AUSTRALIA'S BIGGEST PARTIES AND CELEBRATIONS

Australians sure do love a good party.

For a country with a comparatively small population of 24 million, Australia punches above its weight with some of the biggest celebrations in the world.

NEW YEAR'S EVE FIREWORKS IN SYDNEY

Sydney’s famous New Year’s Eve fireworks spectacular is a display that wows visitors from across the globe. The captivating show ignites Sydney Harbour’s night sky to send off the year and welcome in a new one. The family fireworks kick off at 9pm, followed by the mesmerising midnight show that launches from the Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Opera House, and barges around the harbour. Before and in-between the shows, there will be a range of entertainment and activities around the foreshore and Royal Botanic Gardens to celebrate the new year.

AUSTRALIAN OPEN IN MELBOURNE

The Australian Open brings the world’s hottest players to Melbourne for two weeks of tennis thrills during January. More than 550,000 spectators attend one of the biggest sporting events in Australia. ‘The Happy Slam’ as Roger Federer likes to call the Grand Slam tennis tournament, is an opportunity to watch tennis’s biggest sporting stars battle it out on the court and to explore the urban culture of laid-back Melbourne. Join the vibrant atmosphere in and around the city with matches broadcast on big screens, festive beer gardens, pubs and live music events.

ADELAIDE FRINGE FESTIVAL

The Adelaide Fringe Festival (February/March) is South Australia's biggest party with shows playing in 500 venues scattered across Adelaide and the wider state. Whether you're a comedy addict, theatre buff or arts lover you'll find something surprising around every corner during this open-access arts festival.

RIVERFIRE IN BRISBANE

Along Brisbane’s popular Southbank precinct, the Sunsuper Riverfire will take to the night sky for a spectacular fireworks display, sending Brisbane Festival (September) off with a bang! The fireworks dazzle the night sky in explosive colours for more than 20 minutes, as well as the Australian Defence Force’s aerobatic performances, army helicopter displays, musical numbers, and a killer after party.

AFL GRAND FINAL IN MELBOURNE

The Australian Football League (AFL) is huge in Australia, with the AFL Grand Final being one of the biggest events on the sports calendar. It kicks off in September in the AFL heartland of Melbourne and it’s so much more than just scoring goals - the state of Victoria allocates AFL Grand Final Day a public holiday, so people from across Australia flock to the state to join the festivities. There will be the Grand Final Parade that attracts more than 60,000 fans to witness team players ride on Utes (trucks) down the city streets, AFL-themed events across pubs, parks, and Federation Square, and the MCG stadium. Once the full-time whistle has blown, the MCG welcomes the public to a free Premiership party inside the stadium with local and international musicians taking the stage.

CHINESE NEW YEAR, ACROSS AUSTRALIA

Get ready for dragons, firecrackers, fantastic food and spectacular song and dance, as Australians celebrate Chinese New Year. There are colourful, exuberant events across the country, spanning over two weeks. The Lunar New Year celebrations in Sydney are usually centred around Chinatown, while in Brisbane you'll see Fortitude Valley come to life. In Melbourne and Perth, head to the hub of excitement in each city's respective Chinatown for street parades, dances and games.

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