Newcastle’s postponed New Year’s Eve fireworks are scheduled to light up the sky after dark on Australia Day, Newcastle City Council has confirmed.
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The display is slated to burst over the harbour from Stockton at roughly 8.30pm, with the council yet to lock in the exact time.
“As soon as it is dark we will set off the fireworks which we had to postpone due to the wild winds and lightning that hit on New Year's Eve,” council chief executive Jeremy Bath said.
“Because we have only just received the necessary approvals for the fireworks, there isn’t time to develop an associated event.
“However, Honeysuckle, Queens Wharf and Darby Street businesses will be trading so there will still be plenty of locations where people can grab a bite to eat prior to the fireworks display.”
Following the cancellation in December, Fireworks Factory chief Chris Solomou said it was wind direction that prevented a safe display.
“And we had a very high chance that we were going to impact on the crowd behind, impact on houses,” he said. “We just couldn’t afford to do it.”
Port of Newcastle chief executive Craig Carmody said he was pleased the revised date allowed the display to proceed after storms scuppered the original plan on December 31.
He noted that 2019 marks the Port of Newcastle’s 220th year of operation.
“We’re pleased to have been given a new date [for the fireworks] and hope people will find a good vantage point of the harbour,” he said.
Car parks in Wright Lane, Throsby and the mall will all be free but the council is urging revellers to use public transport.
The fireworks will follow a full schedule in Foreshore Park between 10am and 2pm.
“In addition to the parkour, skate boarding and giant inflatables, the lunchtime amphitheatre event will feature Brazilian dance by Capoeira Newcastle, the energetic youth band called Twisted Tongues from Newcastle’s School of Rock and African beats by Bakoomba,” Mr Bath said.
Australia Day events in Foreshore Park
10am-10.10am: Welcome to Country
10.10am-10.30am: Capoeira performance (set 1)
10.30am-10.35am: Emcee intro
10.35am-10.50am: Cultural Dancers
10.50am-11am: Change over / MC announcements
11am: Fort Scratchley cannon release
11am-11.15am: Act 2
11.20am-12pm: Cultural Dancers
12pm-12.30pm: School of Rock (set 2)
12.30pm-12.35pm: Change over
12.35pm-12.50pm: Capoeira (set 2)
12.55pm-1.10pm: School of Rock (set 2)
1pm: Fort Scratchley cannon release
1.25pm-2.00pm: Bakoomba