Sydney’s New Year's Eve 2014 Fireworks Display

The annual Sydney New Year’s Eve fireworks are about as good an advert for the city as it is possible to have.

Paid for by the local Sydney government, the spectacular display is one of the first New Year’s celebrations to be beamed around the globe every year.

The municipal authorities, not generally known for their modesty when it comes to Sydney’s charms, describe their city as “the New Year's Eve Capital of the World” – and they’re quite right in this instance. Each year brings a different (fairly broad) theme. Last year was “Shine”, the previous year was “Embrace”, and this year it is “Inspire”. 

It truly is one of the most memorable places you will find anywhere to welcome in the New Year, with the balmy Australian summer and the wonderful harbour setting making it ideal for spending the build-up outdoors in convivial company.

That said, its popularity does create its own problems – with some areas around the harbour throbbing with crowds. With a little bit of planning and insider knowledge, you can make sure you find the ideal spot to see in the New Year 2015.

Do I need a ticket?

The short answer is no. If you don't want to pay, you don't have to - there are plenty of vantage points that do not require payment. However, there are many ticketed events, many of which will be booked up well in advance. See here for the full rundown of what’s going on.

Many places will already have sold out – some of them with astonishing price tags.

When are the displays?

It’s not such a stupid question. There are, in fact, two firework displays in the Sydney. The first is at 9pm, a “family fireworks” event before the main event at midnight. If for some reason you’d rather watch the main event from your hotel television with children tucked up in bed (good luck with that), the early showing will allow you to get back.

Where should I watch it?

The "front row seats" – the area around Circular Quay and the Botanical Gardens – inevitably are the most popular. Many old Sydney-siders think you get a better perspective from the North Shore, as well as marginally less competition for a patch of grass to watch the show.

Those who like to toast the coming year should note that many vantage points do not allow any fizz (including the Central Business District). Some include alcohol in their ticket price. Others do not allow Bring Your Own (BYO) alcohol. If this is a New Year prerequisite for you, be sure to check.

On the water

Alternatively you could take a Harbour Cruise(newyearsevecruise.com.au). Note that you’ll be on the boat for a long evening – typically, setting off at 6pm and you usually have to bring your own food but you’ll have a great, uncrowded, view of the fireworks.

When should I arrive?

Get there early, or miss out (picture: Getty Images)

The broad advice is simply to get there early or you will miss out. Competition for spaces can be fierce. People even start camping out the day before the event in some places. Even in areas where pressure to bag a spot is less intense, plan on spending most of the day there - by noon, many places will already be full. The vantage points information on the official website will have live updates on whether or not they have reached capacity.

Specific information on vantage points will be published on the main website in November: Sydney New Year vantage points

Transport

Don’t even think about driving. Sydney – never the best city for traffic – is simply nightmarish at this time of year due to road closures and crowds.

Extra public transport is in operation to get spectators home after the event. Again, it’s worth planning your journey in advance. Do so attransportnsw.info.

The official Sydney New Year's Eve website also allows you to sign up for updates about road closures and transport disruption.

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Sydney's New Year's Eve fireworks to be intergalactic: Reg Mombassa

New Year's Eve plans: the event's creative ambassador Reg Mombassa with Sydney's lord mayor Clover Moore. Photo: Ben Rushton

Sydney Harbour Bridge will put on its biggest midnight display yet when more than a billion people cast their eyes to the harbour city on New Year's Eve.

But artist and musician Reg Mombassa, the event's creative ambassador, said its logo of an "all-seeing eye" was not a hint that crowds might see one staring back.

"If I gave the slightest bit of information away I'd be locked up for treason," the Mambo artist and Mental As Anything rocker said.

What was revealed on Monday was news that the much-anticipated bridge effect, thanks to 16 kilometres of rope light, will be twice as big as previous years – stretching 12 storeys high and 72 metres wide.

Mombassa, who confirmed that this New Year's Eve would be his first work in pyrotechnics, said he was reliably informed Sydney's display would stand out.

"Apparently the fireworks, the Sydney fireworks, are actually visible from the closest galactic supercluster, the Virgo Supercluster, which is 65 million light years from earth.

So there will be some insect-faced aliens enjoying the fireworks display, which is nice to know," Mombassa said.

"Unfortunately the pathetic displays from the other cities won't be visible from that distance.”


Also joining the party will be the Sydney Opera House, which will launch more than 1000 fireworks from its sails as it marks its 40th birthday.

It is the first time the world famous building has been incorporated into the fireworks display in more than a decade, using specially developed pyrotechnics that will not damage its exterior.

Sydney's lord mayor Clover Moore said the $6.8 million fireworks display was the city's gift to Sydney.

About 1.5 million people are expected at the harbour and another 1.1 billion will watch a broadcast of the harbourside festivities, Cr Moore said.

“We are marking the 40th anniversary of Sydney Opera House in the best way that Sydney NYE knows how – brilliant, specially-designed fireworks, firing from the world-famous sails," Cr Moore said.

"I expect this year's event to have one of the most creative fireworks displays Sydney has seen.”

Fortunato Foti, now in his 14th year as the director of the fireworks, said this year was again a challenge to create a display bigger than in previous years.

"Inspiration for this year's fireworks display has been taken from Reg Mombassa's work which, as always, is very colourful and unique. It's been a challenge pulling it together, but I think the crowds will be impressed on the night," Mr Foti said.

And revellers will also have the chance to take home more than photos and memories, for $120.

In an Australian first, a collector's coin featuring a coloured hologram depicting the bridge effect, will be available for sale.

The "Shine" Logo by local artist: Reg Mombassa

Imagination Wins Tender to Design Sydney New Year Eve for City of Sydney

Imagination has once again gone ‘above and beyond’ to secure their place as creative mastermind for Australia’s largest public event.

By providing City of Sydney with an outstanding creative roadmap, Imagination has been awarded the highly coveted Sydney New Year’s Eve Project for the next three years. City of Sydney will also have the opportunity to continue their contract with Imagination for a further two years, after the delivery of the event on 31 December 2016.

Sydney New Year’s Eve attracts 1.6 million people to the city. It’s an experience that features two cutting edge fireworks displays, a secret Sydney Harbour Bridge Effect, a traditional Harbour of Light Parade and several events staged around the Harbour foreshore.

Imagination’s Managing Director Antony Gowthorp says his team is extremely proud to have been asked to continue its relationship with the City of Sydney. By winning the competitive tender with a fresh vision that tests the boundaries of what is possible, he says Imagination will continue to lead the industry in groundbreaking events.

On the back of the producing the incredibly successful Royal Australian Navy International Fleet Review Spectacular, Imagination looks forward to the opportunity to take this iconic Sydney Harbour experience to the next level.

“Sydney New Year’s Eve is an incredible event through which we continue to push the creative, sponsorship and consumer experience to the limit,” Gowthorp says.

Imagination kicked off their job as the creative directors of Sydney New Year’s Eve working with design luminary Marc Newson in December 2011. Since that time they have attracted pop diva Kylie Minogue to help design the event and revered Australian artist and musician Reg Mombassa, who is the 2013 Sydney New Year’s Eve Creative Ambassador.

Imagination is a creative agency that delivers brand experiences via live, digital, social, and integrated campaign platforms. It includes on its client roster: The Ford Motor Company, The Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Telstra, Jaguar Landrover, Interface and Shell. Imagination also enjoys the credit of being the first creative producer of Sydney New Year’s Eve spectacular for The City of Sydney.

It offers creative services including: strategy, events, experiential, environments, digital, social, content production and integrated campaigns across; consumer, employee and stakeholder audiences. The agency’s creative resources embrace the skills of strategists, creative directors, story-tellers, writers, film-makers, brand designers, motion graphic designers, journalists, creative technologists, bloggers, social media experts, design directors, interior designers, digital experts, technical directors and producers.

Imagination has 50 staff in Australia with offices in Sydney and Melbourne and eighteen offices around the world.

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Unstoppable Kylie Comes Home and Embraces Sydney

IF we were just counting down Kylie Minogue's greatest hits it would probably take all New Year's night. 

There's her 25 years in the music industry, the odd concert or two for the Queen's Jubilee, an Abbey Road Sessions album and a starring role in French indie film Holy Motors. So "coming home" to play host and creative ambassador for Sydney's NYE party will be the sparkling finish to 2012 this unstoppable diva deserves.

Charged with hitting the button on the fireworks, Minogue says the spectacular is the perfect end to a personal year of highs.

"It's been a huge year for me and the finish line is New Year's Eve and I will definitely be trying to find a moment in the madness to really appreciate everything I've done this year and what an amazing year it's been to share with fans," she said.

The 44-year-old has vowed to take the "embrace" theme literally, planning a midnight hug with model boyfriend Andre Velencoso, who has flown in to share in the festivities.

She has posted several photos on Twitter since arriving in Sydney on Friday, including a visit to Bondi's Icebergs. She said she has been spruiking her role since agreeing to the gig.

"Honestly, I've been so excited about coming home since I first signed up for the project which was a year ago, so here I am, and now it's a reality and it's so exciting," she said.

Channel 9's coverage, from the Lord Mayor's party at the Sydney Opera House, starts at 8.30pm (family fireworks) and includes 11.30pm (midnight countdown) with performances by Ricki-Lee Coulter and Darren Percival.

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A Kylie Exciting New Year for Sydney

Global superstar Kylie Minogue will fly into Sydney next week to take part in the city’s official New Year’s Eve (NYE) celebrations.

The Australian-born singer, songwriter, actress and fashion icon will see out the final moments of ‘K25’ – her year-long celebration marking 25 years in the music business – right here in Sydney, where she will lead the countdown into the Midnight Fireworks Spectacular.

Ms Minogue has enjoyed a close association with the Harbour City this year, visiting Sydney several times and working as the Creative Ambassador for the City of Sydney Council’s NYE festivities.
The role has seen the ARIA, BRIT and Grammy award-winner work with the City’s production team to develop the event’s theme “Embrace” and its logos, street banners, musical soundtrack and fireworks display.

The Creative Ambassador role is one of a number of Sydney-based initiatives for Kylie this year.
In March, the pop icon took part in Sydney Mardi Gras, appearing at the event’s famous street parade and performing a half-hour set of her hits at the after-party.

Sydney was one of just four cities visited this year by Ms Minogue’s Anti Tour, the others being Melbourne, London and Manchester.

The tour saw Kylie perform a selection of rare tracks, demos, b-sides and previously unreleased material in an intimate, pared-back setting at Luna Park’s Big Top.

The shows were conceived as a counterpoint to the singer’s highly technical, big-budget Aphrodite Les Folies tour of 2011, which encompassed 77 concerts in 50 cities, including three shows at the Sydney Entertainment Centre.

Speaking about her role in Sydney’s NYE festivities, Ms Minogue said in a statement: “This year I want everyone to embrace during the fireworks.

“Whether it’s embracing new ideas, change and opportunities, or just giving a big hug to your family and friends, it’s something everyone can get involved in.”

More details on Sydney’s NYE festivities  can be found at www.sydneynewyearseve.com.

Summer Temperatures finally arrive to greet Sydney's New Year's Eve revellers

IT was like a changing of the guard at Sydney's beaches. Party stragglers looking a little worse for wear eventually made way for sun-lovers eager to make the most of the spectacular weather the city put on to kick off the New Year yesterday.

The story was the same all along the coast as families and tourists did their best to forget the rainy end to 2011 by lapping up the warm weather and clear skies that are expected to continue for the most of the week.

Those not up for a swim still made the most of the outdoors, with some gathering friends and families for BBQs at home and others finding a sunny beer garden in which to enjoy a relaxing lunch.

Watson's Bay Hotel general manager Justin Carroll said yesterday was the busiest since last January.

"It's really busy, it's been fantastic and it took us a little by surprise actually," he said. "I think with all the rain we have had lately people were really in a mood to get out and enjoy the perfect weather."

It was the same on the northern beaches, with the popular Newport Arms Hotel packed with families enjoying the water views and those recovering from the night before.

Meanwhile, in what has become a New Year's Day tradition, thousands of music fans made their way to the Domain for Field Day.

The festival played host to an international array of electronic music artists, including US DJ Moby, to kick off 2012 with a bang.

"It was the best Field Day yet and we are extremely pleased with the event," promoter Jon Wall gushed.

Dana Creedon, 20, and her friends have been every year since they were 18. They just can't say no to the good weather and the crowd.

"It's just the vibe you get," Ms Creedon said.

Echoing her sentiments was Paris Forscutt, 21: "Every year is a good year at Field Day."

The city's usual major attractions were also popular, with families determined to make the most of the sunny long weekend.

Taronga spokesman Mark Williams said the zoo had enjoyed good attendance figures over the past week and yesterday's perfect weather only helped that trend continue.

"This time of year is always a busy time for us and the weather meant that New Year's Day was no different," he said.

Sydney's day of relaxation came after Saturday's New Year's Eve celebrations were declared a virtually trouble-free success.

Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the partygoers who made their way into the city to welcome in the New Year were overwhelmingly well behaved.

More than a million people gathered around the harbour foreshore to usher in 2012, but only 57 arrests were made. "Police said it was quieter than most Saturday nights," Ms Moore said.

"You think about what it's like sometimes in Kings Cross or George St on your average Saturday night, that was amazing."

About 11.30pm, police and paramedics responded to reports of a male aged in his early 20s who had impaled his left thigh after attempting to jump a fence in the Botanic Gardens.

Ms Moore defended the $6.3 million cost of the fireworks display, saying it equated to $4 for every person who watched the event around the Harbour, and the fireworks generated $156 million for the local economy.