Sydney New Year's Eve 2008–09
Encyclopedia
Sydney New Year's Eve 2008–09 was the 14th Sydney New Year's Eve held at Sydney Harbour
on the evening of 31 December 2008 and in the early hours of 1 January 2009. It was the final year in a three-year deal that Network Ten
would broadcast the event and was co-hosted by Kim Watkins
and Andrew Günsberg for their second consecutive year. On 9 December 2008, the theme was revealed to be "Creation" with fireworks produced once again by Foti International Fireworks. This was Rhoda Roberts' first year as creative director.
classic, deciding not to use Auld Lang Syne
, instead using an adapted version of a Toni Basil
song, Mickey
, with lyrics starting with "Hey Sydney, you're so fine, you're so fine, you blow my mind." It was choreographed
by Jason Coleman, a judge on So You Think You Can Dance Australia
. Aboriginal
singer and ARIA
-winner Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
performed an expanded Acknowledgment of Country. For the first time, the countdown numbers on the Sydney Harbour Bridge
pylons went sideways (left) instead of going vertical (upwards).
When the fireworks display finished, an evening star appeared as the 9pm bridge effect on the Sydney Harbour Bridge
. After the 9pm fireworks display, the Harbour of Light Parade went across the harbour and The Presets
performed their 2007 single, My People. An interview with Will Smith
was recorded promoting his new film Seven Pounds
. Sandra Sully
did a recording of some of the news that made headlines in 2008. Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore
, made yet another appearance at the event to talk to Kim Watkins
about the theme of "Creation" and what it was all about.
by So You Think You Can Dance Australia
judge Jason Coleman, with "You Can't Stop the Beat". Kim Watkins
and Andrew Günsberg, then Fuzzy
and James Kerley
then introduced themselves again. 2006 Australian Idol
runner-up Jessica Mauboy
performed "Burn
". Before the Midnight segment of the telecast started, Andrew Günsberg visited a few people on boats in the harbour, even dancing with a few revellers briefly. Then, new creative director Rhoda Roberts made her first appearance at the event. She said that she "wanted to see something that links us all together and of course Creation has done that". The midnight display would cost A$
5,000,000. Other effects to be featured were the Creation storm
, thunder
and lightning
effect
s. After Andrew Günsberg and Kim Watkins
spoke to Rhoda Roberts, Sandra Sully
again did another recording of some of the events that made headlines in 2008. Natalie Bassingthwaighte
performed "Alive
". Then, the countdown began for the midnight fireworks.
The Bridge Effect was revealed to be the sun
. The fireworks display was considered one of the best in the world. Natalie Bassingthwaighte
returned to perform her new single "Someday Soon
". Afterwards, Jessica Mauboy
performed "Running Back
". Michelle Bridges
and Shannan Ponton
from The Biggest Loser Australia appeared on the show.
Port Jackson
Port Jackson, containing Sydney Harbour, is the natural harbour of Sydney, Australia. It is known for its beauty, and in particular, as the location of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge...
on the evening of 31 December 2008 and in the early hours of 1 January 2009. It was the final year in a three-year deal that Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
would broadcast the event and was co-hosted by Kim Watkins
Kim Watkins
Kim Watkins was the co-host of Network Ten's morning show 9am with David and Kim which aired until 11 December 2009 and was replaced by The Circle...
and Andrew Günsberg for their second consecutive year. On 9 December 2008, the theme was revealed to be "Creation" with fireworks produced once again by Foti International Fireworks. This was Rhoda Roberts' first year as creative director.
Times
| Program | Time | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 9 pm Family Fireworks | 8:30 pm – 9:30 pm | 60 mins |
| Midnight Fireworks | 11:30 pm – 12:30 am | 60 mins |
Presenters
| Name | Location |
|---|
9pm Family Fireworks
The celebrations kicked off at 8:30pm AEDT with cheerleaders performing a karaokeKaraoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
classic, deciding not to use Auld Lang Syne
Auld Lang Syne
"Auld Lang Syne" is a Scots poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 and set to the tune of a traditional folk song . It is well known in many countries, especially in the English-speaking world; its traditional use being to celebrate the start of the New Year at the stroke of midnight...
, instead using an adapted version of a Toni Basil
Toni Basil
Antonia Christina Basilotta , better known by her stage name Toni Basil, is an American singer-songwriter, actress, filmmaker, film director, choreographer, and dancer, best known for her multi-million-selling worldwide #1 hit "Mickey" from 1982.-Early life:Basil was born Antonia Christina...
song, Mickey
Mickey (song)
"Mickey" is a 1982 U.S. new wave song recorded by singer and choreographer Toni Basil. Written by Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn as "Kitty", it was first recorded by UK popular music group Racey during 1979...
, with lyrics starting with "Hey Sydney, you're so fine, you're so fine, you blow my mind." It was choreographed
Choreography
Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" ...
by Jason Coleman, a judge on So You Think You Can Dance Australia
So You Think You Can Dance Australia
So You Think You Can Dance Australia was an Australian version of the American reality dance-off series So You Think You Can Dance. The show is hosted by Natalie Bassingthwaighte, with Jason Coleman, Matt Lee and Bonnie Lythgoe acting as the judges....
. Aboriginal
Australian Aborigines
Australian Aborigines , also called Aboriginal Australians, from the latin ab originem , are people who are indigenous to most of the Australian continentthat is, to mainland Australia and the island of Tasmania...
singer and ARIA
ARIA Music Awards
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Australian Recording Industry Association...
-winner Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu is an Indigenous Australian musician, who sings in the Yolngu language.He was born in Galiwin'ku , off the coast of Arnhem Land, Northern Australia about 350 miles from Darwin. He is from the Gumatj clan of the Yolngu and his mother from the Galpu nation...
performed an expanded Acknowledgment of Country. For the first time, the countdown numbers on the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic...
pylons went sideways (left) instead of going vertical (upwards).
Performers
| Performer | Song |
|---|---|
| Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu is an Indigenous Australian musician, who sings in the Yolngu language.He was born in Galiwin'ku , off the coast of Arnhem Land, Northern Australia about 350 miles from Darwin. He is from the Gumatj clan of the Yolngu and his mother from the Galpu nation... |
Acknowledgment of Country - Bapa |
| The Presets The Presets The Presets are an Australian electronic duo formed in 2003, consisting of Julian Hamilton on vocals and keyboards, and Kim Moyes on drums and keyboards. They released their debut album Beams in 2005 to positive critical response. Their 2008 release Apocalypso debuted at number-one on the ARIA... |
My People |
Soundtrack
| No. | Song |
|---|
When the fireworks display finished, an evening star appeared as the 9pm bridge effect on the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic...
. After the 9pm fireworks display, the Harbour of Light Parade went across the harbour and The Presets
The Presets
The Presets are an Australian electronic duo formed in 2003, consisting of Julian Hamilton on vocals and keyboards, and Kim Moyes on drums and keyboards. They released their debut album Beams in 2005 to positive critical response. Their 2008 release Apocalypso debuted at number-one on the ARIA...
performed their 2007 single, My People. An interview with Will Smith
Will Smith
Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood...
was recorded promoting his new film Seven Pounds
Seven Pounds
Seven Pounds is a 2008 film, directed by Gabriele Muccino. Will Smith stars as a man who sets out to change the lives of seven people. Rosario Dawson, Woody Harrelson, and Barry Pepper star. The film was released in theaters in the United States and Canada on December 19, 2008, by Columbia Pictures...
. Sandra Sully
Sandra Sully
Sandra Sully may refer to:*Sandra Sully , Australian television presenter*Sandra Sully...
did a recording of some of the news that made headlines in 2008. Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore
Clover Moore
Clover Moore , is an Australian politician, the Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney and an independent member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, representing the electorate of Sydney. Moore is the first publicly elected female Lord Mayor of Sydney. Prior to the 2007 NSW state election, she...
, made yet another appearance at the event to talk to Kim Watkins
Kim Watkins
Kim Watkins was the co-host of Network Ten's morning show 9am with David and Kim which aired until 11 December 2009 and was replaced by The Circle...
about the theme of "Creation" and what it was all about.
Midnight Fireworks
The midnight show started off with another performance choreographedChoreography
Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" ...
by So You Think You Can Dance Australia
So You Think You Can Dance Australia
So You Think You Can Dance Australia was an Australian version of the American reality dance-off series So You Think You Can Dance. The show is hosted by Natalie Bassingthwaighte, with Jason Coleman, Matt Lee and Bonnie Lythgoe acting as the judges....
judge Jason Coleman, with "You Can't Stop the Beat". Kim Watkins
Kim Watkins
Kim Watkins was the co-host of Network Ten's morning show 9am with David and Kim which aired until 11 December 2009 and was replaced by The Circle...
and Andrew Günsberg, then Fuzzy
Faustina Agolley
Faustina "Fuzzy" Agolley is an Australian television presenter who hosted the long-running music television show Video Hits until it was canceled in 2011...
and James Kerley
James Kerley
James Kerley is an Australian TV presenter and radio presenter on Nova FM.-Career:Kerley was a co-host on the Nickelodeon kids’ show Sarvo between 2004 and February 2007, alongside Tony Brockman and in his first year won the Sarvote kids’ choice award for favourite new host...
then introduced themselves again. 2006 Australian Idol
Australian Idol (season 4)
The fourth season of Australian Idol first episode aired on 6 August 2006 and concluded on 26 November.-Format Changes:Changes for the fourth season of Australian Idol included the cancellation of "Inside Idol"; a "streamlined" semi-finals ; and the contestants will be able to bring...
runner-up Jessica Mauboy
Jessica Mauboy
Jessica Hilda Mauboy , is an Indigenous Australian R&B singer-songwriter and actress. In 2006, Mauboy was the runner-up on the fourth season of Australian Idol, she had auditioned for the talent show in Alice Springs to pursue a recording career...
performed "Burn
Burn (Jessica Mauboy song)
"Burn" is a song by Australian R&B singer Jessica Mauboy. It was written by Mauboy, Taj Jackson, Mich Hansen, David Musumeci and Jonas Jeberg. Following the chart success of Mauboy's lead single, "Running Back", "Burn" was released as the second single off Mauboy's debut album Been Waiting on 22...
". Before the Midnight segment of the telecast started, Andrew Günsberg visited a few people on boats in the harbour, even dancing with a few revellers briefly. Then, new creative director Rhoda Roberts made her first appearance at the event. She said that she "wanted to see something that links us all together and of course Creation has done that". The midnight display would cost A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
5,000,000. Other effects to be featured were the Creation storm
Storm
A storm is any disturbed state of an astronomical body's atmosphere, especially affecting its surface, and strongly implying severe weather...
, thunder
Thunder
Thunder is the sound made by lightning. Depending on the nature of the lightning and distance of the listener, thunder can range from a sharp, loud crack to a long, low rumble . The sudden increase in pressure and temperature from lightning produces rapid expansion of the air surrounding and within...
and lightning
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
effect
Special effect
The illusions used in the film, television, theatre, or entertainment industries to simulate the imagined events in a story are traditionally called special effects ....
s. After Andrew Günsberg and Kim Watkins
Kim Watkins
Kim Watkins was the co-host of Network Ten's morning show 9am with David and Kim which aired until 11 December 2009 and was replaced by The Circle...
spoke to Rhoda Roberts, Sandra Sully
Sandra Sully
Sandra Sully may refer to:*Sandra Sully , Australian television presenter*Sandra Sully...
again did another recording of some of the events that made headlines in 2008. Natalie Bassingthwaighte
Natalie Bassingthwaighte
Natalie Bassingthwaighte is an Australian actress, singer-songwriter and television personality. She began her career as an actress on the television series All Saints. She then starred in the American television movie Counterstrike...
performed "Alive
Alive (Natalie Bassingthwaighte song)
"Alive" is the first single by Natalie Bassingthwaighte, taken from her debut album 1000 Stars. The song's musical-genre is pop and its lyrics describe being free, taking chances and making love...
". Then, the countdown began for the midnight fireworks.
Performers
| Performer | Song |
|---|---|
| Jessica Mauboy Jessica Mauboy Jessica Hilda Mauboy , is an Indigenous Australian R&B singer-songwriter and actress. In 2006, Mauboy was the runner-up on the fourth season of Australian Idol, she had auditioned for the talent show in Alice Springs to pursue a recording career... |
Burn Burn (Jessica Mauboy song) "Burn" is a song by Australian R&B singer Jessica Mauboy. It was written by Mauboy, Taj Jackson, Mich Hansen, David Musumeci and Jonas Jeberg. Following the chart success of Mauboy's lead single, "Running Back", "Burn" was released as the second single off Mauboy's debut album Been Waiting on 22... |
| Natalie Bassingthwaighte Natalie Bassingthwaighte Natalie Bassingthwaighte is an Australian actress, singer-songwriter and television personality. She began her career as an actress on the television series All Saints. She then starred in the American television movie Counterstrike... |
Alive Alive (Natalie Bassingthwaighte song) "Alive" is the first single by Natalie Bassingthwaighte, taken from her debut album 1000 Stars. The song's musical-genre is pop and its lyrics describe being free, taking chances and making love... |
| Someday Soon Someday Soon (Natalie Bassingthwaighte song) "Someday Soon" is the second single by Natalie Bassingthwaighte, taken from her debut album 1000 Stars. It was added to radio on 15 December 2008... |
|
| Jessica Mauboy Jessica Mauboy Jessica Hilda Mauboy , is an Indigenous Australian R&B singer-songwriter and actress. In 2006, Mauboy was the runner-up on the fourth season of Australian Idol, she had auditioned for the talent show in Alice Springs to pursue a recording career... |
Running Back Running Back (Jessica Mauboy song) "Running Back" is the debut single by Australian R&B recording artist Jessica Mauboy, which features American rapper Flo Rida. It was written by Mauboy, Audius Mtawarira, and Sean Ray Mullins, and was produced by Audius. "Running Back" was released for digital download on 19 September 2008, as the... |
Soundtrack
| No. | Song |
|---|
The Bridge Effect was revealed to be the sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
. The fireworks display was considered one of the best in the world. Natalie Bassingthwaighte
Natalie Bassingthwaighte
Natalie Bassingthwaighte is an Australian actress, singer-songwriter and television personality. She began her career as an actress on the television series All Saints. She then starred in the American television movie Counterstrike...
returned to perform her new single "Someday Soon
Someday Soon (Natalie Bassingthwaighte song)
"Someday Soon" is the second single by Natalie Bassingthwaighte, taken from her debut album 1000 Stars. It was added to radio on 15 December 2008...
". Afterwards, Jessica Mauboy
Jessica Mauboy
Jessica Hilda Mauboy , is an Indigenous Australian R&B singer-songwriter and actress. In 2006, Mauboy was the runner-up on the fourth season of Australian Idol, she had auditioned for the talent show in Alice Springs to pursue a recording career...
performed "Running Back
Running Back (Jessica Mauboy song)
"Running Back" is the debut single by Australian R&B recording artist Jessica Mauboy, which features American rapper Flo Rida. It was written by Mauboy, Audius Mtawarira, and Sean Ray Mullins, and was produced by Audius. "Running Back" was released for digital download on 19 September 2008, as the...
". Michelle Bridges
Michelle Bridges
Michelle Bridges is a personal trainer on the Australian version of The Biggest Loser. She made her first appearance in 2007, on the second season of The Biggest Loser and trained the red team alongside Jillian Michaels. When Jillian left half way through the series, Michelle officially took over...
and Shannan Ponton
Shannan Ponton
Shannan Ponton is one of two personal trainers on the Australian version of The Biggest Loser. He made his first appearance during the show's second season in 2007, where he trained the blue team alongside Bob Harper...
from The Biggest Loser Australia appeared on the show.