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.”
Kylie Minogue and
the City of Sydney are encouraging more than one million people on the harbour
for Sydney New Year’s Eve to take part in a world-first NYE interactive colour
light show.
The City and
Telstra have developed a free smartphone app that will light up phone screens
as coloured lights splash the Sydney Harbour Bridge to mark the end of 2012 and
launch of 2013.
The synchronised
Telstra Colour Moments – at 10.15pm, 11pm, 11.30pm and 11.45pm – will build
excitement as the clock ticks closer to midnight, and app users will be
reminded to hold their phones to the sky to be part of the celebration, as the
harbour is transformed into a sea of colour.
NYE12 Creative
Ambassador Kylie Minogue has worked with the City and Imagination Australia,
and chosen magenta, yellow, purple and blue for the Telstra Colour Moments and
fireworks, representing her Embrace theme.
“This year I want
everyone to embrace during the fireworks,” Kylie said.
“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. So together,
we are going to make this New Year’s Eve the most memorable night ever.”
Lord Mayor Clover
Moore said she was looking forward to the harbour foreshore filling with colour
and excitement on New Year’s Eve.
“If you are going
to watch the fireworks from one of the many vantage points around Sydney
Harbour, plan ahead and download this free phone app,” the Lord Mayor said.
“The app lets you
take part in the biggest interactive light show on Sydney Harbour – we hope it
might even set a new Australian record for audience participation.
“The app will
have useful information, including vantage point maps and updates about when
different locations have reached capacity, as well as news feeds to keep
up-to-date on the latest developments.”
The Lord Mayor
said this year’s NYE charity partner, The Fred Hollows Foundation, was
particularly appropriate as they have spent 20 years restoring the sight of
millions of people around the world.
“The Fred Hollows
Foundation does inspiring work. Over the past two decades they have given
countless people back their sight,” the Lord Mayor said.
“For $25 you can
restore someone’s vision and let them see their family and friends as we all
begin a new year.”
Kylie Minogue
worked with the City and Imagination Australia to develop the theme, colour
scheme and music for NYE12, and said Embrace was a “wonderfully inclusive
theme” that was close to her heart.
“Embrace is all
about acceptance, tolerance, fun and, above all, love,” Kylie said.
“In a city of
great diversity we come together at New Year’s Eve to embrace the future and
celebrate all that we are and the potential that tomorrow holds.
“It’s also about
that magical moment at midnight when we throw our arms around the people we
love and express our happiness.”
Kylie’s theme is
represented by the Embrace icon ─ a swirl of coloured sails in magenta, yellow,
purple and red, which is marked with her signature K.
Embrace also has
four subthemes: Embrace Love, Embrace Sydney, Embrace the Possibility and
Embrace the Moment, which are Kylie’s most important things to hold onto during
2012 Sydney New Year’s Eve.
The Telstra Colour
Moments:
10.15pm: The
magenta colour moment will represent the Embrace Love subtheme and will be
accompanied by a firework shaped like a heart.
11pm: It will be
followed by the yellow colour moment, Embrace Sydney, which will see a firework
shaped like a sun shimmer over the city.
11.30pm: The
Embrace the Possibility colour moment will be accompanied by a butterfly taking
flight from Sydney Harbour Bridge and morphing into a purple firework.
11.45pm: The
final Embrace the Moment effect will see a huge aquamarine starburst firework
light up the night, building anticipation for the 12-minute Midnight Fireworks
display.
Apart from the
interactive light show, the app will also allow people to ‘Message the Bridge’
by submitting some words, which could be projected onto one of the Sydney
Harbour Bridge pylons.
Telstra is also
offering a free ‘Midnight Messages’ service, during which app users can send up
to 50 ‘Happy New Year’ text messages to their family and friends.
App users simply
need to upload their messages before 6pm on Monday 31 December, and the texts
will be automatically sent at midnight.
Celebrating New Year’s Eve in the city just became easier with Metro Hotel on Pitt’s special New Year’s Eve accommodation package.
Ideally located in the heart of Sydney’s CBD, Metro Hotel on Pitt is the perfect place to base yourself while you head out to enjoy one of the world’s best New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Tourists come from all over the world to see the fireworks display on Sydney Harbour and to enjoy the festive summer atmosphere as Sydney celebrates the end of one year and welcomes in the next - and you can avoid the public transport crush by booking your city hotel.
To help you, Metro Hotel on Pitt has put together a great value NYE Celebrate Sydney Package for just $359.00 per night* ($1077 for 3 nights), which includes:
One night’s accommodation for two in a Standard Queen room
Breakfast for two people
A celebration cocktail for two people
Free internet
*Minimum 3 nights stay between 29 December 2012 and 1 January 2013; subject to availability
According to Metro Hotel on Pitt’s Executive Assistant Manager, Lisa Kapinski, Sydney is heavily booked over the New Year period due to the city’s popularity with international guests.
“This is an opportunity for couples to enjoy the free entertainment that the city offers without the hassle of getting in and out of the city,” Ms Kapinski said. “The package is for a three night stay so you can relax and enjoy the city when it is looking its best.
“Metro Hotel on Pitt is an easy walk to all the major tourist attractions. International guests pay thousands of dollars in flights to come to Sydney for New Year’s Eve. Local guests only have to pay the room rate to enjoy everything the city has to offer.”
Previously a central city Post Office, the hotel is located in a charming, heritage-listed building at 300 Pitt Street, within easy walking distance of Darling Harbour, The Rocks, Pitt Street Mall, Queen Victoria Building, Hyde Park and Chinatown.
The Hotel’s facilities include a fully licensed bar and restaurant, Paradiso, offering a range of Modern Australian and European dishes, and a comprehensive wine list with a choice of local and imported wines.
Guests are able to book the NYE Celebrate Sydney Package at Metro Hotel on Pitt by calling the toll free Central Reservations line on 1800 004 321. Alternately guests can book online by logging onto Metro Hotels' website at www.metrohotels.com.au.
Sydney New Year’s Eve is one of the most spectacular events in the world. It is the time when the world’s gaze turns to Sydney and our spectacular Midnight Fireworks Display, featuring the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Visit Sydney in the spotlight for a New Year’s Eve experience you’ll never forget. Join the 1.6 million people who line the harbour as the city skyline lights up.
Whether it’s your first time to Sydney, or you live around the corner, experience the city as it comes alive in January with the Sydney Festival. With the harbour and foreshore as the focal point, Sydney invites you to take part and share in the magic.
Remember to book your accommodation early to avoid disappointment. For information about accommodation, attractions and tours and other general tourist information, visit sydney.com
Don’t forget to take in the distinct character of the city’s villages, too: from designer-led Surry Hills, to hip and happening Newtown; elegant cafés in Potts Point to the theatre district in Walsh Bay, there’s something to suit all tastes. Learn more about Sydney and its 10 villages in our unique pocket guide, Slices of Sydney.
The City of Sydney welcomes the many international and Australian visitors who will be visiting Sydney to welcome in the New Year. Start planning your visit now!
Build your own map and driving directions to travel around NSW.
Getting around Sydney
The best way to get to Sydney New Year’s Eve is by public transport. Visit 131500.com.au/events or call 13 15 00 for public transport information for Sydney’s bus, ferry and train networks.
There’s no better way to explore Sydney Harbour than by ferry, so make sure you use one of the regular services or take a water taxi. You can also take advantage of Sydney’s cycleways and ride your bike to the event.
KYLIE MINOGUE wants us all to hug it out this New Years Eve.
The Creative Ambassador for the City of Sydney’s 2012 NYE announced this morning that the theme for the celebrations will be "Embrace’’
“Embrace is all about acceptance, tolerance, fun and, above all, love,” Minogue said.
“In a city of great diversity we come together at New Year’s Eve to embrace the future and celebrate all that we are and the potential that tomorrow holds.
“It’s also about that magical moment at midnight when we throw our arms around the people we love and express our happiness.
“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.
“So together, we are going to make this New Year’s Eve the most memorable night ever.”
More than 1.1 billion people around the world share in Sydney’s celebrations, with Lord Mayor Clover Moore again expecting more than one million people to gather in Sydney for the celebrations.
“Kylie’s chosen theme of Embrace will be visible throughout the city in the lead up to the night and will provide the inspiration for the 9PM Family Fireworks and Midnight Fireworks displays, being designed and choreographed by expert pyrotechnician Fortunato Foti.,’’ Ms Moore said.
An Embrace icon - "a swirl of coloured sails in magenta, yellow, purple and red’’ – will be the centrepiece complete with Minogue’s ignature K.
It will be on display at bus stops, on buses and on banners around the city to get people in the mood.
Sydney celebrated another successful New Year’s Eve event. Fireworks thundered, cracked, and lit up the night skies as an estimated 1.5 million people gathered on the Sydney Harbour Foreshore to welcome in 2012.
Estimates suggest one billion people around the world see the Sydney New Year’s Eve Midnight Fireworks and Bridge Effect, and previous research has found that Sydney New Year’s Eve contributes $156 million to the local economy.
The NSW Government is a major investor and contributor to Sydney’s New Year’s celebrations. DNSW invests in international media broadcasts and works closely with City of Sydney to ensure the event’s success.
The 2011 event’s Creative Director, Marc Newson presented the City of Sydney’s theme Time to Dream, representing hope and aspirations. More than 1,000 accredited personnel and an additional 300 volunteers worked on the night to ensure the success of the event and work has already begun on 2012 festivities.
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.
