What’s on for New Year’s Eve? Here are some local NYE events in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, and the Hunter to farewell 2024 and celebrate New Year’s Eve with your friends and family.
There are events planned all over the region including family-friendly events organised for Newcastle Foreshore, Maitland Riverside and Nelson Bay Foreshore in Port Stephens.
If you want to just see fireworks, different fireworks displays are scheduled for 9pm in Newcastle, Maitland, Nelson Bay and Hunter Valley Gardens.
If you feel like heading south to celebrate NYE, check out the New Year’s Eve events on the Central Coast at Gosford and The Entrance, and Sydney.
Newcastle
Join the party on the Newcastle foreshore to celebrate New Years Eve 2024 with an inclusive celebration of community, creativity and fun!
Queens Wharf Precinct will be transformed into a colourful community party from 5pm featuring family-friendly activities, inflatables, bike parades, live music, local food providers, and the must-see 9pm fireworks.
NEWY NYE 24/25 is proud to be an inclusive event, and everyone is welcome! A range of accessibility options are available for visitors with disability or access needs. Visit the website for more information on accessibility options.
- Massive fireworks display at 9pm
- Giant NEWY NYE inflatable
- Bike Path and hourly Big Bike Parade
- Creation Station – decorate your bike, pram or wheelchair
- Family-friendly activities in the Kids Zone
- Interactive Wish Walk
- Live Local Music & DJ’s
- Accessible Quiet Zone near The Station
- Accessibility Options
- Gourmet Food Vendors
View the event map and plan your visit: https://whatson.newcastle.nsw.gov.au/nye24
Lake Macquarie
There will be fireworks displays at the following locations in Lake Macquarie which are not affiliated with Lake Macquarie City Council.
Wangi Wangi RSL Club
This display will run from a barge in the lake in front of Wangi Wangi RSL Club from 9-9.15pm.
Royal Motor Yacht Club Toronto
This display will run from 9pm.
8 at Trinity, Morisset Park
This display will run for 12 minutes from 9pm.
Kilaben Road, Kilaben Bay
This display will run from 9.15pm.
Bargoed House, Old Pacific Highway, Swansea
No specific start time has been provided for this display, but it will be held between the hours of 8.30pm Tuesday 31 December 2024 – 12.15am Wednesday 1 January 2025.
The Esplanade, Speers Point
This display will run from midnight.
Maitland
Gather your friends and family and head into Central Maitland on Sunday 31 December to enjoy all the New Year’s Eve festivities and end the year with a bang!
Head to Maitland Riverbank, Riverside Car Park and RH Taylor Reserve, Lorn, and join Maitland City Council for New Years Eve celebration to end the year with a bang!
From 5pm, this family friendly event has a lot to offer, with free amusements, face painting, live music, activities and a disco playing all the top hits from 2024. There will be loads of food, beverage and dessert stalls available to tantalise the taste buds of all attendees.
Celebrations will conclude with a spectacular fireworks display that will light up the night sky at 9.00pm.
For more information, visit Maitland Events.
Cessnock / Hunter Valley
Ring in the new year at Hunter Valley Gardens Christmas Lights Spectacular. Enjoy over 4 million Christmas lights display before enjoying a fireworks display (weather dependent) at 9pm. The fireworks are best viewed from the event area in the Garden. To purchase tickets for New Year’s Eve, you will need to purchase a Christmas Light ticket for December 31. Tickets can be purchased online.
Port Stephens
Celebrate the new year with McGrath Port Stephens New Year’s Eve Fireworks, proudly supported by McGrath Port Stephens, and d’Albora Marinas.
The event kicks off at 12noon with live music and entertainment, followed by fireworks at 9pm. Entertainment includes:
- Jake Folbigg 12pm to 3pm
- Emily Smith Trio 3:15pm to 6.15pm
- DJ Biggs AKA Jake as a DJ 6.30pm to 9.30pm
Bring a picnic blanket or fold out chair, buy some local takeaway and settle into one of the many viewing points along the Nelson Bay foreshore to watch a dazzling fireworks display at 9pm.
For more information including road closures, the best places to park and the best viewing points visit the Port Stephens Council website. This event takes place within an alcohol free zone, with alcoholic drinks and glass prohibited.
Central Coast
Gosford
If you’re heading down to celebrate NYE on the Central Coast, Central Coast Council is organising a free and fun celebration for everyone to enjoy. Bring your friends and family along to Leagues Club Park in Gosford and enjoy the live music, kids entertainment, food vendors and a spectacular display of 9pm fireworks. The New Years Eve event will be a family-friendly, alcohol-free event which runs from 6pm to 9:15pm. It features a kids entertainment area as well as a variety of food and beverage vendors.
For more information about the Gosford event, visit the Central Coast Council website.
The Entrance
There’s also a NYE event at The Entrance. Celebrate the last sunset for 2024 at The Entrance. as it comes alive on New Year’s Eve. The free water’s edge event will feature live music on the Memorial Park Stage with Blue Vinyl, Joy Band and Joe and Co. Food trucks, amusements and roving entertainment will be part of this event. To finish the festivities a spectacular fireworks display can been seen over the water at 9pm. For more information about The Entrance event, visit the Central Coast Council website.
Sydney
If you want to be part of an iconic NYE event, head to Sydney. More than a million people will be making their way into the city and surrounds for the celebrations. Watch the 9pm or midnight fireworks from one of these viewing areas on the harbour. Here’s a list of vantage points around Sydney Harbour.
If you don’t feel like heading out for NYE events or to see fireworks, stay at home and watch the 9pm or midnight City of Sydney fireworks. The fireworks are streamed live on the City of Sydney website at 9pm and midnight. You can also watch the event on ABC and iview. The broadcast begins at 8.30pm and there’s also a synchronised soundtrack on the radio.
It’s too late now for 2024 but start planning for NYE 2025. You can get free tickets to watch Sydney’s iconic fireworks on the Cahill Expressway (by entering a ballot) as well as other NPSW spots around the harbour.
Staying Home?
If going out to a local NYE event isn’t an option, stay home and transform your home into a family-friendly NYE extravaganza. Here are some fun, creative, and memorable ways to ring in the new year with your kids right in the comfort of your own home. Invite some friends and family over to celebrate New Year’s Eve 2024!
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