Vic: Thousands line Yarra banks five hours haeda of fireworks

AAP General News (Australia)
12-31-1999
Vic: Thousands line Yarra banks five hours haeda of fireworks

Five hours ahead of the fireworks which will light up the skies over Melbourne at midnight,
thousands of people lined the banks of the Yarra river.

Six giant riverside screens began showing archival footage of the past century from 6pm.

Two stages - one in the Alexandra gardens, the other at Southgate - have live bands
playing and at 8pm.

A free dance party will begin on the Concert Hall lawn.

The music will take revellers through the century.

Only about 2,000 people are so far at the MCG for the Calton versus Colingwood millennium
eve Australian Football League match.

The match from 7.40pm to 10.15pm has attracted little interest in pre-bookings.

In the city centre hundreds of teens are at the park on the site of the former Queen
Victoria hospital for a drug and alcohol-free event.

The high point of tonight's Millennium celebrations will be the largest fireworks display
ever seen above Melbourne, accompanied by a specially choreographed soundtrack.

They will be preceded by the burning of three fire sculpture barges on the river at
11.30pm - a ceremonial leaving behind of the old, to be followed by the lift-off of 2000
white baloons containing Victorians' wishes and dreams for the future.

The river is closed to all private craft until 1am.

AAP RTV sjg/jlw/arb

KEYWORD: EVE CITY (MELBOURNE)

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