Australians are gearing up to ring in the new year with multiple celebrations across capital cities and regional towns.
After a year characterised by cost of living pressures, more Australians say they hope to welcome 2024 minus the hefty price tag, with one in three taking advantage of free sites to view the festivities.
Sydney will be one of the world’s first major cities to celebrate, setting the tone with 20 minutes of pyrotechnics, a smoking ceremony, AI-driven projections onto the harbour bridge and illuminated boats on the water.
More than a million people are expected to flock to the harbour foreshore and surrounding vantage points.
City of Sydney fireworks director Fortunato Foti said onlookers could expect something a little different, with displays featuring bright white, peach, lime, silver, gold, violet, yellow, burnt orange, pink and blue fireworks.
Sydney mayor Clover Moore said the city’s New Year' Eve festivities result in an economic benefit of about $280 million, according to a 2019 study.
“They remind the world that Sydney is a global city for tourism, for business, for culture, for technological creativity and most important, Sydney is an inclusive and diverse city for all our communities,” she told reporters on Sunday.
More police than ever before will be out across the harbour city for one of its biggest ever celebrations, NSW Assistant Commissioner Anthony Cooke said.
He said hundreds of officers in uniform and plain clothes would be at the harbour foreshore along with a bigger police presence on public transport.
In Melbourne, the crowd is expected to be similar to New Year’s Eve 2022, when a record 475,000 revellers flooded the CBD.
A midnight fireworks display will showcase more lasers and projections than previous years, lighting up the skyline from 27 rooftops.
Fireworks in Adelaide will be on full display from the Riverbank precinct, with authorities in South Australia also warning revellers not to overdo their partying.
“Don’t welcome in 2024 in a police cell,” SA Police Assistant Commissioner Narelle Kameniar said.
“This celebration is not an excuse for drunken violent behaviour.”
Perth will be treated to two explosive displays, one at 8pm from a barge on the Swan River and a second at midnight when fireworks on top of buildings dotted across the city will announce 2024.
Forecast wet weather could put a damper on shows in parts of Australia’s east while other regions are set to swelter through heatwaves.
Parts of Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia have been put on alert with temperatures forecast to be 8C to 12C above average.
Brisbane’s official NYE program has not been altered despite heatwave conditions heading into the big night.
South Bank Parklands will host two fireworks shows along the Brisbane River, one at 8.30pm and one at midnight.
More than 80,000 fireworks will illuminate the skyline in what is expected to be Brisbane’s biggest display.
The Gold Coast council initially considered cancelling some events, with a possible risk of fire, but continues to list them on its website, including 8pm fireworks at Coomera Sports Park and Broadwater Parklands, 8.30pm at Lake Orr Varsity Promenade and 9pm at Paradise Point Parklands.
On Sunday, Sydney is forecast to be cloudy with a top of 24C, Melbourne partly cloudy with a top of 21C.
Brisbane will hit 31C, Perth 31C, Adelaide 26C, Hobart 23C, Darwin 35C and Canberra 22C.
