‘Tuned into 2002’: Aussies react to underwhelming ABC NYE

Sydney Harbour has erupted into light and colour as perhaps the most famous New Year’s Eve firework display in the world has lit up the city.

But some Australians tuning into the ABC’s New Year’s Eve coverage were left underwhelmed.

Hosts Charlie Pickering and Zan Rowe kicked off the national broadcaster's coverage live from Sydney Harbour shortly before 9pm on Wednesday.

Despite more than 25,000 individual pyrotechnics and featuring a display of Australian animals for the time, the 9pm fireworks did little to ingratiate viewers.

“Every year the Sydney #ABCNYE somehow gets worse,” lawyer Gray Connolly said on X, formerly Twitter.

“The fireworks are more unimpressive, the booked acts more lame and third rate, the enthusiasm more feigned as if it is NYE Pyongyang on the harbour … In awe of this ongoing commitment to mediocrity tbqh.”

To be fair to the ABC, the fireworks are the responsibility of the City of Sydney council.

“Is that what people line up at 4.30am for?” Another person asked.

For many, the choice of musicians – from Melanie C to Casey Donovan, The Cat Empire, Jem Cassar-Daley, and Matt Corby – was a major point of contention.

“Mel C, Casey Donovan and the Cat Empire, so glad I’ve tuned into 2002 NYE on ABC,” one person said.

“How do #abcnye manage to get artists to play the most boring unsuitable songs for a #NYE event every feckin year?” another person said.

“Have the organisers never been to a decent party in their life? Every year it gets worse.”

Speaking about The Cat Empire who performed after 9pm, one person said: “HOW is this performance still going. Five songs for a horrible group is insane”.

“And the crowd goes mild,” said one cutting post.

On website Reddit, one poster ackowledged it was now almost Australian tradition to rubbish the ABC’s coverage: “I assume it’s the same for most others, but roasting the ABC New Years show comes from a place of love and tradition”.

However, some, assessments of the ABC’s coverage were warm – including the performances of Marcia Hines and particularly Casey Donovan.

“Can we just have Casey come out and do a 90 Min set of party anthems?” said on social media.

“Next year please just save us all the suffering and give us a rotating casey and marcia set for the whole four hours,” said another.

The Cat Empire also came in for praise with one saying: “Even if you’ve never heard a song before, you end up dancing along to it!”

A tribute to children's program Playschool received a warmer welcome.

“Great tribute to Playschool,” one person said.

The ABC hosts were also commended. One on Reddit said: “Zan Rowe and Charlie Pickering have been doing very well on co-hosting duties”.

ABC’s Head of Arts, Music and Events Kath Earle said the broadcast would “be truly memorable and lots of fun”.

“It’s a joy to collaborate with City of Sydney and share this celebration with audiences across Australia and around the globe,” he said.