18 December 2018

Auckland’s New Year’s Eve celebrations will lead the world into 2019, and this year SKYCITY’s much-loved midnight fireworks and laser animation display will again be the highlight of the night.

The Sky Tower show will also be accompanied for the first time by a complementary Vector Lights on Auckland Harbour Bridge show, adding another spectacular view for those queuing up at Auckland’s favourite vantage points.

Callum Mallett, SKYCITY Executive General Manager Hospitality, says that while the Sky Tower fireworks remain the focal point of Auckland’s celebrations, it’s fantastic to coordinate with the Harbour Bridge on a city-wide attraction.

“SKYCITY is proud to deliver the annual Sky Tower fireworks display that’s enjoyed by millions, from various vantage points in Auckland as well as online and on TV locally and globally. Auckland is the first major global city to welcome the new year, and it’s our fireworks and Time’s Square style countdown clock that everyone looks to. Adding to that this year is the Harbour Bridge lighting which will add another great element to Auckland’s New Year’s Eve show for everyone watching,” says Mallett.

The Sky Tower show is the highest fireworks display in the southern hemisphere and Auckland is the first major city in the world to celebrate New Year’s Eve 2019.

The five-minute fireworks display will begin at midnight and will see 500kg of pyrotechnics, 3200 effects, 1.5 tonne of equipment and 12kms of control cabling installed on levels 55, 61 and 67 by a team of experts pyrotechnicians. It will be the first year that fireworks have been installed on level 67, 270 metres up the Sky Tower.

The New Zealand-themed laser animation show will be beamed on to the northwest and northeast sides of the Sky Tower from 9pm. The countdown clock will display at 30 minute intervals with a 60 second countdown before midnight, and timing messages will also be in Te Reo Maori. The custom designed animation content will be uniquely New Zealand, featuring native birds and plants as well as iconic patters and New Zealand designs.

For the first time, Vector Lights on Auckland Harbour Bridge will sparkle continuously from 9pm building up to the countdown where it will pulse in time with the Auckland Sky Tower. At the stroke of midnight Vector Lights will explode into life with a five-minute spectacular show designed to complement SKYCITY’s fireworks display. After the midnight display, the bridge lighting will continue until 1am on 1 January.

The fireworks display will also be synchronised to a medley of popular tracks and Kiwi music on More FM (91.8 FM), of which one song will be chosen through a special on-air promotion. One lucky person who votes on their favourite song to include in MoreFM’s midnight medley will win the ultimate New Year’s Eve experience in Auckland thanks to MoreFM, SKYCITY and ATEED.

TVNZ will also broadcast Auckland’s New Year’s Eve show live on TVNZ 1, 2, DUKE, OnDemand and 1 News Now for Kiwis around the country watching from home. For those not near a television, there will also be a livestream of the fireworks on the SKYCITY Auckland Facebook page, starting at 11.45pm.

SKYCITY Auckland is partnering with PyroStar International and Soulstorm Lasers Ltd to deliver the New Year’s Eve laser and pyrotechnic show. On Federal Street, SKYCITY will be hosting Auckland’s biggest street party, headlined by popular Kiwi bands Jupiter Project, Jetski Safari, Annie Crummer and Lance Savali with all entertainment starting from 5pm.

“The fireworks top off a massive night for SKYCITY, with close to 50,000 visitors coming to enjoy our entertainment, restaurants and bars, free concert on Federal Street and the best view of the fireworks in Auckland,” says Mr Mallett.

ENDS

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