North Sydney Olympic Pool is throwing a 1000-person NYE pool party.
Suit up for one of the more unusual ways to see in 2027: a pool party at North Sydney Olympic Pool, with the Harbour Bridge above you and both the 9pm and midnight fireworks on the program.
The North Sydney New Year’s Pool Party starts at 6pm on Thursday 31 December 2026, with entry capped at 1000 ticket holders. The pools will be open for swimming, with inflatables and entertainment through the evening, and food and drinks for sale on site. The event is family-friendly and alcohol-free. Adult tickets are $250 and children aged three to 15 are $125.
The pool reopened on 7 August, after more than five years behind construction fencing. North Sydney mayor Zoë Baker frames the party as a celebration of the pool’s return.
“North Sydney Olympic Pool has one of the most extraordinary settings in Sydney, and what better way to celebrate its return than bringing the community together here for New Year’s Eve," she says.
What $250 actually buys you
The biggest thing your ticket buys is your day back. Sydney’s harbour vantage points fill up early, and the best spots go to whoever gets there first. Here, you can arrive at 6pm and spend the evening in the pool, not on a picnic rug. You’ll also be sharing it with 999 other people, not thousands.
The council’s ticketed parks this year, Blues Point Reserve (already sold out) and Lower Bradfield Park, are $65 a person. They’re a good option if all you need is a patch of lawn, but you’ll be claiming it from late morning, with nowhere to cool off. The pool party gets you a pool, a capped crowd and a New Year’s Eve that doesn’t start at 11am. The night is alcohol-free, and food is sold separately, so budget for dinner on site.
Who it’s for
It’s made for families. Kids who would wilt by 3pm in a public park get a pool, inflatables and a 9pm show built for them. Parents get a New Year’s Eve without a day-long camp-out. Couples planning a midnight toast should note it’s alcohol-free. But if a harbourside swim on New Year’s Eve beats a glass of bubbles, this is the ticket.
Can’t make the party? You can still fit in a last swim of 2026 earlier in the day. The pool is open to members and the public from 5.30am to 2pm on New Year’s Eve at standard entry, which is $11 for adults and $8.80 for children. It then closes to set up for the evening.
Whichever way you go, don’t plan on driving. The harbour foreshore runs on special transport arrangements on 31 December, so check Transport for NSW before you go.
Tickets are available now. Updates will go out on the pool’s Instagram.
Want to see more stories from Australian Traveller in your Google search results?
- Click here to set Australian Traveller as a preferred source.
- Tick the box next to "Australian Traveller". That's it.
