A$500-a-head NYE ‘Above the Harbour’ party fiasco Down Under

  Australia’s Sydney Harbour is renowned as having the best New Year’s Eve fireworks display worldwide. However, the city’s NYE ‘Above the Harbour’ event has come under considerable criticism from attendees, many of whom are demanding refunds and threatening legal action.   Messages have swamped social media complaining of horrible food, large queues for the toilets, poor views of the fireworks, and ordinary music at the NYE ‘Above the Harbour’.     Organisers responded to the New Year’s Eve event criticism on 3 January stating that they felt for aggrieved attendees and would deal with each case individually.   The UK’s Guardian newspaper quoted organisers who said: “The organisers and caterers empathise with patrons and are themselves disappointed with the issues that have arisen. They have poured significant time, resources and personal effort into the event’s planning, and are personally affected by the unfavourable outcome of their efforts.”   NYE ‘Above the Harbour’ was deemed as a chance to “experience some magic beneath the stars sans stress” by a Time Out promotion prior to the event.   National event industry association, Meetings & Events Australia (MEA) said on 5 January it had been “observing the dismay the fall-out of the ‘Above the Harbour’ NYE event” and that “We trust that the event organisers will address the customer’s complaints quickly and satisfactory.”   The MEA also emphasise that the organiser of the event was not an MEA member and therefore not committed to the association’s Code of Ethics.   That Code of Ethics covers professionalism, integrity and honesty in the delivery of events and includes a disciplinary tribunal which formally deals with unresolved complaints about members.