Australia gets the party started ahead of the world’s biggest New Year’s Eve fireworks display as crowds at the 9pm show shrug off Omicron concerns to line Sydney Harbour
- Sydneysiders gather around the harbour for New Year’s Eve fireworks extravaganza
- Numbers are down on pre-pandemic celebrations as Omicron Covid cases soar
- Melburnians are also heading out to enjoy the night despite searing heatwave
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Sydney is preparing to host the world’s biggest New Year’s Eve fireworks extravaganza, undeterred by fears over the Omicron strain of Covid-19 and rapidly rising case numbers.
After months of lockdowns and restrictions, revellers were determined to glam up and enjoy the night – albeit in smaller numbers than the pre-pandemic times.
First up was Sydney’s 9pm display, watched by excited locals who gathered in their thousands around the city’s picturesque harbour.
Sydney organisers have planned the biggest New Year’s Eve display since the pandemic began, with six tonnes – around 2000 fireworks – set to be used for the midnight celebration which is seen by up to a billion people worldwide.
Those who accepted the advice they were far safer from Covid-19 outdoors than indoors were rewarded with light queues and prime viewing positions for the show.
Many of those who took up the best spots had come from interstate – particularly Melbourne – as Sydneysiders made the decision to stay closer to home.
The party is also ramping up in Melbourne amid a heatwave after New Year celebrations were scrapped in 2020 due to coronavirus.
This year, there will be four dedicated zones at Flagstaff Gardens, Treasury Gardens, Alexandra Gardens and Docklands hosting street parties, outdoor dining, entertainment and live music before the midnight fireworks.
Thousands are flooding into the Beyond the City music festival at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl with acts including Jaguar Jonze, Hayden James, Pnau, Lime Cordiale, Ball Park Music and Mallrat set to take the stage.
SYDNEY
Sydney’s 9pm fireworks display dazzled thousands of revellers who lined the harbour on New Year’s Eve
Sydney’s famous harbour was awash with colour in a stunning preview of the much-anticipated midnight fireworks display
The spectacular early evening fireworks display was far more popular than the city’s exploding Covid case numbers
The spectacle of Sydney’s famous fireworks display captivated the city and the thousands of revellers who ignored Covid doomsayers and headed out for a night of fun
Smaller crowds at Sydney’s fireworks meant a ringside seat for those who made the effort on a warm night
Sydney was preparing to host the world’s biggest fireworks extravaganza on New Year’s Eve, undeterred by fears over the Omicron Covid-19 variant and rapidly rising case numbers
What’s an Omicron? Sydney revellers
It was a second subdued New Year’s Even on Sydney Harbour as the pandemic kept usually boisterous revellers away in droves. Friends (L-R) Danni Moore, 29, Tara Delaney, 28, and Sarah Kimberlin, had flown up from Melbourne for the fireworks
The best seat in the house! Queues start to form at the Opera Bar directly opposite the Harbour Bridge
Where once a million spectators would gather around the water’s edge to see the city’s world-famous fireworks display, this year’s celebrations were low-key. Husband and wife Diana Mosquera, 32, and Omar Campos, 33, enjoyed getting out of their Sydney home
MELBOURNE
Revellers arrive en masse for the Beyond The City music festival at Sidney Myer Music Bowl on December 31, 2021 in Melbourne
Pop singer Jaguar Jonze (pictured) performs to the crowd at the Beyond The City music festival at Sidney Myer Music Bowl on December 31, 2021 in Melbourne
A glammed up crew of girls gets set for a wild night of celebrations in Melbourne as the city prepares to welcome the new year
Melbourne crowds lined up for a night of celebrations at the Beyond The City music festival, despite soaring Covid infections across Victoria and the rest of Australia
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