Wollongong's New Year's Eve fireworks were cancelled after a wave washed over the breakwall at Wollongong Harbour and into the crew setting up the pyrotechnic display, with some witnesses reporting fireworks being washed into the harbour. The cancellation, announced around 5:50 pm on December 31, left thousands of people who had gathered along the foreshore disappointed.
The council cited dangerous ocean swells impacting the harbour as the reason, noting that two men had died at the same spot in recent years after being washed off the breakwall—one in April 2025 and another in October 2023. Public safety was the primary concern, according to Wollongong Lord Mayor Tania Brown.
The lack of a contingency plan or alternative launch site will be part of a review ordered by council general manager Greg Doyle. Cr Brown confirmed the review will examine whether the large swell was forecast and if any warnings were issued, as well as potential alternative locations for future events.
The decision to cancel was made in consultation with emergency services and the contractor Fireworks Australia. The NSW government's observation buoy at Port Kembla was out of action since December 30, but nearby buoys indicated a rapidly increasing swell, prompting the Bureau of Meteorology to issue a hazardous surf warning later that evening.
