Sydney New Year’s Eve as it happened: Sydney welcomes 2026 with spectacular fireworks display
SOURCE:Sydney Morning Herald|BY:Emily Kaine
Look back on our live coverage as Sydney celebrated New Year’s Eve and welcomed 2026 amid a heightened police presence following the Bondi terror attack.
Lights shine on Sydney harbour in moving Bondi tribute
By Josefine Ganko
The New Year’s Eve crowds fell silent for one minute to remember the 15 people killed in the Bondi Beach shooting earlier this month, in a show of solidarity with Sydney’s Jewish community.
With the Sydney Harbour Bridge illuminated white and the lights of thousands of torches glowing, the city stopped to remember and reflect.
As the minute of silence ended, singer Matt Corby gave a moving performance of INXS’ Never Tear Us Apart on the ABC’s New Year’s Eve coverage.
‘Peace’ and ‘Unity’ were written on the bridge during the minute of silence.Credit: Edwina Pickles
Concertgoers hold up torch lights during the minute of silence.Credit: ABC
10.46pm
Moment of Unity to remember Bondi victims
By Josefine Ganko
Amidst the revelry of a night usually reserved for joy and celebration, Sydney will pause to reflect on the Bondi Beach attack that terrorised the Jewish community and the city earlier this month.
The Moment of Unity at 11pm will see Sydney Harbour Bridge glow white, to symbolise peace and unity.
Those positioned along the harbour are asked to turn on their phone torches and shine their lights across the water, as a mark of the city’s solidarity with the Jewish community and all those impacted by the attack.
10.30pm
Pacific nations welcome 2026
By Josefine Ganko
Half an hour ago, at 10pm on Australia’s east coast, 2026 began in New Zealand, Samoa and Tonga.
Auckland’s firework display marks the first major city to ring in the New Year. New Zealand’s most populous city puts on a spectacle from the nation’s tallest structure, Sky Tower. The five-minute display involved 3,500 fireworks launched from various floors of the 240-metre tower.
10.17pm
Bridge turns blue for mental health awareness
By Josefine Ganko
As the clock struck 10pm, the Sydney Harbour Bridge was lit up in blue to recognise the work of the official charity partner of the City of Sydney, Beyond Blue.
The “Beyond Blue moment” paid tribute to the charity’s efforts to provide free mental health support to Australians around the clock.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is illuminated in recognition of the City of Sydney’s official charity partner, Beyond Blue.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer
10.05pm
They come from all over for fireworks seen around the world
By Jack Gramenz and Aidan Elwig Pollock
Marcel and Stephanie Kullmann took their first chance to get an in-person look at a sight they’ve been watching for years.
From Germany, the pair moved to Australia in February, but they were among the crowd at Lavender Bay Parklands on Wednesday, staking out a spot and waiting for the sun to go down.
“Sydney’s fireworks are famous all over the world,” Marcel said.
“On German television, that’s like the first thing they bring on New Year’s Eve … it’s very legendary,” Stephanie said.
Marcel and Stephanie Kullmann, who moved to Australia from Germany in February, waiting for the fireworks in Sydney on December 31, 2025.Credit: Jack Gramenz
Adrian, Paulina and Flora, also from Germany, grabbed a spot about three hours before it was declared full on Wednesday afternoon.
“I’m from Munich,” Flora said, “but I live in Melbourne and Paulina and I are friends from home.”
“We just met here,” Paulina said, pointing at Adrian.
But the trio hadn’t made the trip from Europe just for New Year’s Eve.
“This is something to do when you’re already in Australia, on the East Coast,” Adrian said.
Adrian, Paulina and Flora managed to make it into a vantage point before it reached capacity for Sydney’s New Year’s Eve celebrations on December 31, 2025.Credit: Jack Gramenz
International students Louis Wibow and Khalid were surprised to find a spot in Bradfield Park so quickly on Wednesday afternoon.
“I just got here like, 20 minutes ago,” Wibow said, “I was expecting this place to be much, much busier.”
International students Khalid (L) and Louis (R) waiting for the fireworks on New Year’s Eve in Sydney.Credit: Aidan Elwig Pollock
It’s Khalid’s second New Year’s Eve fireworks in Sydney.
“I think it will be busy,” Khalid said.
“Last year was more crowded, but the crowd is gathering.”
Newlyweds Raju and Lalli came up from Melbourne to watch Sydney’s New Year’s Eve fireworks.Credit: Jack Gramenz
Newlyweds Raju and Lalli came up from Melbourne to watch Sydney’s New Year’s Eve fireworks.
The pair made it into Bradfield Park, under the northern side of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, about two hours before the vantage point was full on Wednesday afternoon.
Raju has attended a couple of times and said it didn’t seem as busy as some recent years, when “it was more than busy”.
9.37pm
Sydney New Year’s Eve in pictures
By Jack Gramenz
While we’re waiting for midnight, take a look back at the day.
Our Herald photographers have been out and about around the city and harbour, capturing the sights as Sydney prepares for 2026.
9.35pm
It’s 2026 somewhere
By Jack Gramenz
Kiritimati is sometimes known as Christmas Island, but the small island in the Pacific Ocean, part of the Republic of Kiribati, could do well to adopt a different part of the December holiday period.
Its position and time zone means it celebrates the new year earlier than pretty much anywhere else on earth.
It’s now 2026 in Kiritimati, but here in Sydney we’ve still got a couple more hours to go.
But when we do hit midnight, people around the world will be tuning in to watch the fireworks explode over the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Not long to go now.
9.27pm
More pictures of the 9pm Calling Country fireworks
By Jack Gramenz
Amazingly it’s not over yet, we’re now less than three hours away from midnight, a new year, and a fireworks display that will be watched around the world over the next 24 hours.
Here are some more shots of the 9pm Calling Country fireworks curated by We Are Warriors.
The 9pm New Year’s Eve fireworks on Sydney Harbour, photographed from Mrs Macquaries Chair in Sydney on December 31, 2025Credit: Dominic Lorrimer
The 9pm New Year’s Eve fireworks, seen from Circular Quay, Sydney, on December 31, 2025. Credit: Edwina Pickles
Fireworks exploding over Sydney Opera House on New Year’s Eve 2025.Credit: Edwina Pickles
The 9pm New Year’s Eve fireworks, Sydney, on December 31, 2025. Credit: Edwina Pickles
9.07pm
First fireworks light up the harbour as Sydney celebrates
By Jack Gramenz
The first fireworks of Sydney’s New Year’s Eve celebration have lit up Sydney Harbour.
Crowds who queued and waited for hours on Wednesday got their first taste of one of the world’s biggest fireworks displays with the Calling Country fireworks at 9pm.
The 9pm New Year’s Eve fireworks on Sydney HarbourCredit: Dominic Lorrimer
The 9pm New Year’s Eve fireworks celebrated sky, land and sea countryCredit: Dominic Lorrimer
The celebration of sky, land and sea country, presented by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists through music, dance and illustration, were curated by Indigenous social enterprise group We Are Warriors.
Founded by Indigenous Australian rapper Nooky, We Are Warriors is a platform dedicated to celebrating Blak excellence and empowering Indigenous youth.
Nooky performed on stage with Jem Cassar-Daley before the fireworks lit up the sky.
8.43pm
Not long now to wait after year’s final hours whiled away
By Jack Gramenz
Around rapidly filling and already-at-capacity vantage points, where people are amassing to watch Sydney’s New Year’s Eve fireworks, revellers have been trying to pass the time.
Crowds began filing in early in the morning on Wednesday, after some began queueing on Tuesday, and while we’re now within half an hour of the first fireworks, many have spent hours waiting.
To pass the time, people have turned to books, board games, cards and Bluetooth speakers to keep themselves entertained by the harbour foreshore.
Kids playing street cricket at Dee Why Beach.Credit: Danielle Smith
Families at Dee Why Beach having fun on New Year’s Eve.Credit: Danielle Smith
Further away, where families may instead be waiting to watch the fireworks on TV, children have been playing cricket in the street or racing around in shopping trolleys in Dee Why, on Sydney’s northern beaches.
In Bradfield Park, under the Harbour Bridge on the northern side of the harbour, a group of boys passed a ball around as the NSW Police helicopter hovered into view on Wednesday afternoon.
Crowds were told to expect a heightened police presence.Credit: Jack Gramenz
Revellers at Mrs Macquaries Chair, the first vantage point to fill on Wednesday, tried out crowd-surfing, while others napped the day away.
Crowd-surfing at Mrs Macquaries Chair, as people wait for the New Year’s Eve fireworks.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer
People gather at Mrs Macquaries Chair as they wait ahead of the New Year’s Eve fireworks Credit: Flavio Brancaleone
