Love and acceptance will take centre stage this New Year’s Eve as the Pet Shop Boys help Sydney celebrate marriage equality and next year’s 40th Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.
The City of Sydney’s New Year’s Eve fireworks soundtrack will feature the Pet Shop Boys hit ‘Go West’ alongside classic rock anthems and current hits from Led Zeppelin to Sia.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the music had inspired some magical moments for the 9pm family fireworks and midnight fireworks.
“This soundtrack will build the excitement as fireworks erupt across Sydney’s skyline,” the Lord Mayor said.
“Already one of the world’s biggest annual celebrations, this year the music and fireworks displays have come together to create a show unlike anything we’ve seen before.
“Whether you’re taking in the spectacle from a vantage point overlooking the harbour or watching from home, tune in to the soundtrack on your phone or radio for the full light and sound experience.”
New Year’s Eve soundtrack producer, Alex Gooden, has once again created the soundtrack for the spectacular fireworks shows. He says love was his inspiration this year.
“I wanted to acknowledge how topical love has been, with marriage equality being voted into law. This inspired me to look for songs that spoke about acceptance,” Mr Gooden said.
“I chose the Pet Shop Boys song ‘Go West’ for the special moment when the rainbow fireworks tumble from the bridge because it’s fun and celebratory. This moment is sure to make your hair stand on end.”
Mr Gooden has spent the past five months listening to hundreds of songs to create the soundtrack for the eight minutes 9pm family fireworks and the 12 minutes midnight displays.
“It’s like creating an artwork – you start off with just an idea and then you slowly start filling it in bit by bit,” he said.
From the family fireworks soundtrack, Mr Gooden is especially excited about seeing young people’s reactions to the song ‘How Far I’ll Go’ by Alessia Cara.
“It’s from the movie Moana, which was such a popular movie with kids and has a strong message of empowerment and cultural understanding,” he said.
“The music plays a massive part on the night, with the fireworks and soundtrack perfectly in sync. I want people to feel the fireworks, to be moved by the whole experience.”
Sydneysiders can tune in to Sydney New Year’s Eve radio broadcaster KIIS 106.5 for the exclusive soundtrack at 9pm and midnight. The soundtrack will accompany the ABC TV broadcast that starts at 8:35pm and a live audio description will be broadcast on ABC Extra.
9pm family fireworks soundtrack list:
- DNA (Man Of Steel) – Man Of Steel Soundtrack
- Ride – Twenty One Pilots
- Pay The Man – Foster The People
- Shape Of You – Ed Sheeran
- Feel It Still – Portugal The Man
- Sugar – Robin Shultz
- Good Times Bad Times – Led Zeppelin
- How Far I’ll Go (Moana) – Alessia Cara
- Chained To The Rhthym – Katy Perry
- Whatever It Takes – Imagine Dragons
- Symphony – Clean Bandit feat. Zara Larsson
- Move Your Body – SIA
- Racer Snakes Vs Iguana (Planet Earth 2) – Hans Zimmer
- Epic – Faith No More
- Feels – Calvin Harris
- Shine – Asta
- Calypso Beach – Northeast Party House
- Need You Now – Dean Lewis
- Chameleon – PNAU
- What You Need – INXS
- Big Picture - London Grammar
- Go West – The Pet Shop Boys
- Be The One – Dua Lipa
- All Night – The Vamps/MATOMA
- That’s What I Like – Bruno Mars
- Wiyathul - Dr G Yunupingu
- The Way You Used To Do - Queens Of The Stone Age
- Lights Out - Royal Blood
- Flash - The Belligerents
- Green Light - Lorde
- Stranger - Peking Duk
- Dark Empire - X-ray Dog
For more information and images, please contact Belinda Wallis, City of Sydney Senior Media Relations Advisor, on 0467 810 160 or bwallis@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au
For interviews with Lord Mayor Clover Moore, please contact Julia Lenton on 0410 748 039 or email jlenton@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au