Sydney’s New Year’s Eve celebrations: Crowds stunned by fireworks spectacle
Sydney has roared into 2025 with another stunning fireworks display and celebrations, with some waking up this morning feeling a little worse for wear.
NSW
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Revellers flocked to one of Sydney’s most iconic beaches to catch the first sunrise of 2025 — and while in years past they might have been equipped with a bacon and egg roll or an energy drink, this year things were very different.
The beach was packed with people who were either just waking up or continuing the celebrations from the night before, as many Sydneysiders stripped down to their swimmers and raced into the water at Bondi Beach to ring in the first morning of the year.
In a clear sign of the changing face of Sydney, one man chose to jump into a prepared ice bath to mark the first day of his 2025.
Temperatures are expected to reach 29C on Wednesday and it was a clear start to the morning.
Others were pictured having a sleep on the sand and nearby grass.
On Wednesday morning, Premier Chris Minns said the New Years Eve celebrations “went off largely without a hitch”, despite concerns earlier this month of major disruption to train services by the rail union.
Other than a five minute delay where Sydney Trains staff stopped services at 6pm on Tuesday to put union stickers on the trains, the Premier said transport ran smoothly, with the union action having a negligible effect.
“Obviously we’d prefer no disruptions at all but I wouldn’t over blow it,” he said.
“It passed mainly without incident and most people that came to the city or returning home after the party were able to do so.”
Mr Minns said more than 400 million people were able to watch Sydney’s fireworks in some form around the world.
“Massive numbers of people saw what was happening in Sydney - that has a massive impact on our tourism economy - it’s good for Sydney’s reputation globally,” he said.
Police commissioner Karen Webb said while crowds were generally well behaved, there were 36 arrests made in the CBD with 49 arrests across Sydney. Police are also investigating multiple incidents if revellers letting off illegal fireworks.
“We’re not sure where they’re obtaining them but there were certainly many calls for illegal fireworks last night in different parts of Sydney,” she said.
“It causes disruption, it causes fires and often draws trouble.”
Sydney roared into 2025 with another stunning fireworks display for the world.
Australia joined the rest of the world in farewelling a year marred by political and social upheaval as international conflicts took their toll on our own communities, and families were left praying for relief from soaring rents and massive mortgage repayments.
Despite a federal election due in coming months, politics was the last thing on the minds of most harbourside revellers who camped out early to snag the best spot for viewing the famous pyrotechnics display.
For the first time, revellers who opted to avoid the biggest crowds and celebrate from the western side of the Harbour Bridge were treated to a view on par with those in the east, while more than 425 million viewers tuned in for Sydney’s party from around the world.
While those planted at Pyrmont and Balmain missed out on a front-row seat to the iconic “cascade” from the front of the bridge, they were treated to fireworks launched out from the western-facing side, an additional barge nearby and an extra land-based location.
The new view of the fireworks was just the start of the action in the city’s west, with thousands at Parramatta Park ringing in the new year with music, lights, food trucks, and kids activities before a stunning 9pm lights show.
A last-ditch effort to be relevant from the Rail, Tram and Bus Union – which had threatened to derail New Year’s Eve public transport – saw a five-minute stoppage by rail workers in order to put up union stickers across the network.
Frenchwoman Paola Deneubourg, from Cannes, had the rare privilege of celebrating both her birthday and New Year’s Eve at the same time with friends including Chiara Motte, from Marseilles.
“It’s amazing, I’m here with all my friends and I’m in the best place in the world,” Ms Deneubourg said.
Californian father of two Raman Edwards was among the estimated one million people to pack out Sydney Harbour, travelling with his partner Christie and daughters Maggie, 13, and Harper, 9 to see the “iconic” display.
“We wanted to make sure we were in Sydney for the fireworks – it’s a bucket-list item,” Mr Edwards said.
The year 2024 brought new challenges for 29-year-old Helai Abdali, who last night celebrated seven years in Australia at Parramatta Park with her children, Zidan, 3, and Hannah, 6.
“I started from literally learning the ABC and now I’m studying at university, so it’s been a rollercoaster year,” the Wenworthville local said last night.
At Penrith Beach, popularly known as “Pondi”, Cranebrook mum Kirsty Burnell brought her kids Elijah, 7, and nine-year-old Calliah to celebrate the end of 2024 in the coolest new summer spot in the city’s west.
At the 9pm Sydney Harbour show and as the clock struck midnight last night, bright sparks of every colour shot from the Harbour Bridge, with stunning water displays projected on to the famous landmark’s pylons.
The sounds of excited chatter quickly turned quiet as thousands in the crowd at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair and across thge city were captivated by the display, holding loved ones with smiles and cheers as the night exploded with light.
PARTY GETS UNDERWAY AROUND THE HARBOUR
When it comes to good seats it doesn’t get much better than this. As the clock ticks down to midnight, we spoke to the crowds who have been at Mrs Macquarie’s chair since dawn in a bid to secure the best seats in the house.
For Marea Carbajam, 26, who nabbed a seat right in front of the barricade, it was all about the run.
She arrived at 6am with her friends, and sprinted to the trees with the gate open.
After almost 12 hours of waiting, she’s pretty tired, but said it will be worth it.
She said the secret to getting a good spot is “waking up early.”
“People started running at the beginning, so we did too. You have to,” she said.
Backpackers Holly, Maisie and Gavin, arrived at 4.45am for their spot in front of the Harbour Bridge.
They have spent the day “talking and taking in the view.”
Others like Irish couple Maeve Carew, 29, and Ciaran O’Brien, 27, are simply lucky.
The pair decided to “go big or go home” for this year’s fireworks.
“We picked to go to Dudley Reserve but found out it was ticketed, so chose to go here last minute.”
Despite the last minute change, the pair snagged a great spot, arriving at 6.45am.
SORRY, WE’RE FULL
At 5pm, the City of Sydney and NSW Police advised that multiple foreshore vantage points had reached full capacity for New Year’s Eve celebrations. They were:
- Circular Quay
- Hickson Road Reserve/Campbells Cove
- Sydney Opera House
- Royal Botanic Gardens of Sydney
- North Sydney precinct.
Other areas they advised were also filling up quickly were:
- The Rocks
- Barangaroo
SYDNEY’S NYE VANTAGE POINTS NEAR CAPACITY
By lunchtime, crowds were swarming Sydney’s CBD with some New Year’s Eve fireworks vantage points now closed to revellers.
By 1pm Hickson Road Reserve, beneath the Harbour Bridge at its southern end, was full, as was Tarpeian Lawn in the Botanic Gardens. On the eastern side of the bridge only three vantage points remained open by 3pm - West Circular Quay, The Rocks and Campbells Cove.
At 11am, entry to Fleet Steps had been cut off, Blues Point was full, and the Sydney Opera House was almost at capacity.
Queues to access Mrs Macquarie’s Point snaked past the Art Gallery of NSW into the Domain where hundred more crowded onto the grass, hopeful of being let past the fences.
• Your ultimate guide to Sydney’s New Year’s Eve fireworks
At Kirribilli, security personnel had set up tables to conduct bag checks in a music festival-style set-up.
Signage warned revellers that alcohol, drones and large tents are among the items banned.
Around the city the vantage points that opened early are already filling up, with the City of Sydney council warning Blues Point Reserve at McMahons Point is already “almost full” half an hour after opening at 9am.
Before 10am, Bennelong Lawn and Mrs Macquarie’s Point in the Royal Botanic Garden joined the growing list of vantage points almost at capacity.
Sniffer dogs were on patrol, with four-man police squads walking the dogs through the crowds as they alighted from ferries at Milsons Point.
Those who had spent hours queueing at the gates sprinted to get the best view possible, legging it to Mary Booth Reserve at the far end of the Harbour Bridge.
CROWDS CAMP OUT TO SNAG BEST NYE FIREWORKS SPOT
Crowds are already starting to gather at some of Sydney’s best fireworks vantage points.
By 7am, queues to get into the Bradfield Park vantage point in North Sydney stretched 350 metres up Alfred Street, past Milsons Point train station, with a security staff on hand to manage the hundreds-strong line.
By 8.30am, the queue had swollen out to the northern tip of Bradfield Park, 450 metres from the marshalling point.
Dozens of people had camped out overnight, arriving as early as 1am and sleeping off the wait.
Staff said the location was due to open sometime between 9am and 9.30am, with last-minute preparations still under way inside the park including food trucks bumping in.
Melbourne teen Sarai Duque and her family were among those first to arrive, setting up their picnic blanket from around 3.30am.
Her aunt Rosa is visiting Australia from Colombia, the 17-year-old explained, with her parents driving up from Melbourne for the Sydney fireworks to give Rosa a “unique experience”.
“It’s her first time (at the fireworks) too, so we wanted to give her the gift,” Sarai said.
“We brought food, snacks, blankets, everything. We came down last night, to see how it’s organised and everything, and we asked the staff members as well how it was going to work, where the entrance is.”
Mum Carolina said her hopes for the New Year are simply for the “family to be together”.
Alex Nuesslin, 24, and his friend Lawson Carse, 20 from Germany were staking out second place in the line for a group of mates still asleep back at their hostel.
The pair had just an hour earlier subbed in for friends who had arrived at 1am to claim the spot, Alex explained.
“There’s also a good lookout point on the opposite side, but some German friends of mine recommended this place here - we did a lot of research.”
Next to them in line were Brisbanite Chen Chen and her friends Ivy Chang and Kent Koyama from Melbourne, and Una Hsu from Tasmania - the group of internet friends having met for the first time to celebrate the New Year in Sydney.
“My new year’s resolution is to lose 20 kilograms,” Chen said.
VENUES CHEERS TO THE FUTURE
Celebrations are expected to provide a much-needed boost as venues prepare for the biggest night of the year.
“New Year’s Eve is always a major event for businesses,” John Green, AHA liquor and policing director, said.
“Obviously we will have one million people in Sydney for the fireworks, but people will be going out in their local suburbs having a really good time, watching local bands.”
While it may be the ideal way for businesses to wrap up the year, Mr Green said he anticipated cost-of-living pressures to persist into 2025.
Despite the ongoing strains, Sydneysiders won’t be stopped from celebrating New Year’s Eve in style.
Isabella Sertcan, 28, is looking forward to ringing in the new year at Hacienda in Circular Quay with ten of her closest friends.
“There’s just something magical about celebrating in such an iconic spot with amazing people, and watching the fireworks light up the sky, “ Ms Sertcan said.
“We will be dancing the night away.”
— By Zara Powell
Originally published as Sydney’s New Year’s Eve celebrations: Crowds stunned by fireworks spectacle
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