More than 145,000 Sydneysiders and visitors soaked up the festive spirit of Noël Sydney, a hugely popular family-friendly Christmas celebration spanning 16 nights in Sydney CBD.
Attendees got the chance to immerse themselves in a magical wonderland of Christmas trees and market stalls—selling items sourced from around the state of New South Wales—at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney.
The event also included stunning light displays on Macquarie Street’s heritage buildings, nightly performances, and drone shows.
New South Wales (NSW) Premier Dominic Perrottet said Noël Sydney not only brought festive cheer to people living and visiting Australia’s most populous city but was also a boost to the economy.
“Noël Sydney has been so important to our state—injecting dollars into the local economy and supporting local hotels, bars, restaurants, tourism operators and small businesses while bringing people together at this special time of year,” he said in a statement.
“This world-class event has delivered a significant boost to our economy but just as importantly, it has also provided visitors a summer in Sydney to remember.”
Noël Sydney is the highlight of the NSW government’s Summer in Sydney event series, featuring concerts, food experiences, international sporting events, as well as arts and cultural event.
“We are incredibly proud of the events we have been able to offer the public, from Open For Lunch to Noël Sydney and the upcoming Elevate Sydney festival on the Cahill Expressway, which showcase Sydney both locally and globally,” said Minister for Tourism and the Arts Ben Franklin.
“The NSW government has secured a bumper program of events for Sydney including Sydney Festival, United Cup (ATP and WTA tennis), HSBC Sydney 7s, Madagascar-The Musical, and Sail GP to surprise, delight and entertain visitors of all ages, from all over the world, the country and NSW.”The festival, created by AGB Events, features 80 artisan products from local businesses and regional NSW, and 17 food and beverage offerings, 23 digital Christmas trees lighting up the Royal Botanic Gardens, and 32 variety performances on the Noël Sydney main stage among others.
Aussies Spend Big on Boxing Day
Following Noël Sydney, Australians are hitting the Boxing Day sales in-store and online with a predicted $23.5 billion splurge. NSW shoppers are expected to spend the most, up an expected 9.5 percent in 2021.
Shoppers are also urged to spend within their means to avoid a debt hangover in the new year.
Despite inflation and cost of living pressures squeezing household budgets, forecasts by the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) expected retail sales to remain strong.
The record-high spend is set to be a 7.9 per cent increase on last year’s post-Christmas shopping which takes in the period from Dec. 26 to Jan. 15.
Australians are also coming back to in-store shopping after pandemic restrictions in the past two years dampened consumer confidence.
But ARA chief Paul Zahra said the days of queuing outside stores long before they opened would not return due to the rise of online shopping.
“In the past it was all about being first in-store, but with online shopping it’s much easier to not miss out,” he told AAP.
“There’s more of an ease into Boxing Day sales ... it’s a change in a good way as it’s a much more relaxed and safer way to shop.”
Zahra said fashion retailers would be the most popular among this year’s bargain hunters, with great clothing deals as stores look to clear inventories before winter.
AAP contributed to this report.
