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The ABC has been blasted for making its 9pm coverage of the iconic Australian New Year’s Eve celebrations about ‘Invasion Day’.
The 9pm fireworks are typically known as the fireworks for children, many of whom will not be awake for the main event at midnight.
The ABC show featured rapper Nooky who spoke to host Zan Rowe about celebrating Indigenous Australians before playing a pre-recorded package narrated by him.
Fed-up Aussies took to social media on Sunday night to voice their frustrations at the national broadcaster’s coverage.
‘My lord the ABC coverage of the fireworks is so s****,’ one person wrote on X.
‘Why is everything so woke…just play some pop music and show the fireworks’.
‘Turned on the ABC for the first time this year (big mistake) to watch the early fireworks which had irrelevant music playing over- and drowning out – the footage,’ another said.
‘Footage which focused too much on referendum-type messages on the pillars of Sydney Harbour Bridge’.
‘To be fair I think the kids would have preferred Bluey fireworks just quietly,’ a third added.
The 9pm fireworks display in Sydney is known as the Calling Country fireworks and presented by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists through music, dance and art, with a welcome to Country ceremony preceding the exhibit.
A smoking ceremony took place on boating vessels Tribal Warrior, Mari Nawi and Wirawi from 7:30pm.
Impressive projections and lighting effects lit up the Sydney Harbour Bridge from 8:30pm and will be a special tribute to the 50th anniversary of the Opera House.
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The main fireworks display will be launched at midnight from the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Opera House, barges and city buildings.
More than 8.5 tonnes of fireworks are planned for the displays at 9pm and 12pm, with a 60 man crew and over 11km of cable needed for the event.
Some of Sydney’s most iconic vantage spots for the notorious New Years Eve firework display were already full on Sunday morning after crowds began gathering in the early hours.
More than one million people are expected to flood the Harbour City on Sunday, with viewing areas at Mrs Macquarie’s Point, the Royal Botanic Garden, the Domain and the Opera House full by 11.20am.
The large numbers have prompted NSW Transport to implement additional train and bus services in and around the city, with 1000 trains expected to pass through the area into the night.
Thousands of people began gathering as early as 5am around the city in the hopes of getting a front-row-seat.
One group of men lined up for three days at the Domain, as the line began moving just before 8am to allow people into the Royal Botanic Gardens.
People also lined up since midnight at the Opera House, with footage showing the crowds running towards the fence at the harbour for a good view.
Meanwhile, others set up tents on Cockatoo Island and camped overnight.
Eleven of the 49 vantage points for the fireworks were sold out after they went through a ballot system to control numbers.
A change has also been made this year, with harbour venues being free to enter after the NSW government scrapped the ticketing system that had been in place.
As for the weather, the Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting showers but it is only expected to be light and there isn’t any real heavy showers forecast to put a damper on things.
For the midnight fireworks display, the temperature is expected to be 21°C with some cloud cover and maybe a shower, but certainly nothing that is expected to quell the enthusiasm of the crowds.
