New Year's Day

Festivals & events

If you’re not all partied out from the previous night’s festivities, there’s plenty more fun to be had today. Sydney’s biggest New Year’s Day party is Field Day, held in The Domain, with big-name bands and DJs from around the world. You can also dance the day away at the Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel’s annual bash.

Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel, Watsons Bay

Icebergs Dining Room and Bar and Catalina Rose Bay host two of the most exclusive events – expect free-flowing champagne, minor celebrities and a hefty price tag. Or hop aboard a harbour cruise around sunny Sydney Harbour with live entertainment and plenty of recovery cocktails.

Icebergs Dining Room and Bar, Bondi

Beaches & outdoors

Go for the first swim of the year at one of Sydney’s sparkling beaches or ocean pools. Bondi is always a popular choice, or you can find a secluded stretch of sand tucked away along the harbour, such as Milk Beach, Camp Cove, Nielsen Park or Seven Shillings. Go snorkelling at Clovelly, Little Manly Cove, Malabar Beach or Gordons Bay; catch a wave at Freshwater, Maroubra, Tamarama or Cronulla; or swim a few laps in the 112-year-old Wylie’s Baths, the family-friendly Bronte Baths, the triangular-shaped Fairy Bower Pool, the rocky Mahon Pool or MacCallum Pool, which boasts city skyline views.

Maccallum Pool, Cremorne Point

Kick start your New Year fitness regime with a coastal walk, such as Bondi to Coogee, North Head, Manly to Spit Bridge, Hermitage Foreshore Walk or Federation Cliff Walk. Other fun activities include cycling along the trails through Western Sydney Parklands, paddling a glass-bottom kayak around Manly or exploring convict ruins on Cockatoo Island. For something a little more sedate, it’s the perfect day to explore the Royal Botanic Garden or set up a picnic in Centennial Park.

Mrs Macquarie's Chair, Sydney

Zoos, galleries & museums

Many of Sydney’s top attractions are open on New Year’s Day. Catch the ferry to Taronga Zoo to feed the giraffes, watch monkeys play and meet the new litter of five African lion cubs. Kids can tackle the fun Wild Ropes course through the trees. For more animal adventures, Wild Life Sydney Zoo and SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium are open too.

Taronga Zoo Sydney, Mosman

The Museum of Contemporary Art and the Art Gallery of NSW will give you a dose of New Year culture. Experience the illusion of weightlessness in the Zero Gravity Lab at the Powerhouse Museum or go beneath the ocean’s surface in the HMAS Onslow submarine at the Australian National Maritime Museum.

The Quest, held at the Powerhouse Museum

Eat & drink

A number of cafes, restaurants and bars stay open on New Year’s Day. For coffee and brunch, try Mayflower in Darlinghurst, Bourke Street Bakery in Surry Hills, Shuk in Bondi, Quick Brown Fox Eatery in Pyrmont or Black Star Pastry’s multiple locations.

Black Star Pastry, Newtown

For something heartier, make a reservation at Saint Peter in Paddington does a special set menu on New Year’s Day. In the city, try your luck at Ho Jiak’s Town Hall and Haymaket shop fronts, or head to Jang Ta Bal for a Korean barbecue. Other open venues include Totti’s in Bondi, Eastside Kitchen & Bar in Chippendale and Chiswick in Woollahra.

Opera Bar, Sydney City

For a drink with friends and family, Opera Bar, Coogee Wine Room, One Drop Brewing in Botany, The Glebe Hotel, The Golden Sheaf Hotel, Jackalberry and Darlo Bar are all open on New Year’s Day, just to name a few bars and pubs.