New Year's Day revellers refuse to let the rain dampen their spirits as they let their hair down at Field Day festival
Rain and overcast skies haven't stopped thousands of revellers from flocking to Sydney's Field Day festival, determined to kick off the New Year in style.
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By NICHOLAS COMINO, NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA
Published: 05:59 GMT, 1 January 2026 | Updated: 05:59 GMT, 1 January 2026
Sydney's biggest New Year's Day party is in full swing, with grey skies and drizzle failing to dampen the spirits of thousands of festival-goers flooding The Domain.
By mid-afternoon, the grounds were alive with bold colours, dazzling outfits and barely-there outfits as revellers shrugged off the wet weather to welcome 2026 in true Sydney style.
Gates swung open at midday, and crowds quickly transformed the city's iconic park into a shimmering sea of sequins, glitter and festival chic.
Now entrenched as a staple on Sydney's New Year calendar, Field Day promises a marathon session of music and revelry right through until 11pm.
British dance icon Carl Cox tops the bill tonight, joined by Italian techno powerhouse Deborah De Luca, Danish maestro Kölsch and much-loved house DJ Patrick Topping.
Local favourites The Presets and Bag Raiders lead the homegrown lineup, with a strong supporting cast of both international and Australian talent set to keep the crowd moving.
This year, though, it's not just the music taking centre stage, with Field Day making headlines for its focus on safety.
In a first for the event, the NSW Government has rolled out voluntary drug testing as part of a new harm minimisation initiative.
Festival-goers have descended on The Domain for the Field Day music festival
Up to 20,000 people are expected to attend the festival in Sydney
Police officers are seen at the entrance to the festival
Many braced the wet and windy conditions for a day of music and fun
Gates opened at midday on New Year's Day
The music festival will be held from midday until 11pm at The Domain
Spirits were high as thousands of revellers arrived at the festival on Thursday
One man opted to wear a furry pink animal hat to the festivities
The park quickly became a sea of sequins and bright colours as revellers arrived
Field Day promises a marathon session of music and revelry right through until 11pm