Sydney celebrated 2025’s closing with spectacular 9pm and midnight firework displays in Sydney Harbour. At 11 pm, a minute of silence was observed in commemoration of the victims of the Bondi Beach terrorist attack, with a menorah lit up on the Harbour Bridge’s pylons.
More than 2 million (2,444,000) people tuned in to see the iconic harbour lit up with the midnight fireworks, with a Total TV national average audience of 2,015,000.
Over 3 million (3,438,000) people tuned in to watch the live concert from the Opera House, although only a million stayed on for the whole show. All New Year’s festivities were streamed live on ABC.
The countdown to midnight brought in similarly high numbers, with a Total TV National Reach of 2,379,000 and a Total TV National Average Audience of 1,742,000.
More than one million people flocked to various spots around the harbour to watch the fireworks.
The 9 pm fireworks, titled ‘Calling Country’, celebrated Australia’s Indigenous history with images displayed on the Harbour Bridge’s pylons. It was presented by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists through music, dance and illustration, and curated by We Are Warriors.
These earlier fireworks brought in a Total TV National Reach of 1,549,000 and a Total TV National Average Audience of 1,196,000 for ABC.
The fireworks displays were met with rapturous applause, defying any expectations of a sombre mood following the Bondi Beach terrorist attack only a few weeks before.
The minute’s silence shone a defiant light after the recent tragedy, with audiences shining torches on their phones and holding them up to create a collective moment of unity.
