New Year's Eve Goes Off With A Bang In Sydney

04 Jan 17

Millions of people packed Sydney city on Sunday to ring in the new year with the famous fireworks display. Barges loaded with 120 tonnes of fireworks floated in Sydney Harbour ready to light up the sky with tributes to a number of the entertainment legends that sadly passed away in 2016. Songs by some of the late stars including Prince and David Bowie were incorporated into the soundtrack with a tribute also going out to Gene Wilder. Inspiring never-before-seen pyrotechnic effects, tributes were included in both the 9pm and midnight fireworks shows.

Reflecting on the year that was, the News Year's Eve fireworks display took the opportunity to celebrate the legacy of legends passed while looking to the future with optimism. Spectacular fireworks showered from the Sydney Harbour Bridge while purple fireworks rained from barges and exploded into a 'space odyssey' above the city. Children and adults were also delighted with a wonderful Willy Wonka moment that featured in this year's fireworks.

Foti International Fireworks have designed the display for more than 20 years, with the fireworks designed to reflect the soundtrack. However stars who have passed more recently, including Carrie Fisher and George Michael, did not feature in the tribute as final preparations were completed as early as September. Composed by Imagination Australia's Alex Gooden, the music of Prince and David Bowie was specifically chosen based on its links to Australia. While Prince performed in Australia many times, his blockbuster concert at the Sydney Opera House was one of his last. David Bowie of course had a special connection to Sydney and in fact called Elizabeth Bay home for 10 years.

Unsurprisingly, the best view of the fireworks display was from the water and around 4000 boats packed Sydney Harbour to contest for the best spot. Arriving early yielded the best results, with executive director of NSW Maritime, Angus Mitchell happy with skippers who avoided exclusion zones and observed all safety precautions including navigation lights and all-important life jackets. The fireworks display was a huge success and organisers were pleased with the behaviour of the crowds both on land and on the water.