Only a few events are celebrated worldwide, with New Year’s celebrated in every corner of the earth.
Whether the fireworks on the Sydney Harbour Bridge or the Ball Drop at Times Square, New Year’s Eve is always celebrated extravagantly.
Sydney New Year’s Eve 2025/2026, NYE Party Events, Harbour Fireworks & Tickets
New Year’s Eve in Sydney is one of the most anticipated celebrations of the year. As it is summertime in Sydney and most people can enjoy the public holiday the next day, many flock to the city for this massive celebration.
Many live shows are scheduled throughout the city, but the fireworks display on top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge is the biggest draw card of the NYE event.
Schedule
Times for the night so you can enjoy every moment.
7:30pm – Smoking Ceremony
A ritual of purification and unity of smouldering native plants on the iconic vessels Tribal Warrior, Mari Nawi and Wirawi. Produced by Tribal Warrior Association.
8:30pm – Welcome to Country
Welcome to Country Elders from the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council welcome visitors to Gadigal land.
8:30pm – Pylon projections and lighting effects
Projections enliven the Sydney Harbour Bridge pylons throughout the night. Lighting effects on the eastern side dazzle the harbour foreshore.
9pm – Calling Country fireworks
A celebration of sky, land and sea country, presented by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists through music, dance and illustration. Produced by We Are Warriors.
9:15pm – Sydney Harbour Lights
Boats adorned with lights create a visual spectacle as they glide across the harbour. Produced by Australian Commercial Marine Group.
Midnight – Fireworks
Ring in the new year with the world’s best fireworks show, featuring pyrotechnics launched for the first time from both the eastern and western sides of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House and some of Sydney’s iconic landmarks.
If you are coming to Sydney to celebrate NYE, click the link below to secure your accommodation before it all books out! Also, please check out the official website’s vantage point map and event list for full details on each location and to book your tickets.
Live stream
The fireworks are streamed live on the official website at 9pm and midnight. You can also enjoy the broadcast on TV and a synchronised soundtrack on the radio.
Stream
Watch the fireworks on the official website at 9pm and midnight. You can watch from anywhere in the world.
You can also stream live on ABC TV’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.
See the Welcome to Country ceremony and Calling Country fireworks at 9pm and the midnight fireworks spectacular.
All events take place in Sydney time.
TV
You can watch the event on ABC and iview. The broadcast begins at 8:30pm.
Public Transport
Large crowds are expected, so it’s best to plan your trip ahead of time and consider all the available travel options. Remember to check vantage point capacity updates before leaving home and while you’re going to the event.
You can tap on and off public transport services using an Opal card, debit or credit card or linked device.
How you arrive during the day may be different from how you leave after the midnight fireworks. Transport services will be affected by road closures and crowds throughout the night. Be patient and follow the directions of the event staff. Consider travelling home after 1am to avoid the crowds.
There’ll be no direct public transport access to Circular Quay and surrounding vantage points from around 3pm. Allow extra time and be prepared to walk from other nearby transport hubs.
Trains
Extra trains will run during the day on New Year’s Eve and into the early hours of the new year.
To safely manage crowds, these stations have different arrangements for New Year’s Eve:
Circular Quay: from 3pm until midnight, trains will not stop at Circular Quay station. To access harbour foreshore vantage points, use Wynyard, St James or Martin Place stations and continue on foot.
Martin Place: no access to train services from Martin Place metro station in the evening.
Milsons Point: from 6pm until midnight, trains from the city to the north shore will not stop at Milsons Point. For access to the Milsons Point and Kirribilli areas, get off at North Sydney station.
Domestic Airport and International Airport: from 12:30am to 4:30am, trains will not stop at Domestic Airport and International Airport stations. Sydney Airport will be closed during this time.
Metro
On New Year’s Eve, metro services will run frequently throughout the day and into the early hours of New Year’s Day.
Metro stations in the city are in Barangaroo, Martin Place, Gadigal (near Town Hall) and Central.
To access Circular Quay vantage points, get off at Martin Place and continue on foot towards the harbour and Circular Quay.
To access Darling Harbour, get off at Gadigal or Central stations.
For access to North Sydney vantage points, including Blues Point, Bradfield Park, Mary Booth Reserve, Lavender Bay Parklands and Luna Park, the closest metro station is Victoria Cross.
To safely manage crowds, these metro stations have different arrangements for New Year’s Eve:
Barangaroo: from 5pm to 11:45pm, Barangaroo station will be closed. Use Martin Place or Wynyard stations and continue on foot to Barangaroo.
Martin Place and Gadigal stations will have different entry and exit points.
Victoria Cross: from 8pm Victoria Cross station will operate as one-way pedestrian entry via Miller Street only. Exit only via Denison Street.
To safely manage crowds after the midnight fireworks in the North Sydney, Milsons Point and Kirribilli areas, you will be directed to trains or metro services depending on their destination.
If you’re travelling to stations in the north, catch metro services from Victoria Cross via the Miller Street entry. If you’re traveling south back across the Harbour Bridge, catch trains from North Sydney station via Blue Street instead.
Buses
Thousands of extra bus services will run throughout the day and night to help you get to and from the celebrations.
Buses will be affected by road closures and use different routes and stops as roads close throughout the night. Be prepared to walk further than usual between bus stops and vantage points. The bus stop you arrive at is likely to be different to where you need to catch buses home after the midnight fireworks, so plan your trip.
In the city: from 2pm buses usually run to Circular Quay will relocate to Martin Place. From 5pm and 7pm, all buses will use temporary terminals at Hyde Park, Wynyard, Queen Victoria Building and Town Hall. Some local buses will also be affected by closures earlier in the day.
In North Sydney: from 3pm buses will divert and use different stops around North Sydney and Victoria Cross stations. Due to road closures, buses will not run to Milsons Point or McMahons Point.
Buses in other local council areas, including Inner West, Hunters Hill, Lane Cove, Mosman, Northern Beaches, Randwick, Waverley, and Woollahra, will also be affected by road closures, so plan ahead.
Ferries
Ferries are a very popular way to travel on New Year’s Eve, and services typically begin to reach capacity from mid-afternoon. If you’re looking to catch a ferry, plan to arrive early in the day as queues will be long and consider an alternative transport option,n including local bus services if ferries are full. Plan your trip before leaving home.
Access to ferry wharves, including Circular Quay, Milsons Point and McMahons Point, will be affected on New Year’s Eve as surrounding vantage points reach capacity during the day. Some ferries will stop operating on the harbour from the early evening.
Service changes:
Ferries will not stop at McMahons Point Wharf from 10am and Milsons Point Wharf from 3pm. Catch trains to North Sydney or Milsons Point stations instead.
Ferries will not stop at Woolwich Wharf from 11:30am.
From around 5.30pm, ferries will not run to or from Circular Quay.
Limited ferries operate only after midnight fireworks to Manly and lower north shore wharves.
There are no late-night ferries on the F3 Parramatta River, F4 Pyrmont Bay, F7 Double Bay and F9 Watsons Bay routes.
Light rail
Sydney light rail services run regularly through the city centre, south-east and inner-west suburbs. Services will run until 4am on New Year’s Day.
- L1 Dulwich Hill light rail services run regularly between Dulwich Hill and Central Station (Grand Concourse).
- L2 Randwick light rail services run between Circular Quay and Randwick via Central Station (Chalmers Street), and L3 Kingsford line services run between Circular Quay and Juniors Kingsford via Central Station (Chalmers Street).
Light rail service changes:
- From 2pm L2 and L3 services will not run between Circular Quay and Town Hall due to road closures.
- From 7pm L2 and L3 services will start and end at Central due to road closures.
Change at Central for trains to Wynyard or take the metro to Martin Place to get within closer walking distance of the harbour. For access to Darling Harbour and Pyrmont, walk, get off at Town Hall or Central.
From 8pm to 2:30am L1 services will not run between Convention and Central due to large crowds and road closures. Continue on foot towards Central for trains home.
Walking and riding
Some roads will be closed to people walking and cycling. The Sydney Harbour Bridge walkway and cycleway will close from 6pm on New Year’s Eve until 2am on New Year’s Day.
The Cahill Expressway walkway over Circular Quay will close from 6am Tuesday, 31 December, until 5:30am on Wednesday, 1 January. The Western Distributor walkway above Darling Harbour will be closed twice during the fireworks shows, from 8:30pm to 9:15pm and from 11:30pm to 12:30am.
Major cycleways in the city centre will be closed as roads begin to close for safety throughout the day. Spaces to lock up bikes in the city will be limited.
Bicycles (including share bikes and food delivery services) are not permitted to ride on closed roads. Be prepared to dismount and walk your bicycle to your destination once roads have closed. There is no way to see the fireworks by bicycle.
The City of Sydney will set up shared bike hubs in the city East, Central, and Pyrmont outside the road closures. Riders can complete their journey by public transport or on foot. Refer to the Sydney New Year’s Eve website for more information.
Don’t drink and ride. People riding bikes face the same alcohol restrictions as drivers.
Road Closures
Leave the car at home. If you plan on driving on New Year’s Eve, you should know a few things.
With so many parking restrictions and major roads closed, you can’t drive to vantage points or see the fireworks from your car. Leave your car at home and catch public transport instead, with thousands of extra services running throughout the night.
In the city centre some roads start closing from as early as 4am with major closures from 2pm.
In North Sydney, Milsons Point and Kirribilli major roads start closing from 5pm, with some early morning local road closures. Roads around vantage points at the waterfront close from 7pm on Monday 30 December.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge will be completely closed in both directions from 11pm ahead of the midnight fireworks.
Most roads in North Sydney and Milsons Point will reopen by 3am, and in the city centre by 4am.
For real-time updates on traffic conditions and road closures during New Year’s Eve, visit the Live Traffic NSW website.
Boating
With many spectators visiting the harbour to enjoy Sydney New Year’s Eve, some boating restrictions will be in place.
Exclusion zone
Exclusion Zones for New Year’s Eve on Sydney Harbour are marked by yellow boundary buoys and patrolled by maritime, Police, and Marine Rescue vessels.
An exclusion zone will be in place between Balls Head and Bradleys Head. An additional exclusion zone will also be in place east of Cockatoo Island and Glebe Island. No unauthorised traffic will be allowed inside these zones from 8pm on New Year’s Eve to 12:45am on New Year’s Day.
A 6-knot and minimum wash restriction applies from 3pm on New Year’s Eve until 2am on New Year’s Day.
There are no anchoring restricted areas from 8am on New Year’s Eve.
Safety messages will be broadcast on marine VHF channels 16 and 88. In an emergency, call 000 (triple zero).
With congestion around boat ramps and a 6-knot speed restriction, allow extra time to get to your desired viewing area. Popular spots such as Farm Cove and Athol Bay fill up quickly, so getting in position early is best. Vessels over 15 metres are not permitted in Farm Cove.
Safely prepare your vessel by ensuring you have all the correct equipment on board, including an appropriate lifejacket for all crew and passengers. Know where to locate your safety equipment in the event of an emergency. Check that your navigation lights are correct and in good working order. Keep a proper lookout at all times.
Recommended vantage points
- North-west of the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Clarkes Point, Balls Head, Berrys Bay, Lavender Bay. - South-west of the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Mort Bay, Ballast Point, Snails Bay, Blackwattle Bay - North-east of the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Kurraba Point, Cremorne Point, Neutral Bay, Mosman Bay, Athol Bay. - South-east of the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Farm Cove, Woolloomooloo Bay, Rushcutters Bay, Double Bay, Rose Bay.
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