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If you want to ring in the new year early, head Down Under and check out the amazing annual New Year’s Eve fireworks display put on by the city of Sydney, Australia in the harbor near the famous Opera House.
The Sydney New Year’s Eve Fireworks Live Stream
The live stream goes live at 8:30 p.m. Australian Eastern Daylight Time on New Year’s Eve, which is 4:30 a.m. Eastern and 1:30 a.m. Pacific time in the United States.
According to the Facebook page, the all-star lineup of performers includes Tina Arena, Delta Goodrem, Jimmy Barnes, Missy Higgins, Casey Donovan, hip hop sensation Genesis Owusu, Budjerah, Gordi, Tyne James Organ, breakthrough electronic music duo Shouse, as well as country music favorites Beccy Cole and Adam Harvey, then at both 9 p.m. and midnight comes the harbor fireworks display outside of the historic Sydney Opera House. The festivities are hosted by Charlie Pickering, Zan Rowe and Jeremy Fernandez.
The 9 p.m. fireworks are the “Welcome to Country” fireworks and their description reads, “Curated by First Nations artist Blak Douglas, the family-friendly show features projections of dancers, whale and eel totems, a fireworks display, an exclusive soundtrack and a hip-hop performance.”
Then at midnight come the New Year’s fireworks. Their description reads, “See Sydney shine in spectacular fashion. The display features pyrotechnic effects launched from the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House and barges in the harbor.”
New Year’s Eve Fun Facts
New Year’s Eve is the celebration that marks the end of the Gregorian calendar year. The Gregorian calendar was first introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 and he is who the calendar is named for, though January 1 as the start of the year actually dates back to Julius Caesar and his eponymous calendar, according to the History Channel.
The annual celebration has many names across the globe, including Calennig in Wales, Hogmanay in Scotland, Baharu in Indonesia and Malaysia, Silvester in many European countries, Kanun Novadgo Goda in Russia, Omisoka in Japan, and Reveillon in France, Portugal, and Brazil.
According to Mental Floss, the first places to ring in the new year Tonga, Samoa and New Zealand, because they are located just west of the International Date Line. Howland Island and Baker Island of the United States are the very last places to celebrate because they are located just east of the International Date Line. What is interesting is that because the International Date Line zig-zags a bit, Kiritimati is actually east of Baker Island.
The United States is known for ringing in the new year with “drops,” i.e. when some large object descends during a countdown. The most famous one is, of course, the ball drop in Times Square in New York City, but there are a bunch of other drops held nationwide, including A peach drop in Atlanta, Georgia; an Indy car drop in Indianapolis, Indiana; a conch shell drop in Key West, Florida, a fleur-de-lis drop in New Orleans; a potato drop in Boise, Idaho; and a tortilla chip drop in Tempe, Arizona.
Fireworks displays are also very popular around the globe. Sydney, Australia famously holds a huge display in the harbor. Other cities that have notable fireworks displays include Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, London, England, Nashville, Las Vegas, and all across Canada
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