Ahoy Club · 31 December 2026
New Year's Eve on Sydney HarbourMidnight,
from the water.
A private yacht under the Bridge for the 9pm and midnight fireworks. The one night everyone should do once, and the one we would never miss.
until midnight on the Harbour
The afternoon, the whole party on deck
The bar, before the sun goes down
Pearls on the Dom
At the rail
Looking up
Midnight
The midnight kiss
And then the dancing
Happy New Year
The last of the fireworks
Ellie on New Year's Eve
If you only do one night on a yacht, make it this one.
New Year's Eve is the most important night of the year for us in Australia. The whole city is out, the Bridge is lit up, and there is nowhere better to be than on the Harbour, right in the middle of it.
These are the things I tell every friend who asks.
- 01
Most boats board at 6pm. I go at lunch.
If you can, get on early. Give your captain time to find a great position, then settle in and enjoy the Harbour before it gets busy.
- 02
Don’t rush off after midnight.
The fireworks finish, but the night doesn’t have to. You’re already paying for the biggest night of the year, and extending until the morning can be a lot less than you’d think. Stay on until 10am, have breakfast onboard and soak up every last bit of it.
- 03
Keep the boat for New Year’s Day.
If you can stretch it a little further, do it. New Year’s Day is one of my favourite days on Sydney Harbour - sun out, music on and nowhere to be. If there’s one thing Australians do well, it’s a day session!
The boats
Choose your seat for midnight
Live from our charter list, with their rates, in a different order every visit. Tell us the night and the group, and we tell you which are free.
MISCHIEF
Baglietto · 54m · 2006, refit 2024
12 guests | 6 cabins | 14 crew
A$295k – 420k
CHAOS
Sunseeker · 30m · 2010, refit 2024
8 guests | 4 cabins | 4 crew
A$110k
BLUESTONE
Gulf Craft · 31m · 2023
10 guests | 5 cabins | 5 crew
$110k
GINGER
ILIAD · 19m · 2024
6 guests | 3 cabins | 4 crew
A$55k – 60k
LEGACY
Gulf Craft · 32m · 2017
12 guests | 5 cabins | 6 crew
A$150k
MASTEKA 2
37m · 2009, refit 2021
12 guests | 5 cabins | 6 crew
$99k – 125k
Little Perle
30m · 2008, refit 2023
9 guests | 4 cabins
A$88k – 110k
SOLACE
Jeanneau · 12m · 2011
6 guests | 3 cabins | 1 crew
A$15k
PARADISE
Horizon · 35m · 2014
10 guests | 5 cabins | 6 crew
A$210k
ENCORE
Horizon · 30m · 2011, refit 2021
8 guests | 4 cabins | 4 crew
A$90k
LUMIR
Heesen · 37m · 2005, refit 2026
10 guests | 4 cabins | 6 crew
A$120k – 144k
S/Y FENG
Sunreef Yachts · 22m · 2013, refit 2023
8 guests | 4 cabins | 4 crew
$45k – 60k
MASTEKA 2
MonteFino · 38m · 2009, refit 2022
12 guests | 5 cabins | 6 crew
$125k
PAZIENZA
Cantiere delle Marche · 35m · 2024
11 guests | 5 cabins | 5 crew
$150k
SHORE THING
Lloyds Ships Holdings · 35m · 1986, refit 2025
8 guests | 4 cabins | 6 crew
$62k
FENG
Sunreef · 22m · 2013, refit 2023
8 guests | 4 cabins | 4 crew
$45k
TRUE NORTH
null · 50m · 2005, refit 2020
36 guests | 18 cabins | 22 crew
A$645k
4A
Sanlorenzo · 39m · 2007, refit 2008
10 guests | 5 cabins | 6 crew
$120k
TELEOST
Feadship · 49m · 1998, refit 2023
12 guests | 5 cabins | 10 crew
$195k
LUMIR
Heesen · 37m · 2005, refit 2013
10 guests | 4 cabins | 6 crew
A$140k
ORRAIA
Horizon · 28m · 2024
10 guests | 5 cabins | 4 crew
A$132k
LANCE
Sanlorenzo · 38m · 2023
10 guests | 5 cabins | 7 crew
A$220k – 250k
ORRAIA
Horizon · 27m · 2024
10 guests | 5 cabins | 4 crew
A$13k – 132k
23 yachts in rotation. The order changes with every visit so no boat is always last.
The night, as it happens
From lunch to the morning after.
Lunchtime · 12pm
Get on early
Most boats board at 6pm. Come aboard at lunch and your captain has the afternoon to find a great position, while you settle in and enjoy the Harbour before it gets busy.
In their words
The messages we get after New Year's Eve.
Straight from our guests, after the night. We have not changed a word.
Hey Team! Just landed back in Melbourne and wanted to say a HUGE thanks for all of your hard work this week and in the lead up to NYE. It was a pleasure to work with you all!! What a night. Hope to do it all again sometime soon xx
New Year's Eve guest, Melbourne Wow guys, that was incredible. Great job 🫶 happy new year 🎉
New Year's Eve guest Such an incredible NYE. Everything was so well organised from start to finish and being out on Sydney Harbour for the fireworks was unforgettable. Thank you to the whole Ahoy team for making it happen!
New Year's Eve guest it was an incredible night we had an amazing time ! The crew were brilliant.
New Year's Eve guest Best NYE we’ve had in years. Couldn’t have asked for a better night or a better spot for the fireworks. Thank you guys!!
New Year's Eve guest I think you’ve ruined New Year’s Eve for us forever 😂 How do we top that?!
New Year's Eve guest Bucket list night officially ticked off!! NYE on Sydney Harbour was even better than we imagined.
New Year's Eve guest
Build your New Year
Three taps, and we will write the plan.
The night, the night and the day after, a long weekend or a full week. Tell us roughly what you want and send it to our team; they start from there.
Your New Year on the Harbour
New Year's Eve and New Year's Day
- Board
- Lunch
- Guests
- 13 to 30
- Mood
- A party
The fireworks, then keep the boat for New Year's Day. We are Aussies, so we love a day session: a swim at Chinamans Beach, the toys out and a long lunch with nobody watching the clock.
For 13 to 30 we would look at the larger motor yachts, with room on deck for everyone at midnight.
Music on, and the crew keeping the drinks moving until well after midnight.
Most yachts sleep up to 12. For more than one night with a bigger group, we plan the whole party on board for New Year's Eve and a smaller group staying on, or a second boat.
Make a week of it
Itineraries that end under the Bridge
Take the Harbour, Pittwater and the Hawkesbury, or Port Stephens for the dolphins and the dunes, and finish back in Sydney for midnight. Tell us your dates and we shape the route to land you there.
A long weekend on the Harbour and Pittwater
Sydney Harbour4 stopsSydney Harbour
Board at Rose Bay on Friday, a night inside the Heads, Cottage Point and Palm Beach over the weekend, home on Monday. The staycation Sydneysiders do.
Open
Sydney to Pittwater, seven nights
Sydney
Board on the Harbour, round the Heads, and spend the week between the northern beaches and Broken Bay.
Open
Sydney to Port Stephens in a week
Sydney Harbour6 stopsSydney Harbour
Two nights on the Harbour, a night in Pittwater, a night up the Hawkesbury River, three in Port Stephens for the dolphins, the dunes and Rick Stein, and a long day home. The best week within a day of Sydney.
OpenQuestions we get asked
New Year's Eve, answered
How far ahead to book is on when to book, and the rest of Sydney is on our Sydney Harbour page.
Common questions
What is the best way to watch the Sydney New Year's Eve fireworks?
From a private yacht on Sydney Harbour. You anchor under the Bridge with the Opera House in view and watch both shows, at 9pm and at midnight, with a crew, a table and a drink, rather than standing in a crowd on the shore.
How far ahead should we book a yacht for New Year's Eve in Sydney?
As early as you can. New Year's Eve is our busiest night of the year and the best yachts go first. If you are leaving it late, ask anyway, because we may still have something.
What time should we board on New Year's Eve?
Most yachts board at 6pm, but we recommend extending the charter and getting on at lunch. That gives your captain time to find a good position before the Harbour fills up at sunset.
What time are the Sydney New Year's Eve fireworks?
There are two shows: the 9pm fireworks and the midnight fireworks. Both can be watched from a yacht on the Harbour.
Can we keep the yacht for New Year's Day?
Yes, and we recommend it. A day session on the water on New Year's Day is one of our favourite days on the Harbour. Ask us to add it when you book.
How many guests can a New Year's Eve yacht take in Sydney?
From about a dozen guests on a smaller day boat to more than a hundred on the largest yachts on the Harbour. Tell us the group size and we match you to the boats that suit it.
Can we book a boat for just a few hours on New Year's Eve?
Boats booked by the hour are on Ahoy Days, our day-charter site. A whole yacht for the night, and longer stays around the date, are arranged by our brokers here.
Can we turn New Year's Eve into a longer trip?
Yes. Most of our guests stretch it into New Year's Day, a long weekend or a full week: the Harbour, then Pittwater and the Hawkesbury River, or Port Stephens for the dolphins and the dunes. We plan the route so you are back under the Bridge for midnight.
Can I hire a boat for New Year's Eve in Sydney?
Yes. Ahoy Club charters private, crewed yachts on Sydney Harbour for New Year's Eve, for the night or longer, and boats by the hour are on Ahoy Days, our day-charter site. Tell us the group size and we match you to the yachts that are free.
Is a New Year's Eve cruise the same as a private yacht charter?
No. A ticketed New Year's Eve cruise puts you on a boat with other groups. A private charter is the whole yacht and crew for your group only: you choose the guests, the food and drink and how the night runs. Every Ahoy Club New Year's Eve charter is private.
Where is the best place on Sydney Harbour to watch the New Year's Eve fireworks?
On the water, with the Bridge and the Opera House in front of you. That is why we recommend boarding at lunch: your captain uses the afternoon to find a good position before the Harbour fills up. The exact spot depends on the yacht and the conditions on the night.
Is the yacht crewed?
Yes. Every Ahoy Club charter is fully crewed, with the captain and crew included. We do not offer bareboat charter.
A bucket list night