New Years Eve

This New Year’s Eve will be different as we celebrate in a COVID safe way. There will be no 9pm fireworks, no activities around the Harbour, instead, there will be one 7 minute fireworks display at midnight from the Bridge that will be broadcast on the ABC

Updated Monday 28 December: To maintain the safety of you, your guests, and the entire community, the frontline workers offering has been cancelled for New Year’s Eve. All vantage points reserved for frontline workers within the Green Zone will be closed and frontline worker New Year’s Eve Passes will be cancelled

There are only a few events that are celebrated worldwide, with New Year’s being celebrated in every corner of the earth.

Whether it’s the fireworks on the Sydney Harbour Bridge or the Ball Drop at Times Square, New Year’s Eve is always celebrated in extravagant style.

In Sydney, the celebrations are some of the biggest in the world with hundreds of thousands of people coming together to celebrate the coming of the New Year; with live entertainment, great music and a massive fireworks display. 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 are able to enjoy the public holiday the next day, many flock to the city for this massive celebration.

There are many live shows scheduled throughout the city, but the fireworks display on top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge is by far the biggest draws card of the NYE event.

You can also farewell 2020 and welcome 2021 with spectacular sweeping views of Sydney Harbour from Taronga Zoo. Immerse yourself in a sensory delight this New Year’s Eve, in the premium event spaces. Sample an exquisite five-course menu and live music whilst sipping on a selection of premium beverage package, including Verve champagne. Toast to the New Year, while the sky ignites into a blaze of colour above Sydney Harbour. The event runs from 7:30pm – 12:30am and costs $595 per person – sold in tables of 6 – 10 guests per table.

Green and Yellow Zones

There will also be a number of measures in place to strictly control crowd numbers around the Sydney Harbour. Designated zones will be established for Circular Quay, North Sydney, and the city. A designated Green Zone will be established for Circular Quay and at key public vantage points in North Sydney. This means only residents who live inside the zone, their guests, and those with confirmed bookings at venues such as restaurants, hotels, or bars within the area will be allowed in. Please refer to the map below.

Those with confirmed bookings, and residents, will be able to download a New Year’s Eve Pass from Service NSW. Passes will be checked prior to entry into the Green Zone area. Anyone who does not have a New Year’s Eve Pass will not be allowed to enter. A designated Yellow Zone will also be established around the Green Zone and people looking to gather in this area in large numbers may be subject to move-on Police powers.

North Sydney, Bradfield Park, Blues Point Reserve, Mary Booth Reserve, Quibaree Park, Kurraba Reserve and Cremorne Reserve will not be open to the public.

Public Transport

Public transport continues to run at a reduced capacity to maintain physical distancing across the network however plenty of extra services will run on New Year’s Eve throughout the day and night.

Due to the ‘Green Zone’ area restrictions from 5pm, there will be no public transport directly to Circular Quay from this time. Trains will be picking up only, light rail services will run to and from Town Hall only and buses that usually run to and from Circular Quay will relocate to Martin Place. There will also be no ferries running to or from Circular Quay wharves after 5pm.

Trains and buses continue to run to nearby Wynyard and Martin Place transport hubs and some ferries will continue to run to and from Barangaroo. After midnight trains and some ferries will resume running from Circular Quay.

Due to ‘Green Zone’ areas in Sydney’s North, trains from the city and ferries will not stop at Milsons Point or McMahons Point from 5pm. Trains continue to run to nearby North Sydney station.

Road Closures

To help everyone move around the Sydney CBD safely and practice physical distancing on New Year’s Eve, road closures will be in place across parts of the city this year. Roads in and around the ‘Green Zone’ area in the Sydney CBD will progressively close from 2pm. In Sydney’s North, roads will close from 7pm around North Sydney, Kirribilli, and Milsons Point. Some local roads will close earlier in the day.

Please refer to the road closure maps below for the CBD and North Sydney.

Watching on TV & Online

The theme for the evening is We Are One and broadcasting the annual New Year’s Eve program live from the Opera House in Sydney and Melbourne’s Sidney Myer Music Bowl, the ABC will bring us all together for a night of music, fun and fireworks.

Kicking off at 8:30pm a special family-friendly variety program hosted by Rove McManus, Kiki Masella and Chenelle Carr featuring a fireworks display of highlights from years gone by. Later in the evening, hosts Zan Rowe and Charlie Pickering will introduce a stunning line-up of Aussie talent and musical performances.

Headlining the musical entertainment from Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne, we’ll be joined by legend Paul Kelly performing a concert-length set of songs from his beloved catalogue with some very special guests. From the Sydney Opera House, indie-pop singer-songwriter Amy Shark will take to the stage fresh.

Joining the night’s line-up after releasing one of the biggest albums of the year are indie rockers, the DMA’S and the Sydney Harbour backdrop will be the perfect setting for folk-electro singer Vera Blue’s graceful tones. Blues-rock band the Teskey Brothers will then serenade their hometown of Melbourne with their sublime soul sound. The reigning queen of New Year’s Eve Casey Donovan returns for what has become an annual tradition and there will be a heartfelt tribute to Helen Reddy from rising star Odette. Multi-instrumentalist Ben Lee will open the concert by reminding us we’re all in this together.

At midnight, the night sky will light up with a live firework display as we say goodbye to 2020 and welcome to the New Year.

To enjoy the ABC’s New Year’s Eve 2020 celebrations:

• Watch the entire event starting at 8:30pm on ABC TV or ABC iview.  (The NYE early night show (8:30pm – 9:05pm) will also be broadcast on ABC ME).   It will also be available on ABC Radio online via the individual ABC radio homepages or the ABC listen app (the NYE concert will be simulcast from 10pm AEDT across ABC radio).

• Overseas viewers can watch the live concert via ABC Australia, the ABC Australia iview app and on ABC Radio online via the individual ABC radio homepages (the NYE concert will be simulcast from 10pm AEDT across ABC radio).

If you are coming to Sydney to celebrate NYE, click the link below to secure your accommodation early before it all books out!