TRANSCRIPT
With a million spectators expected along Sydney Harbour foreshore and a global audience of millions more, preparations are well underway for the city's 12-minute New Year's Eve fireworks show.
This year, the focus will be firmly anchored around First Nations traditions and for the first time in the event’s history, visual animations created by artificial intelligence will be projected throughout the evening on the pylons of Sydney Harbour Bridge.
City of Sydney Major Events executive producer, Stephen Gilby says they're looking forward to a return to normal after the COVID pandemic.
“We did really come back from COVID last year a little bit, but this year it really feels like things are getting back to normal. I really think everybody's very keen to get out there and enjoy the evening.”
Mr Gilby says this year sees the involvement of First Nation social enterprise, We Are Warriors.
“This year, we've engaged, We Are Warriors. So, they are a social organisation, First Nation social organisation, and we have Nooky, who is quite a well-known rapper and artist in Australia, who is leading with that and he's performing some of the music, he's really driving some of the creative along with a whole bunch of other artists, and it really creates an opportunity for a lot of other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists to have a platform and to be employed through this project and to really recognize that we are here on Gadigal land in Sydney. We are on Aboriginal land, and we are celebrating that living culture that is here and really deserves to be recognised on that global scale.”
To kickstart the evening, a smoking ceremony will be happening on three boats to ‘cleanse the harbour of negative spirits in preparation for the new year.”
Performed by the Tribal Warrior Association, the ceremony uses eucalyptus leaves to purify and unify and pay respect to the traditional custodians of the land, past and present.
Then, at 9pm, a pylon projection created by We Are Warriors and illustrator Janelle Burger will focus on stories handed down from generation to generation to keep Indigenous culture and identity alive.
We Are Warriors founder Nooky says the central theme is that in Australia, people are never off country, and everywhere you go is Aboriginal land.
“I think it's, you know, a full-on display of Black excellence and greatness. We're putting the spotlight on our people and the achievements of our people, while following the steps of our traditional ceremony of calling country, which is activating the space before, you know, you do what you've got to do. So yeah, that's kind of what you can expect. You can expect some 3D visuals, some 2D visuals from a Noongar illustrator, Janelle Burger. And yeah, we just really tried to go all out and make something that everyone will remember.”
For the past 27 years, it’s been up to Fortunato Foti and his crew to organize the firework display.
The midnight and main display will be launched from five city rooftops, with 18,000 separate cues synchronising the fireworks to the music soundtrack.
“There's 18 shipping containers of equipment that will be spread across the six barges, the four pontoons, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Opera House and the 5 Sydney rooftops. 13,000 aerial fireworks, 36,000 ground-based effects. You know, there is a bit happening. 11 kilometres of cable that will interface the fireworks with the firing system which interfaces with the soundtrack. So, there's a bit happening. There's a lot of work involved logistically to make New Year’s Eve happen and, you know, we'll have a crew of 50 people working over 10 days prepping each of the locations to make sure New Year's Eve goes off at midnight.”
The 12-minute show will include aerial shells in the shape of serpents, Saturn rings and horse tail willow shells.
He says the aim is to make each year's show better than the last.
“With a soundtrack centred around, revolving around the sun, it's like we’re all revolving into a new year and the fireworks will reflect that, as well as some of the designs on the Sydney Harbour Bridge revolving around. So, you can just imagine what we'll be doing, and you know we're looking forward to it. It's our 27th New Year, but each year’s special for us because it's a new year. So, you know, hopefully everyone will walk away saying that was the best one and everyone's had a great time.”
Stephen Gilby says the show has a message for the world.
“I guess, Sydney New Year's Eve is really always about new beginnings. And I think this year has been quite trying for some people, and particularly in some parts of the world, and we're really wanting to focus on this being a fresh start and a new start full of hope and joy. And that's the message that we really want to transmit to the world.”
