By Maeve Bannister in Sydney

NEW Year’s Eve revellers across Australia are preparing to farewell 2023 with multiple cities set to sparkle with fireworks, light shows and illuminations.

The ACT government has abandoned fireworks in Canberra at midnight, limiting celebrations to a 15-minute display at 9pm.

Sydney will be one of the first major cities in the world to celebrate the start of the new year and will set the tone with 20 minutes of fireworks in two displays, a smoking ceremony, AI-driven projections on to the harbour bridge and illuminated boats on the water.

In Melbourne, a similar New Year’s Eve crowd to 2022 is expected, when a record 475,000 people flooded the city’s CBD.

A midnight fireworks display will showcase more lasers and projections than previous years, lighting up the skyline from 27 rooftops.

WA Australia will celebrate the new year with community events, parties and fireworks displays across the state.

Perth city will be treated to two explosive displays, one at 8pm from a barge on the Swan River and a second at 11.59pm when fireworks on top of buildings dotted across the city announce the arrival of 2024.

New Year’s Eve fireworks are also planned in Karratha, Esperance, Albany and Pemberton, on Rottnest Island and the Cocos Islands, at Rockingham, Mandurah, and a handful of other Perth beach and riverfront suburbs.

Brisbane’s official New Year’s Eve event has not been altered despite heatwave conditions in the days beforehand.

An event at South Bank Parklands will include two fireworks displays along the Brisbane River, one at 8.30pm and one at midnight.

Gold Coast council was on Thursday considering cancelling some events, with a possible risk of fire amid heatwave conditions and emergency services continuing to respond to storm damaged homes.

However, it continued to list fireworks events on its website, including at 8pm at Coomera Sports Park and Broadwater Parklands, 8.30pm at Lake Orr Varsity Promenade, 9pm at Paradise Point Parklands.

Hobart waterfront is expected to be packed as spectators celebrate 25 years since the city’s first New Year’s Eve river fireworks.

Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said the $127,000 event would include two nine-minute shows from multiple barges on the Derwent.

In Adelaide, revellers can enjoy 9pm and midnight fireworks coupled with live music at a Riverbank event.

One in five Australians who are planning to watch the fireworks say they will arrive before midday to claim a free spot.

Residents in NSW, Victoria and SA are most inclined to camp out early, according to the latest research released by the Tourism and Transport Forum Australia.