Sydney: After two years of COVID-19 disruptions, Australia is preparing to celebrate its first New Year's Eve without restrictions. More than a million revellers are anticipated to converge on Sydney's harborfront to take in a lavish fireworks display.

With a public countdown and fireworks display over its iconic Opera House, Sydney is one of the first major cities in the world to ring in the New Year, drawing enormous television audiences from all over the globe.

Crowd restrictions and fewer celebrations resulted from lockdowns at the end of 2020 and an increase in omicron cases at the end of 2021. Nevertheless, restrictions on celebrations have been lifted this year as a result of Australia, like many other nations worldwide, reopening its borders and removing rules against social segregation.

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The Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore, said, "This New Year's Eve we are saying Sydney is back as we kick off festivities around the world and bring in the New Year with a bang."

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As we worked to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic's effects, 2022 presented significant new challenges. However, tonight we put the year behind us and look with optimism to 2023.

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With 2,000 fireworks set off from each of the Sydney Opera House's four sails and 7,000 fireworks launched from more locations on the Sydney Harbor Bridge than ever before, Sydney Harbor will be illuminated in a rainbow of colours.

Fireworks will be set off from four building rooftops to frame the magnificent show for the first time in 12 years, according to the organisers.

Over a million people would attend the events in Sydney before the pandemic as a billion viewers watched from other parts of the globe.