Sydney

Sydney has two claims to fame for its New Years Eve celebrations first, because of its location, its the first major city where the clock strikes midnight; second, Sydney puts on the largest fireworks display in the world, with one at 9 pm and another at midnight, with the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House making for a striking setting. More than a million people attend the waterfront show, which also includes an air and water show featuring aerial acrobatics, an Aboriginal smoking ceremony that is said to cleanse bad spirits, and the Harbour of Light Parade, a mass flotilla of more than 50 illuminated boats in the harbor.