- The Martin Place Christmas Tree will be lit up in a massive ceremony on Thursday, November 28.
- Over 110,000 LED lights and 330 custom baubles will come to life as Sydney marks the start of the festive season.
- The lighting of the Martin Place Christmas Tree has been a tradition since 1971.
The lighting of the Martin Place Christmas Tree, the traditional beginning of Christmas in Sydney, has been a time-honoured tradition since 1971.
Each year, the Martin Place Christmas Tree symbolises the festive stretch with more than 110,000 LED lights, it’s 800 branches flecked with 330 custom baubles and crowned by a 3.4-metre star that changes colour at the night rolls on. And it all comes to life tonight, on Thursday, November 28 as marching bands, choirs and stars turn out to officially mark the festive season and act as a lighthouse guiding Santa Claus to the Harbour City.
In 2023, the lighting of the Martin Place Christmas tree featured Lord Clover Moore and Santa Claus arriving at the tree on a sleigh that took flight from Circular Quay. They were accompanied by an epic 65-piece marching band and Christmas elves shuffling on little reindeer tricyles.
Although the Sydney Christmas tradition has been floating around for decades now, this is only the seventh year that this specific tree sprouted up from the concrete at Martin Place. To localise it, designers lay 15,000 flowers of 9 different native floral species at the ground around the tree, helping anchor the spectacular light display with kangaroo paws, wattles, waratahs, banksias and other species.
The Christmas Tree itself as a feat of engineering. Ten layers of internal scaffolding are used to keep the three in place while maintenance uses a small inner-staircase to reach the 3.4-metre star.
As per tradition, there will be a sound and light show at the Martin Place Christmas Tree every 15 minutes from 8pm to midnight each Thursday through Sunday until the new year. There’s also a musical program with some of Sydney’s best choirs showing up each night from 6pm.
See you there, Sydney. Let the festive season begin!
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