Sydney New Year’s Eve fireworks: Everything you need to know

The highly anticipated annual celebration is set to welcome nearly a million people into the CBD, with revellers told to prepare in advance.

The annual celebrations will feature two firework shows: the eight-minute “family fireworks” at 9pm and a 12-minute display at midnight.

With more than a million people expected to flock to Sydney Harbour and its surrounding vantage points, road closures and warnings of extra travel time on public transport have been issued.

Here’s what you need to know.

This year’s 9pm and midnight show will contain more than 58,000 individual fireworks. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Seb Haggett

Where can I see the fireworks?

There will be 49 vantage points across Sydney where revellers can view the fireworks; however, some require punters to register for a free ticket.

Crowds will be heavy and spectators have been told to get into viewing position by sunset.

Venues that don’t need ticketing will open at a specified time. Some will also offer alcohol for sale, while others allow BYO. More information is available on the City of Sydney’s New Year’s Eve website.

While some venues have reached their ticketing limits, unticketed venues include:

• Barangaroo Reserve

• Birchgrove Park

• Blues Point

• Bradfield Park and Mary Booth Reserve

• Campbells Cove

• Darling Harbour

• Dawes Point (Tar-Ra) Park

• Duff Reserve

• Dumaresq Reserve

• East Circular Quay

• Elkington Park

• Gilba Park

• Hickson Rd Reserve

Last year’s fireworks display from Point Piper in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Seb Haggett

• Illoura Reserve

• Lavender Bay Parklands

• Lookes Ave Reserve

• Manly Cove

• McKell Park

• Mort Bay Park

• Murray Rose Pool and Blackburn Gardens

• North Head

• Observatory Hill Park

• Pirrama Park

• Pyrmont Bay Park

• Rose Bay Foreshore

• Royal Botanic Garden Sydney at Bennelong Lawn

• Royal Botanic Garden Sydney at Fleet Steps

• Royal Botanic Garden Sydney at Tarpein Lawn

• Simmons Point

• Sydney Opera House

• The Rocks

• Thornton Park

• West Circular Quay

• Yarranabbe Park

• Yurulbin Park

Crowds are urged to gather early, with about a million people expected to travel into the CBD. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Brendan Read

Sydney NYE road closures

The Cahill Expressway will be closed in both directions from 6am.

Road closures in Circular Quay and The Rocks will start from 2pm.

Major roads in North Sydney, Milsons Point and Kirribilli will close from 5pm.

Most roads in the Sydney CBD centre and some roads in Pyrmont will be closed by 7pm.

Citybound lanes of the Anzac Bridge, Iron Cove Link tunnel citybound and M8 tunnel entry at Victoria Rd will close from 8.30pm to 9.30pm and again from 11pm to 1.30am.

From 8.30pm through until 1.30am, the M8 exit to City West Link and M4 exit to Anzac Bridge will be closed.

Major roads around Wynyard Station will close from 10pm.

The Sydney Harbour Bridge will be closed from 11pm until 1.30am. The same will apply with all major roads in the city, with cars unable to access the CBD after 11pm.

Preparations for one of Sydney’s busiest nights are under way. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard

Sydney revellers urged to take public transport

Drivers have also been asked to leave their cars at home and take public transport, with authorities concerned about the threat of drink-driving.

Fares will be discounted at Sunday rates and capped at $8.90 for adults, $4.45 for youth and concession and $2.50 for gold senior and pensioners.

However, Transport for NSW co-ordinator general Howard Collins urged crowds to allow extra time for travel, with road closures impacting buses and light rail services.

The CBD’s light rail services will stop running between Town Hall to Circular Quay from 2pm, with services between Central to Circular Quay stopped from 7pm to allow crowds to walk through the city.

Exclusion zones will also affect ferry routes, with most services ending after 5pm.

“We don’t want people using cars, as the advice from the police would be we don’t want people drinking and driving,” he said.

“Use public transport but do stay safe (and) allow extra time when travelling because the city has road closures.”

Sydney NYE weather forecast

Despite the week of thunderstorms and wild weather, Sunday is forecast to be cloudy with a temperature range between 19C to 24C, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

There is a slight change of an early shower, with southeasterly winds between 15 to 25km/h that will ease during the evening.