New Years Fireworks

It is the day before New Years Eve and I was thinking about it and wondered how many countries see in the new year with fireworks, the answer is somewhere between 100 and 120, that’s more than I thought.

Some of the biggest firework displays take place in Sydney, London, Las Vegas and Ras Al Khaimah. Some sources say the biggest display is in Ras Al Khaimah.

The cost of the firework display in Sydney is around $6 million, I have no idea how much is spent in other places, but I expect it is a bloody lot.

Here people start finding their spot to watch them fireworks from early on in the day as many of the prime free vantage points officially open around 9am–10am, and people begin queueing before opening time. These spots often hit capacity by lunchtime. A couple of free places are Hickson Road Reserve opened at 9am and reached capacity just after 12:30pm another is Bennelong Lawn, Tarpeian Lawn, Campbells Cove, and Circular Quay also open around 9–9:30am and fill quickly.

Most areas with clear views of the Harbour Bridge or Opera House are already packed or close to it by 12pm–2pm.

If you arrive after 4pm, your chances of getting into a top-tier free spot (Opera House surrounds, Mrs Macquaries Point, Circular Quay) drop dramatically. Many will already be closed due to capacity.

Some vantage points (e.g., Opera House forecourt) are ticketed and sell out well in advance. These guarantee entry but still require arriving early for a good position.

You may be thinking why so early?

Sydney draws over one million people to the harbour foreshore each NYE. With limited space and strict entry controls (no re-entry, bag checks, alcohol restrictions), people settle in for the whole day.

So, what do people do while waiting, well some read, some play board games or listen to podcasts and some take a nap. Of course, people need to make sure they have food, water and sunscreen and some kind of shade gear.

Three countries that do not celebrate NYE are Iran as there New Year is in March, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Somala to name a few.