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CNN Live Event/Special
Sydney Counting Down To 2025; Tokyo Set To Welcome 2025 In About Two Hours. Aired 7:30-8a ET
Aired December 31, 2024 - 07:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[07:30:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
STING, MUSICIAN, ACTIVIST: Singing "Message In A Bottle."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHANIA TWAIN, CANADIAN SINGER-SONGWRTER: Hi, everyone. I'm Shania Twain. And in 2025, my wish is to turn 60 and celebrate writing a huge hit for you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL)
[07:38:55]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZAK STENMARK, MODEL: Hey, we're Zac --
JORDAN STENMARK, MODEL: And Jordan Stenmark. And our wish for 2025 is that everyone has health and prosperity over the next year.
Z. STENMARK: Hopefully, you have an amazing year, and I look forward to seeing you in Bondi Beach really soon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN ANCHOR: I'm certainly feeling warmer now. Welcome back to CNN's New Year's Eve special. We are live from Manhattan's Times Square.
And we are now just 22 minutes away, I make it, from witnessing a spectacular fireworks show in Sydney, Australia to ring in the new year.
Our Lynda Kinkade is in Sydney for us. Lynda, I'll be honest, it doesn't get much better I think than Times Square for New Year's Eve, but on my bucket list I definitely want to spend a New Year's Eve in Sydney. And it's your hometown. How does it feel like to be there and to be celebrating?
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: I mean, it is unbelievable. I haven't had the opportunity to have a New Year's Eve at home in over a decade and it's just -- I mean, it's magical.
[07:40:03]
The weather is perfect. You just saw some of those -- the models Bondi Beach there. I ordered those especially for you.
But right here in the foreshore, Julie, there's like a million people, some of whom camped out since midday yesterday to get a vantage point of what is one of the most spectacular fireworks displays on the planet.
And the countdown here is well and truly on. People here at Luna Park are -- have been enjoying the festivities all evening. This is the largest over 18 party event on the Harbour. And, of course, there is going to be tens of thousands of fireworks launched just over my shoulder in the not too distant future. They're going to stretch for some --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Twenty minutes.
KINKADE: I don't know if you heard that, Julia -- 20 minutes. I don't know if you can hear that, but the excitement is certainly building here. Twenty minutes until the fireworks -- the largest display Sydney has ever had. It's going to stretch some seven kilometers. And for the first time there are going to be fireworks off this side of the Harbour Bridge. They've added another 80 firing positions.
So tens of thousands of fireworks that will be launched off the Harbour Bridge, off the Opera House sails, and of course, the barges, the skyscrapers. And all these lights on the Harbour will be -- will be illuminating some of the buildings around the city.
But right now, before we get to the fireworks, I want to go to a special performance from Men at Work. I spoke to the musician and lead singer-songwriter of Men at Work, Colin Hay. Take a listen to what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLIN HAY, SCOTTISH-AUSTRALIAN SINGER-SONGWRITER: I want to stay home a bit more and just be downstairs in the studio and messing around and just hang with Cecelia, my wife, and the dog. It's simple -- simple things.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: That was Colin Hay's wish for the new year. It won't be that simple because he will be touring throughout the United States. And he did perform for us while he was in Atlanta. I want to play one of their hit songs now, "Who Can It Be Now."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) HAY: This is the first song that anybody heard from our old band. It goes like this.
MEN AT WORK, ROCK BAND: Singing "Who Can It Be Now?"
[07:45:00]
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: And, of course, we're going to hear much more from Men at Work next hour. We have the performance of their signature Aussie classic "Down Under."
But right now it is about 15 minutes until we ring in 2025 here in Sydney, Australia. It is a spectacular night. The weather couldn't be better. And Julia, we are really looking forward to what's going to take place here behind me moments from now.
CHATTERLEY: Yeah, we're looking forward to it, too. And we can hear behind you the party's long since started. So it's the pinnacle but you've already well warmed up. Thank you so much, Lynda. Don't go anywhere.
And don't you go anywhere because as Lynda said, midnight in Sydney is coming right up on our New Year's Eve special. We'll continue in just a moment's time. Stay with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL)
[07:51:45]
CHATTERLEY: Hello and a very warm welcome to our viewers from all around the world. Thank you for choosing to join the party and ring in 2025 here with us. This is CNN's New Year's Eve special where we'll be welcoming the new year from all corners of the globe all day long. We're making special use of CNN's truly international reach to take you all around the world today, and we hope you'll come along for a very festive ride.
I'm Julia Chatterley at the New York Marriott Marquis high atop Times Square where, of course, the ball will drop in just a matter of hours. I have my eyes on it. It's over there.
But in the meantime my colleagues are fanned out worldwide waiting for that big moment when midnight strikes and 2025 arrives.
Hanako Montgomery is standing by in the heart of Tokyo for us, and Lynda Kinkade is at Sydney Harbour where midnight is just minutes now away.
And I do want to begin right there in Sydney where 2024 has just moments to go. Twenty-twenty-five is going to begin, of course, with that iconic fireworks display. Lynda, we know you've been partying now for hours. Just give us a sense of what the atmosphere there is like at this moment.
KINKADE: I mean, I don't know if you can hear this right now but there are a lot of people just singing.
CHATTERLY: I can.
KINKADE: Breaking out in song. There are people from all over the world that have come to Sydney to the foreshore to see what is going to be a spectacular display -- a record-setting fireworks. The planning began 15 months ago so even before last year's event, and then it took two weeks to set up.
Earlier tonight we had the 9:00 p.m. fireworks, which is the warm-up act. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
Fireworks display in Sydney Harbour.
KINKADE: Sydney is one of the first places on the planet to ring in the new year and it all starts here at the 9:00 p.m. fireworks known as the children's fireworks -- this year curated by an indigenous group known as "We Are Warriors."
Now, each year the fireworks are bigger and better than ever. Record- breaking, in fact. And a million people have gathered around the foreshore, some staking out their spots from midday yesterday. Take a listen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is amazing. I can go to bed now. The child fireworks are over. I'm done for the night. It's great.
KINKADE: The children's fireworks are done.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah, yeah.
KINKADE: You guys can sleep.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Finally.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my God, we're so excited.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's a once in a lifetime experience to really --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- see them.
KINKADE: And how were the 9:00 p.m.? Are you getting ready for the grand finale?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, yeah, we are. We are. It was amazing but now we know how it will be, so yeah, we are so ready.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And so fun.
KINKADE: Yeah?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's exciting.
KINKADE: More than 26,000 lights will also be used to illuminate the city over the coming hours. And when the fireworks begin at midnight, they'll be fired off the Harbour Bridge, the sails of the Opera House, some floating barges, and skyscrapers. It's sure to be a spectacular event.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[07:55:10]
CHATTERLY: A fabulous job there, Lynda, at Sydney Harbour. We can hear the singing, and we will be back with you in just a moment's time.
But, of course, it's not just Sydney where they're getting ready for a party. Tokyo is set to welcome the new year in, in just over two hours' time. And, of course, excitement building in the Japanese capital, so we're going to head straight there. Hanako Montgomery is ready to welcome 2025 in Tokyo, Japan.
Hanako, you had noodles last hour for us. Tell me what's going on right now.
HANAKO MONTGOMERY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Julia. It's good to see you again.
So I don't know if you can tell but we have some people now here who have been filing in to this event venue. I want to say there are around 200 people and they are eagerly waiting for the party to start. The actual event is about to kick off in 10 minutes. And, of course, it's a little bit chilly here in Tokyo so you have people with camping chairs, little blankets, things to stay warm before the event begins.
And Julie, let me tell you, there are so many types of people here tonight. You have families, young people, old people, people with their girlfriends, boyfriends. And so lovely to see because traditionally in Japan you celebrate New Year's Eve and Day usually at home eating lots of good food and trying to move as little as possible from the couch. But clearly, there are people here looking for a party and a party they will get in just 10 minutes now, Julia.
CHATTERLEY: Yeah, we can't wait. Hanako, thank you for that. We'll check back in with you a little later in the show.
But I want to get back now to Sydney Harbour and Lynda Kinkade. Lynda, 2025, what, just five minutes away now in Australia. You're heading to the future and you guys -- you know how to put on a show.
KINKADE: We are heading to the future. Not long to go now.
With me right now, Julia, is the CEO of Luna Park, which is where we are right now. This, John, was an event that sold out quite early. It is the best spot on the Harbour. JOHN HUGHES, CEO, LUNA PARK SYDNEY: Lynda, this is the biggest New Year's Eve party on Sydney Harbour. We're at Luna Park Sydney at our iconic Harbour Party -- the 20th year that we've run this event.
KINKADE: Excellent. And, of course, this sold out. What is it, 6,000 -- over 6,000 people here?
HUGHES: Six thousand five hundred people -- Sydneysiders and visitors to Sydney. We sold out about a week ago.
KINKADE: Wow. And so you've got various tiered events. People are on the rides. This is an amusement park but they also get primary seats to the fireworks.
Just talk to us about how much planning goes into this event.
HUGHES: We plan this event, Lynda, for 11 months of the year. We are one of the rarest art deco amusement parks in the world. And for us, being the frontrunner to the Sydney Harbour, this is one of our most iconic events, so we're thrilled to have 6 1/2 thousand people here this evening.
KINKADE: It's a lot of people to celebrate with to welcome in the new year. This, of course, is the largest Harbour Party for people over the age of 18, right?
HUGHES: Yeah, the largest 18-plus New Year's Eve party on Sydney Harbour. It's just an incredible evening. So we're thrilled that everyone's here and we're minutes away from the fireworks.
KINKADE: And if I read it right, I think Luna Park is celebrating its 90th year next year, right -- just within 15 minutes?
HUGHES: Within 15 minutes, October 4, 2025, our 90th year. And this is our 20th Harbour Party so it's a really special evening for us.
KINKADE: And it wasn't that long ago that Luna Park changed hands. It was sold. Another iteration of the park's history.
How will that change things here?
HUGHES: It's the next chapter for Luna Park Sydney. So we have new custodians coming in -- a Sydney-based Oscars Group. So they're going to be great new owners taking the park to its next chapter.
KINKADE: And this is a hospitality group. What sort of changes could it mean?
HUGHES: I mean, I think the thing that they do best is hospitality so we're really keen to see what they can bring to the table.
KINKADE: All right. Well, it is not long now until Sydney rings in 2025 -- what will be a record-setting fireworks display behind us. More than nine tons of fireworks have been brought in. It's taken the organizers about two weeks to set up all the fireworks for this display. And we are going to see fireworks light up the sky for some seven kilometers. That's over four miles, stretching right across the Harbour.
There will be fireworks being launched from the sails of the Opera House just behind me, as well as some floating barges, some skyscrapers. And over a million people have gathered around the foreshore in anticipation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One minute.
KINKADE: One minute. Can you hear that? One minute until 2025. This is -- it's pretty special for me being back in my hometown to ring in 2025. There's nothing like it. The weather is perfect. Not too hot.
And honestly, there's a lot of people from around the world that have gathered here. Luna Park draws people from all over. I've seen fans from Peru, Italy, Europe.
The countdown is happening.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thirty seconds.
KINKADE: Thirty seconds to go until 2025.
