Bye bye, 2025: How Melbourne is welcoming the New Year
SOURCE:Sydney Morning Herald|BY:Isabel McMillan
Whether you’re planning to farewell the year that was with a toast by the Yarra with friends, or watch the early fireworks with the kids at Treasury Park, Melbourne is preparing to bring in 2026 with style. See how the night unfolds here.
Thousands of families braved the cold evening winds to watch the early fireworks from Treasury Gardens, before heading off to see in 2026 from the comfort of home.
The seven-minute fireworks shows lit up the sky across Melbourne from 9.30pm before the main show kicks off at midnight.
The 9.30pm fireworks show at Treasury Gardens.Credit: Eddie Jim
Earlier in the evening, early bird revellers began occupying vantage points on the banks of the Yarra River in preparation for the midnight fireworks display.
Spending their first New Year’s Eve together as a couple, Kellie Lovett and Darren Parker are enjoying a picnic date before the evening’s celebrations.
Darren Parker and Kellie Lovett are spending their first New Year’s together as a couple.Credit: Eddie Jim
“We’re looking forward to spending more time like this,” Parker said. The Mornington Peninsula couple came prepared with a snack box and plenty of wine to sip.
“We’ve found each other after a long, long time,” Lovett said. “So [we’re] really looking forward to doing more of this.”
Just metres away, Eliza Chinn from the UK is excited to enjoy her first Australian New Year’s Eve. She’s in Melbourne with fellow Brit George White after finishing her master’s degree back home. They’ve both heard the fireworks display here is like no other.
“I think it’s going to be big,” White said, after spending last New Year’s Eve in Brisbane.
Eliza Chinn and George White, both from the UK, were looking forward to the fireworks tonight. Credit: Eddie Jim
“I did New Year’s Eve in London last year, so really excited to compare,” Chinn said. “I like it here. Although the weather is strange.”
Chinn’s main goal for the new year is to cut down her screen time. White wants to continue exploring Australia more.
The two couples are among about 500,000 people expected to gather across the city centre.
The first of two seven-minute fireworks and light shows lit up the skies above Treasury Gardens at 9.30pm – designed for young families – with the other kicking off at midnight. The fireworks will be visible from many parts of Melbourne, with organisers claiming they can be viewed from as far away as Frankston and the Dandenong Ranges.
More than 13,000 people also attended the first New Year’s Eve twilight meeting to be held at Flemington Racecourse. Family groups spread out across the vast lawn area with thousands of children ranging in age from toddlers to teenagers.
New Year’s Eve celebrations at Flemington Racecourse.Credit: Getty Images
They braved gusty winds and temperatures that hovered between 15 and 16 degrees. The last race was run at 7.30pm but at least half of the crowd stayed on to witness the spectacular 9.30pm fireworks in nearby Footscray Park. The racecourse was staying open until 1am for people to count in the new year.
Christine Taylor is visiting Melbourne from the UK for her first Australian new year. She, along with her daughter Katie and her three grandchildren, were among thousands in the crowd at Treasury Gardens for the early fireworks.
“It’s just something fun for the kids really,” she said. “Obviously, they’re not going to make it through to midnight, so this is a nice way to celebrate with them. We’ve come over from England. This is my first time spending the holidays in Australia.
“There’s just so much to do here, especially for the children. It’s really nice.”
Lord Mayor Nick Reece has promised tonight’s fireworks display across Melbourne’s CBD, which cost about $6 million, would be the city’s “biggest and best show yet”.
By 6pm, a long line of partygoers had flocked to Yarra-side floating bar, Arbory Afloat. This year, the bar celebrated its 10th New Year’s Eve event, with more than 1500 people expected to pour into both the floating venue and nearby Arbory Eatery.
Partygoers Georgia Beddall, Ben Cross, Ross Bateman, Angus Linney and Brooke O”Brien at Arbory Afloat.Credit: Eddie Jim
Embracing this year’s theme of all white for peace and prosperity, friends Charlie Holland, from the UK, and Tania McNair, from Geelong, added a pop of colour to honour the recent tragedy in Bondi.
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Melbourne City Council established four designated celebration zones offering good views of the fireworks, at Kings Domain, Flagstaff Gardens and Treasury Gardens in Melbourne’s CDB, and Victoria Promenade in Docklands. The zones were family-friendly and free, and featured DJs and food trucks to keep partygoers entertained during the countdown to midnight.
Bars and restaurants across the city spent the day readying their venues for midnight celebrations, with the cooler-than-average weather doing little to deter people from seeing in 2026 outdoors.
Partygoers were well advised to bring a jacket, with the mercury dropping to 13 degrees (or what felt as cold as just 10 degrees), following a high of 19 degrees on Wednesday.
Police were out in force to ensure everyone had a safe start to the new year. As many as 2500 police officers were rostered on – including 500 in the inner city.
Public transport was free between 6pm on Wednesday, right through to 6am on New Year’s Day, with extra trains and trams running throughout the city as well as extra VLine services.
Major stations Parliament, Melbourne Central and Flagstaff will operate until 3am. Southern Cross and Flinders Street stations will remain open throughout the night.
Commuters are being advised to plan ahead and check for any disruptions.
Fireworks light up Melbourne’s CBD on New Year’s Eve 2025.Credit: Getty Images
There will be several road closures impacting traffic in the city, including sections of major thoroughfares Flinders Street, Swanston Street, Spring Street and Bourke Street. Most closures will end by early on New Year’s Day.
Hundreds of Crown Casino employees are expected to spend their New Year’s Eve on strike to protest major pay cuts. Workers will take protected industrial action after voting to reject a proposal that would see new employees paid between 16 per cent and 32 per cent less than existing workers for identical roles. Employees across different operational teams including bar staff, table game dealers and security will leave their positions from 10pm until 2am.
With Angus Delaney, Danny Russell and AAP
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