Find out where your closest New Year’s Eve fireworks will be

More than 50 artists will perform live as Victoria prepares to celebrate its first Covid restriction-free New Year’s Eve in years. Find out what’s happening near you.

Melbourne is gearing up to ring in the New Year with more than 400,000 revellers set to descend on the city for the biggest celebration ever.

The City of Melbourne and state government have splashed nearly $4m on the annual celebration, which will see the CBD come alive with no Covid restrictions for the first time in several years.

More than 50 artists will perform live across four, family-friendly celebration zones at Docklands, Flagstaff Gardens, Kings Domain and Treasury Gardens.

Each celebration zone will boast a 9.30pm display of fireworks, followed by the midnight spectacular, where fireworks will be set off from 30 buildings — eight more than in previous years.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp said this ensured the “magnetic” firework show would be visible from any vantage point around Melbourne where the city skyline could be viewed.

“This is the New Year’s Eve we have all been waiting for. It is the New Year’s Eve where we can rejoice in the excitement and positivity of looking forward into 2023,” Cr Capp said.

“We’ve really decided to mark the occasion by upping our celebrations in Melbourne ... to fund our biggest New Year’s Eve celebration ever.

“It is that opportunity to really rejoice leaving the pandemic behind us and looking forward with positivity.

“We’ve had fantastic momentum in the city and it’s that optimism that we want reflected in this spectacular New Year’s celebration.”

Crowd caps due to Covid meant that celebration zones were ticketed last year, but this year the doors will be thrown open to all, allowing people to wander in as they please.

Meanwhile, around the state there will be fireworks set off by many other local councils too.

Other councils will put on a New Year’s Eve celebrations without fireworks.