Sydney New Year's Eve fireworks 2016: Be the first to watch Australia's biggest display online

Australia's Sydney is set to win the annual New Year's Eve fireworks bragging rights once again as it beats New York, Paris and London to the starting blocks just by a quirk of geography and world timings. It has already begun preparations to kick off one of the first and most impressive firework displays. Taking place in Sydney, the show begins at midnight local time (1pm GMT Thursday 31 December) and will feature 12 minutes of fireworks launched from seven barges in the harbour, the Sydney Opera House as well as the Harbour Bridge.

A live stream of the full fireworks show will be broadcast online from Telstra and can be viewed here. Australian network ABC1 will start its coverage at 8.30pm local time (9.30am GMT) and it can be viewed here. You can also watch the display on a mobile or tablet device, straight from the Telstra app which can be downloaded here.

The night's entertainment began in Sydney at 6pm (7am GMT) with a flight show followed by a water display show at 6.50 pm. The Harbour Bridge turns into a giant canvas at 8.30pm with projections of images and videos along with a countdown to the fireworks show. The opening ceremony at 8.40 pm. features aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the cleansing of the harbour with eucalyptus smoke to 'banish bad spirits'. The first round of fireworks won't start until 9pm local time (10am GMT).

Over 1 million people are expected to attend the fireworks display this year, and it is believed that Sydney has again spent over $5 million (£3.7m) to ring in 2016, about the same as their budget for last year's show.

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