Dee Why Beach will welcome the new year without its traditional fireworks display, with family-friendly entertainment planned instead after difficulties securing a supplier for the offshore event.
NBC confirmed the cancellation on 12 October, leaving one of the area’s familiar New Year’s Eve celebrations facing another change. The display has been cancelled in four of the past seven years, while last year’s fireworks were cut short following a malfunction involving the offshore barge.
Previous celebrations have featured fireworks viewing areas along The Strand, Ted Jackson Reserve and surrounding parts of the beachfront. The replacement event will offer a different way to mark the occasion, although the activities and entertainment programme have not yet been announced.
A New Way To Celebrate at Dee Why Beach
Plans for an alternative New Year’s Eve celebration were being considered before the cancellation was formally announced. In September, NBC began investigating family-focused activities along the Dee Why foreshore, including the possibility of a drone display. The proposal involved assessing available entertainment suppliers, costs, weather limitations and arrangements for managing spectators.
A drone display has not been confirmed, but NBC has since announced that family-themed entertainment and activities will replace the fireworks. The cancellation follows difficulties delivering a display that depends on an offshore barge operating under suitable wind and swell conditions. NBC said no supplier was available to meet the requirements for safely staging the fireworks this year.
Mixed Reactions To A Changing Tradition
News of the cancellation has drawn disappointment from some community members, particularly those concerned about losing another familiar New Year’s Eve attraction at the beach. Residents expressed frustration over the loss of the fireworks tradition. Another also raised concerns about the atmosphere around Dee Why, while another welcomed the decision to announce the cancellation well before New Year’s Eve.
The changes will leave Dee Why without fireworks on 31 December, although celebrations are still planned at the beach. Elsewhere on the Northern Beaches, fireworks will proceed at Manly Cove, Frenchs Forest Showground and Bayview, providing other locations for those hoping to watch a display.
Details of Dee Why’s replacement activities, including the entertainment programme and event times, remain to be confirmed. NBC has advised people to check its website closer to New Year’s Eve for further information about celebrations, transport arrangements and road closures.
Published 14-October-2026
