Sydney knows how to throw a party. But this year, the city’s famous New Year’s Eve fireworks carry more weight than spectacle alone. As 2025 draws to a close, Sydney is preparing not just to celebrate, but to reflect, unite and quietly reaffirm what it stands for.
Across the harbour, teams are putting the final polish on what is shaping up to be the city’s largest New Year’s Eve display ever. More fireworks, more launch sites and more sky-filling drama than any year before will light up Sydney as the clock turns to 2026. Yet amid the colour and crackle, there will also be a moment of stillness and purpose.
At 11 pm, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and vessels across the harbour will glow white, a symbol of unity and peace following the horrific attacks at Bondi Beach that shook the city late in the year. For one minute, Sydney will pause. Crowds will be invited to switch on their phone torches in solidarity with the Jewish community and as a clear, collective rejection of hate.
It is a powerful gesture from a city more accustomed to making noise than silence.
“After a tragic end to the year for our city, we hope that New Year’s Eve will provide an opportunity to come together and look with hope for a peaceful and happy 2026,” said Clover Moore, Lord Mayor of Sydney.
“On our biggest night of the year, Sydney coming together will demonstrate to the world that we stand together as one community, united in love,” she said.
The scale of the night is unmistakably Sydney. More than 40,000 pyrotechnic effects will shimmer across the sky at 9 pm and again at midnight, choreographed to bespoke soundtracks. Fireworks will burst from water, land and aerial platforms, six city rooftops, the Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House, giving the harbour a 7-kilometre glittering footprint.
Fortunato Foti, creative director of Foti International Fireworks, says the ambition never fades even after nearly three decades.
“We’ve been delighting and entertaining Sydney New Year’s Eve audiences for 29 years and we strive to make every year bigger and better,” Foti said.
“Keep your eye out for cockatoos, koalas, bottlebrushes and waratahs, as well as ambitious back-to-back waterfalls off the Sydney Harbour Bridge.”
At 9 pm, Indigenous social enterprise We Are Warriors will once again lead the Calling Country segment, delivering a moving display of Aboriginal stories and talent. It is a moment that has become central to Sydney’s New Year’s Eve identity, a reminder that celebration and respect can, and should, coexist.
The midnight soundtrack comes courtesy of Sydney-born composer Jono Ma, whose 12-minute score pulses with the rhythm and energy of the city he grew up in. It is equal parts celebration and tribute, designed to be heard, felt and remembered.
For those watching at home, the ABC will broadcast live from the Opera House, capturing the fireworks from every possible angle, while KIIS FM will play the synchronised soundtracks at 9 pm and midnight.
Importantly, this year’s celebrations also shine a light on wellbeing. Mental health organisation Beyond Blue is the official charity partner, with free support available 24/7 on 1300 22 4636 or via webchat at beyondblue.org.au/getsupport.
For Sydneysiders planning the night, official information on vantage points, transport, road closures and live capacity updates is available at sydneynewyearseve.com a timely reminder that even the world’s most famous fireworks need a bit of planning.
As Sydney counts down to 2026, the message is clear. This is not just a party. It is a statement that the city remains resilient, inclusive and unafraid to stand together when it matters most. Under the fireworks, Sydney will do what it has always done best: look forward, together.
by Bridget Gomez – (c) 2025
Read Time: 3 minutes.
About the Writer.
Bridget has never been one to sit still. Of Portuguese heritage, she first trained as a nurse. She threw herself into work at the Commonwealth Veteran Affairs Repatriation Hospital, tending to old soldiers with stories almost as colourful as her own would become. It was rewarding, steady work, but wanderlust has a louder voice than routine.
So, she swapped starched uniforms for a backpack and set off on a twelve-month gallop around the globe. Along the way, she scribbled in journals, capturing the dust, the laughter, the odd missed train, and the occasional glass of wine too many. Those notebooks soon became a travel blog, her way of reliving and sharing the journeys with anyone willing to read.
Eventually, Bridget stumbled across Global Travel Media and, in her words, “the rest is history.” Now she writes with the same mix of heart and mischief that fuelled her travels.
