NYE in the Park

Sydney, NSW - 31/12/22

This was our second time attending NYE in the Park, Sydney’s only New Year’s Eve Music Festival, and again we weren’t disappointed. This festival is one giant party that happens right in the middle of the city, meaning transport to and from the event is easy. Situated in Victoria Park, there are bus stops right out the front of the grounds and if your travelling by train, it’s only a short 12-minute stroll from Central Station. The Broadway Shopping Centre is almost directly across the road so if you forget anything (Sunscreen, Bandaids or Raincoats for example) it’s easy to grab them before you enter the gates. Very few festivals offer this type of convenience and it is definitely one of the things that sets this event apart from others. Convenience, especially at that time of year is a priceless commodity.

The fact that this event takes place smack bang in Australia’s biggest city to label the crowd of attendees is almost impossible. Young and Old, Gay and Straight, Flamboyant and Reserved, everyone is there and all are accepted and have a great time together. This is probably the festival we attend with the most diverse crowd and it makes for a great Day/Night out and the perfect way to welcome in a new year. Security for NYE in the Park came mainly in the form of the NSW Police. While their numbers were large, they didn’t impact the fun being had by punters but stayed in the background unless needed. Shoutout to the group of officers we approached for a photo(on a bright shiny ball nonetheless) inside the VIP section who were happy to oblige. Dancewize and crowd care were a highly visible presence during the entire event so if you wanted help and didn’t want to talk to the folks in blue you had a purple or green option to talk to.

There was a good selection of food trucks to provide yummy’s for the crowd, with Chip on a Stick, Muchos Nachos, Nathan’s Hot Dogs, Birdman and Gee’d Up Burgers all having a steady stream of customers. There were two large bars near the bigger stages and two smaller ones closer to the WhatLively stage. All seemed very busy but the lines moved quickly and the wait time was minimal. Toilets were in large numbers and depending on which set you chose to use dictated the time spent in line.

NYE in the Park always does VIP well, With a large undercover area, tables and chairs, lounge beanbags, seating and sun were never an issue inside the fenced-off section. VIP also contained an exclusive fine-dining food option, proper toilets (not portaloos) and a beauty bar for touchups throughout the day. There were also selfie props for photo opportunities including the previously mentioned shiny balls, a throne and a door to welcome in the new year.

NYE in the Park had three stages this year, the Amphitheatre, the Jungle Stage and the WhatLively stage. The stages were dotted around the park allowing for 3 almost individual parties. Each had its own vibe and atmosphere which meant you could transverse through the beautiful park to the next party.

The Amphitheatre housed the big name acts including Flight Facilities, Cut Copy, San Cisco, Rico Nasty and in their first NYE event in their hometown and their only scheduled show in Sydney for the foreseeable future, Lime Cordiale.

The Jungle Stage hosted the countries best-rising stars, some already household names including grentperez, Becca Hatch, Tori Lovett, Graace & Vacations. This stage had more of an intimate feel due to the smaller crowd but the bonus of this was you could have a dance if you wanted to and there wasn’t that “squish” that sometimes is a problem at the main stage, especially in summer when it’s already hot.

The WhatsLively Stage was home to a bunch of new faces in the electronic music world. There was a varied selection of different styles by the DJ’s on this platform, all with a devoted fan base that set up camp here for the event.

Notable Mentions/Highlights: Besides the great crowd our notable mention has to go to the one and only Rico Nasty. For those who didn’t know of Rico Nasty before the event, I can almost guarantee you they were looking here up soon as they left the park, for most I imagine it would have made up part of their New Year’s Day. She was absolutely phenomenal! She was a ball of fierce energy and the epitome of not only a queen but also what an international star should be. She sounded amazing, she was engaging with the crowd and she had a presence that just left you wanting more.

NYE in the Park 2022

Our Ratings

Public Transport: 🎫🎫🎫🎫

Line-Up: 🎫🎫🎫🎫.5

Amenities: 🎫🎫🎫🎫.5

Food: 🎫🎫🎫🎫

Bars/Alcohol: 🎫🎫🎫🎫

Merchandise: N/A

VIP Package: 🎫🎫🎫🎫.5

Over All: 🎫🎫🎫🎫