Sydney welcomes in the New Year with a bang

SYDNEY (AFP) - Spectacular fireworks exploded over Sydney in a blaze of light and colour on Tuesday to ring in the New Year, as the city kicked off a wave of global celebrations from Dubai to London to welcome 2013.

Australia's famous harbour city brought in the New Year on a balmy summer night with a US$6.9 million (S$8.43 million) display curated by pop icon Kylie Minogue, who pressed the button to start the pyrotechnics.

To the roars of the crowds, the sky erupted in light at midnight as fireworks shot up from barges and jet skis in the harbour and cascaded from the Harbour Bridge and burst and glimmered overhead.

"This is really putting Australia on the map in terms of welcoming people to the New Year," Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said.