‘Tuned into 2002’: Aussies react to underwhelming ABC NYE
Australians watching ABC’s New Year’s Eve broadcast are underwhelmed.
Presenters Charlie Pickering and Zan Rowe kicked off the national broadcaster’s broadcast live from Sydney Harbor shortly before 9pm on Wednesday.
Despite more than 25,000 individual pyrotechnics and the display of Australian animals at the time, the 9pm fireworks did not please audiences.
“Sydney #ABCNYE somehow gets worse every year,” lawyer Gray Connolly said on his former Twitter account, X.
“The fireworks are less impressive, the ones booked are weaker and perform third-rate acts, the enthusiasm is more fake, as if NYE in the harbor is Pyongyang… In awe of this ongoing devotion to mediocrity tbqh.”
“Are people lining up for this at 4.30am?” another person asked.
For many, the choice of musicians was a major point of contention, from Melanie C to Casey Donovan to The Cat Empire’s Jem Cassar-Daley to Matt Corby.
“Mel C, Casey Donovan and Cat Empire, so glad I watched New Year’s Eve 2002 on ABC,” one person said.
“How does #abcnye manage to have artists play the most boring, inappropriate songs for a #NYE event every year?” someone else said.
“Have the organizers never been to a proper party in their lives? It gets worse every year.”
Speaking about The Cat Empire, who performed after 9pm, one person said: “HOW does this performance hold up. Five songs for a terrible band is crazy.”
Another user pointed out that there was no official hashtag for this year’s event.
“No hashtags for NYE Sydney? Is ABC tired of being roasted?” they said.
A homage to children’s program Playschool was met with a warmer reception.
“Huge kudos to Playschool,” one person said.
At midnight the City of Sydney’s world-famous fireworks display will illuminate Sydney’s Harbor Bridge, Opera House and surrounding areas.
ABC’s Head of Arts, Music and Events, Kath Earle, said the broadcast would be “truly unforgettable and great fun”.
“It is a pleasure to collaborate with the City of Sydney and share this celebration with audiences across Australia and the world,” he said.
