Sydney's modern New Year's Eve fireworks tradition began with a major display in 1976.
The 1976 celebration was organized as part of the city's bicentenary program and used Sydney Harbour as its setting. It helped establish the large-scale fireworks format now associated with the Sydney New Year's Eve event. The harbor's landmarks, especially the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House, became central visual features of later broadcasts.
Sydney celebrates New Year's Eve during the Southern Hemisphere summer, so the event occurs during long daylight hours followed by a nighttime harbor display. The program has commonly included an earlier family fireworks show and a midnight display, although schedules and formats can change from year to year.
The event is often described as one of the first major international New Year's celebrations because its time zone allows it to appear early in global broadcasts. It should not be confused with Australia's national day on January 26 or with Vivid Sydney, a separate annual light festival.