2025 Sydney New Year’s Eve fireworks set to be bigger than ever before

This year’s New Year’s Eve fireworks are set to be the most innovative in Australian history. Here’s what you can expect.

Hovering drone firework platforms, new firing positions on both sides of the Harbour Bridge, and speakers across all the city’s main vantage sites mean Sydney New Year’s Eve is set to be the loudest and biggest spectacular the city has ever seen.

More than 9 tonnes of fireworks will be set off on New Year’s Eve, spread across 16 locations linked by 80km of wiring.

For the first time, fireworks will explode from both sides of the Harbour Bridge, meaning more people will have access to the 20 minutes of fireworks at 9pm and midnight.

City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the event will set a benchmark for the rest of the world.

“As one of the first 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.”

One of the most spectacular moments in last year’s New Year’s Eve fireworks. Picture: AFP

“With 26,500 lights and 9 tonnes of fireworks to be fired off 8 floating platforms and from 80 new positions on the western side of the Bridge, we’ll be lighting up 7km of Sydney Harbour from Cockatoo Island to Point Piper and beyond,” the Lord Mayor said.

Seventh-generation pyrotechnician Fortunato “Forch” Foti, creative director of Foti Fireworks, is once again in charge of ensuring the thousands of fireworks take to the skies at just the right time, in just the right place.

Foti Fireworks director Fortunato Foti and City of Sydney’s Stephen Gilby give a preview of this year’s fireworks. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Mr Foti has promised the fireworks will be “one of the most innovative New Year’s Eve displays in the world”.

“Not only do we have more fireworks than ever before, we’re extremely excited to introduce the aerial platforms concepts — the first time this has been done in Australian fireworks history,” Mr Foti said.

“Basically we have four drones which have almost 600 pyrotechnical effects,” Mr Foti said.

“The introduction of 80 new positions on the bridge and an additional firing location on the western side has enabled us to extend the footprint of the display and offer people a better view of the fireworks.

“No matter where you are around the Harbour, you are in for a great show,” he said.

“We have a lot of new effects this year … for the first time we are firing on the western side of the bridge, we are trying to give the west the same feel as what the east is getting.”

Fortunato Foti — pictured on one of his fireworks barges — is excited to bring aerial platform concepts to Australian fireworks displays for the first time. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Claustrophobes should beware the most central vantage points near and around Circular Quay, which were full within three hours of opening last year, and may have better luck trying the tiny but picturesque Dumaresque Reserve in the eastern suburbs or the heights of Observatory Hill, which has previously reached capacity at 5pm.

Producer of major events and festivals Stephen Gilby warned spectators to plan their trip carefully.

Mr Foti aims to make the view from the west of the bridge as impressive as that from the east of the bridge. Picture: Roni Bintang

“Please remember coming into the city on New Year’s Eve is not the same as any other day,” he said.

“There will be large crowds, road closures, changes to transport and some sites will be closing early,” Mr Gilby said.

For those who fancy a tipple as they ring in the new year, every vantage point in Balmain allows BYO booze along with Pyrmont’s Pirrama and Giba Parks, while alcohol will be available to purchase at the Opera House, Botanic Garden and Barangaroo.

Festivities around the city and the state are expected to inject more than $170 million into the economy this year, Business NSW CEO Daniel Hunter said.

“NYE celebrations are estimated to account for $176 million of economic activity in NSW, two-thirds of which ($117 million) are in the Sydney CBD,” he said.