Sydney stages the world-famous New Year's Eve fireworks over Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House.
The celebration takes place around Sydney Harbour, where fireworks are launched from the bridge, barges and nearby structures. Because Australia lies close to the International Date Line, Sydney is among the major cities to welcome the new calendar year early, although it is not the first inhabited place on Earth to reach midnight.
Sydney's modern celebration developed into a large, internationally televised event during the late twentieth century. It usually includes an earlier family display and a midnight show, with lighting, aerial formations and music. The Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge form the recognizable visual backdrop.
A common mix-up is naming Australia rather than Sydney: Australia is the country, while Sydney is the host city. Melbourne and Brisbane also hold celebrations, but they are not the event identified by the harbour-bridge and Opera House imagery.