Sydney's lord mayor says the city is spending $6.6 million on its New Year's Eve event. Source: AAP
THOUSANDS of revellers have gathered at Sydney's sparkling harbour to take part in the party that kicks off New Year's celebrations the world over.
Temporary cyclone fences surround the city's best vantage points as people armed with fold-up chairs, picnic blankets, nibbles and booze stake a claim.
Lucky types are bobbing on boats in the harbour while others are happy to simply line the sides of roads, with jubilant partygoers spilling from pubs onto the streets.
Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore says about 1.5 million spectators are expected to line Sydney Harbour to watch the fireworks.
Another two million Australians will catch the $6.6 million event on their teles, as will at least one billion people worldwide.
"This is really putting Australia on the map in terms of welcoming people to the New Year," Ms Moore said.
Pop princess Kylie Minogue, chosen as the event's creative ambassador, developed the theme 'Embrace' and chose its colour scheme and soundtrack.
She will be honoured with a musical-note firework which will be one of 100,000 individual pyrotechnic creations this year, including koala, octopus and hand images in lights.
Minogue said being home to host New Year's Eve was a dream come true.
"It's been a huge year for me and the finish line is tonight," she said, adding that her boyfriend was the first in line for a hug come midnight.
Minogue said her 25 years in the music industry hadn't been easy and had its ups and downs, but it had been "an amazing ride" overall.
Other celebs who have headed Down Under to ring in the New Year include Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx and Jonah Hill.
They will be joined at The Star casino's Marquee Nightclub by Gossip Girl heart throb Chace Crawford, Glee's Matthew Morrison and Arrow actor Colton Haynes.
Out on the streets, more than 3000 police officers will be on crowd control.
"If you act up, you are going to be arrested and charged. There's no view of the fireworks from a police cell," warned Assistant Commissioner Alan Clarke.
At Mrs Macquaries Point, 6283 people had already claimed a spot by midday while the super keen began queuing for the panoramic views of Sydney Harbour and the city skyline 24 hours before the gates of the Botanic Gardens opened at 10am.
Many have queued for hours under the sun.
"It's a much younger crowd than usual, a lot of backpackers rather than families like previous years," said Karla Davies from the Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust.
American Melissa Sjostedt said she had wanted to see the fireworks on the bridge since reading about it in a four-page spread in the National Geographic 10 years ago.
"Ever since that I've always wanted to see this for real, live, in person," the 30-year-old from Florida told AAP from Dawes Point Reserve.
People going to the CBD to watch the fireworks have been urged to leave their cars behind and take public transport, with road closures in place and extra trains and buses laid on for the night.
The Sydney Harbour Bridge will be closed in both directions from 11pm on Monday to 1am on Tuesday.
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