre, video games & World Wide Web videos.

The announcement was made on the official Sydney NYE website in November.

It comes after the City Of Sydney, for the 1st time ever, opened an Expressions Of Interest (EOI) process in mid-September for the Midnight Fireworks soundtrack composer. The EOI was not done for the upcoming Sydney NYE2024 edition but rather for mainly next year’s Sydney NYE2025 edition. It was open only to freelance experienced Australian composers.

After the EOI closed in late October, the City shortlisted interested composers before requesting a detailed proposal, including an hour-long presentation, from them. Upon receipt, the shortlisted composers will be paid AUD$2000.

For the 1st time ever, the composer is also asked to write 2 soundtracks for use in event highlight videos to be known as the ‘highlights tracks’. The first one is 30 seconds long to be used by the City Of Sydney for promotions while the 2nd one is a minute long to be used by the television broadcaster globally.

These soundtracks have a budget of a maximum AUD$60,000 & will not be made by generative artificial intelligence as stated in the proposal’s requirements.

The Sydney NYE2025 Midnight Fireworks soundtrack composer will be chosen by the 17th of January, with the soundtracks (including ‘highlights tracks’) to be produced by the 16th of June. This deadline is a few months earlier than usual. Usually it is mid-September. The only reason Sydney Spectaculars can think of for the extra 3 months is to allow the soundtrack to potentially be used for a drone show, which take up to 6 months to plan. However, Sydney Spectaculars has no indication that a drone show is being planned at this stage for Sydney NYE2025.

The unsuccessful shortlisted composers will be put on an eligibility list for Sydney NYE2026 & NYE2027 but the City Of Sydney has given no guarantee these composers will ultimately get to compose the Midnight Fireworks soundtrack for those editions.

Previous Sydney NYE composers include Iva Davies (1999), David Stanhope (2000), Hylton Mowday (2004), Nick Wood (2011), Michael Yezerski (2011), Kylie Minogue (2012), s:amplify (2011-2013), Client Liaison (2018), Damien Robinson (2019), Barkaa (2021), Dobby (2021), The Presets (2021), Salllvage (2022), Stace Cadet (2022), The SWEATS (2023), Nooky (2023-2024) & 18YOMAN (2023-2024).

Nooky & 18YOMan are composing the soundtrack for the Sydney NYE2024 Calling Country Fireworks.

Sydney NYE2024 is on 31 December 2024 to the 1st of January 2025.

Extra Pyro Pontoon Set To Appear West Of Sydney Harbour Bridge This NYE While Smoking Ceremony Route Slightly Different

The official boating exclusion zone map for Sydney New Year’s Eve (NYE) 2024 has revealed an extra pyrotechnic pontoon set will appear west of the Sydney Harbour Bridge for the 1st time ever while the Smoking Ceremony will have a slightly different route this year.

The boating exclusion zone map was released between mid-September & early October.

News of the extra western pyrotechnic pontoon set follows the earlier announcement on the 5th of September that the western lower arch, hangars & catwalk of the Sydney Harbour Bridge will be used for fireworks for the 1st time ever.

The extra western pyrotechnic pontoon set will not be precisely in front of the Sydney Harbour Bridge but more in front of the Bridge’s southern half. It will be in front of Blues Point, north-west of Dawes Point & south-west of Luna Park.

*Sydney NYE*2023 – ‘Life‘ Midnight Fireworks on the Sydney Harbour Bridge’s eastern side with the set of 4 pontoons in front.
Photograph: Morris McLennan/City Of Sydney

It is unknown whether the western pontoon set will appear during Calling Country but it’s guaranteed to appear during the Midnight Fireworks. Its size is also unknown. Usually during the Midnight Fireworks, the eastern set consists of 4 pontoons spread out but all we can be sure is that the upcoming Midnight Fireworks will feature a minimum 1 pontoon in the west in addition to the eastern set. However, it is possible the eastern set will be reduced in size to allow for the creation of the western set. The size of the eastern set cannot be confirmed as yet. However, it can be confidently said at least 2 pontoons will remain on the eastern side.

Nevertheless, the next Midnight Fireworks looks set to be the most spectacular pyrotechnic display viewed from the western side of the Sydney Harbour Bridge since the Closing Night Harbour Spectacular of The Games Of The XXVIIth Olympiad: Sydney 2000.

The boating exclusion zone map also reveals the Smoking Ceremony, held from 7:30pm on board the Indigenous vessels, Tribal Warrior, Mari Nawi & Wirawi, will begin 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.

Smoking Ceremony conducted onboard *Tribal Warrior* during the *Welcome To Country* of *Sydney NYE*2017 – *Wonder*
Photograph: City Of Sydney

This is a slightly different route than last edition. Previously, it began at Towns Place Wharf at the western end of Walsh Bay (this wharf is closed for maintenance this year) & it also went out to near Fort Denison before turning around to re-enter Circular Quay.

Sydney NYE2024 begins at 7:30pm on 31 December 2024.

Luna Park Becomes Official Sydney NYE Vantage Point

Sydney’s heritage-listed & State Parliament-protected theme park, Luna Park, has been officially listed as a Sydney New Year’s Eve vantage point for the 1st time. It is a paid ticketed 18 years old & above vantage point.

The listing was made on Thursday the 12th of September.

On New Year’s Eve, Luna Park will be hosting Harbour Party, which costed a minimum AUD$199 per ticket in September’s initial ticket release, though the price has since risen to AUD$299 for the final ticket release. The most expensive ticket was AUD$799, however, these are now sold out. Remaining tickets on sale are now AUD$549 or less.

This vantage point, with a capacity of 6,420, has disc jockeys (DJs) with artists including “The Netherlands’ most striking DJ duo”, Mr Belt and Wezol, Brooke Evers, Carolina Gasolina, Casual Connection, Discovery (A Daft Punk Tribute), Helena Ellis & Sydney NYE2022 Midnight Fireworks Soundtrack Artist, Stace Cadet.

Luna Park has always been open on New Year’s Eve since 1995, even when it was closed to the public all year round between 1996 & 2004, so being a vantage point is nothing new. What is new is it being officially listed. Whilst Sydney NYE has been held since 1976, Luna Park has only had a good view of the fireworks since 1990, when the Sydney Harbour Bridge was introduced to the display. The theme park was closed at the time and didn’t reopen until 1995.

This New Year’s Eve, fireworks will be fired for the 1st time off the western lower arch, hangars & catwalk of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. However, the Bridge’s light show will remain only on the eastern side still. The pylon projections will be on both the eastern & western sides of the Bridge though. Nevertheless, as it is located on the western side of the Bridge, this will give the vantage point of Luna Park it’s best viewing of the Midnight Fireworks yet.

Harbour Party is not an official Sydney NYE event though. However, the light show on the Ferris Wheel has been synchronised to the fireworks soundtracks since NYE2018, making that part of the night & park an official part of Sydney NYE.

First opening in 1935, Luna Park is one of 2 amusement parks in the world protected by legislation. The other amusement park is Tivoli Gardens in Denmark. Luna Park has been protected by legislation since 1990 & last reopened for all-year round operations in 2004 and is still operating today.

Updated Sydney NYE Website Reveals Sydney Harbour Bridge Western Lower Arch, Hangars & Catwalk To Be Used For Fireworks For The 1st Time

The Sydney Harbour Bridge’s western lower arch, hangars & catwalk will be used for fireworks for the 1st time ever this New Year’s Eve (NYE), according to the official & updated Sydney NYE website.

The Sydney NYE website was updated to its 2024 edition on Thursday the 5th of September.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge’s western upper arch has been used in the past to fire pyrotechnics. However, as the fireworks were fired directly above the Bridge, unless you were looking closely, you couldn’t tell whether the fireworks were fired from the western or eastern side of the upper arch. The use of the western upper arch was done only when Syd Howard Fireworks was the main pyrotechnic company for the Bridge.

They tended but not always put the shells that were fired the highest on the western upper arch. Sometimes, it may have been to make more room along the eastern upper arch. This was done from Sydney NYE1990-1998 & technology has changed significantly since then, particularly in computing technology, possibly making space considerations less of worry from the turn of the Millennium thus no longer needing the western upper arch.

The use of the western lower arch, hangars & catwalk for fireworks will, for the 1st time since the early 1990’s, allow spectators on the western side of the Sydney Harbour Bridge to view the Bridge fireworks just like spectators on what is known as the ‘show side’ of the Bridge – the eastern side of the Bridge. The light show will still be only on the eastern side of the Bridge however.

The use of the western most lane on the roadway for fireworks is unlikely as the fireworks would look the same just when fired from the eastern most lane. It is for this reason, though applied to the upper arch, that we don’t think the western upper arch will be used once again – unless capacity limitations on the eastern upper arch necessitate the return of the western upper arch. The iconic waterfall effect is also likely to still be done from the eastern catwalk, again for the same reason.

This will be the most the Sydney Harbour Bridge has been used for fireworks since it was 1st used for pyrotechnics during the Royal Australian Navy 75th Anniversary Review Fireworks in October 1986. On that occasion, the eastern walkway & catwalk was used – the walkway for a set piece (pyrotechnic sign, which said ‘NSW Salutes The Royal Australian Navy’) & the catwalk for the debut of the iconic golden waterfall off the Bridge.

The only part of the Bridge not used for fireworks currently is the pylons. These were last used in 2013 during the International Fleet Review Spectacular for flame effects while it was last used for stationary pyrotechnics during the Midnight Fireworks of Sydney NYE2006 – A Diamond Night In Emerald City & moving ground pyrotechnics during the Midnight Fireworks of Sydney NYE2002 – The World’s Celebration In Union. It is understood heritage concerns prevent pyrotechnics from being used on the pylons often, especially ground pyro that breaks, after damage occurred during the Closing Night Harbour Spectacular of The Games Of The XXVIIth Olympiad: Sydney 2000. The only other time the pylons have been used for fireworks was during Sydney NYE1996 – Mask A Sydney Face. The pylons are overdue for another appearance but they are not expected to make an appearance for Sydney NYE2024.

In regard to the official website, whose design is quite modern this year, it will be updated even more in the lead up to the event with additional vantage points, location details, road closures & transport information.

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