City of Sydney seeks creative concepts for New Year’s Eve

Sydney NYE 20 22 Mrs Macquaries Chair photo by Matt Lambley City of SydneyThe City of Sydney is inviting expressions of interest for a new graphic design to brand one of Australia’s biggest annual events, Sydney New Year’s Eve.

Half a billion people around the globe watch New Year’s Eve fireworks display each year, with another million people watching from the foreshore.

The City of Sydney is seeking a new creative design to reflect Sydney’s New Year’s Eve celebrations as one of the largest annual fireworks displays in the world.

The visual identity should align with the event’s philosophy that it is a bold, colourful, and exciting celebration that marks the end of one year and the beginning of another, filled with hope and opportunity.

The City of Sydney is looking for a design that will span a minimum of three years of the event, and provide a consistent visual narrative across marketing, online content, signage, digital and physical advertising and sponsor and stakeholder communications.

“Sydney New Year’s Eve is objectively the best fireworks display in the world, illuminating our harbour with stunning pyrotechnics to herald in the new year,” said Sydney Lord Mayor, Clover Moore AO.

“With half a billion people watching, this is an opportunity for a designer to have their work displayed on an international stage, and I encourage everyone with an exciting creative concept to apply.

“We’re looking for branding that will connect with audiences of all ages and backgrounds, locally, nationally and internationally, with a message of inclusion, celebration and safety,” said Sydney Lord Mayor, Clover Moore AO.

The City of Sydney is requesting the creative concept:

  • provides a clear, consistent image/idea of ‘Sydney New Year’s Eve’ that is original and instantly recognisable
  • acts as a graphic unifier for the event over time, providing consistency across the event from year to year
  • clearly positions Sydney as a cultural and creative city
  • showcases and promotes both Sydney and the City of Sydney
  • excites and engages all stakeholders – audiences, businesses, sponsors and partners – to participate in Sydney New Year’s Eve; and
  • leverages the event’s unique and attributable strengths creatively, avoiding predictability.

The City of Sydney will undertake a two-stage process to determine the successful visual identity and design consultant. Once the successful agency is selected, they will continue to work closely with the City of Sydney to ensure the smooth rollout and implementation of the new visual identity across the Sydney New Year’s Eve campaign.


The Sydney New Year’s Eve EOI closes at 11.00am on Friday 26 July 2024. For more information and to submit an EOI, visit: www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au for details.

Image: Sydney NYE 2022 from Mrs Macquarie’s Chair – photo by Matt Lambley | City of Sydney