Callum Mallet: Sky City Chief Operating Officer on Auckland's NYE skyline celebrations

When the clock strikes midnight tonight Auckland City's skyline will be illuminated with the iconic fireworks display off the Sky Tower.

Sky City Chief Operating Officer Callum Mallet joins the show to talk about what goes into planning the event, the best spots to watch it and how the weather could rain on the parade. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
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Speaker 2 (00:16):
New Zealand's pretty much the first place in the world
to ring in the New Year, and when the clock
strikes midnight tonight, Auckland City's skyline will be illuminated with
the iconic fireworks display off the sky tower, likely beamed
around the world as well as part of the sort
of summing up of New Year celebrations. So the vibrant
celebrations are the highest in the Southern Hemisphere and Sky

(00:38):
City Chief operating Officer Callum Mallett is with me now, Callum,
good morning, Hello, Callum, how are you doing?

Speaker 3 (00:47):
Good morning, Tom, I'm good. How are you good? Stuff?

Speaker 2 (00:49):
What do you got planned?

Speaker 3 (00:51):
Well, we've got an amazing show tonight, as you've already
pointed out, the first in the world to go. So
we've got a three hundred and sixty degree symmetrical firework
display with over three two hundred shots going off tonight
and that will be partnered with a synchronized laser light
in animation show beamed up the tower. That show starts

(01:11):
at nine o'clock and goes for each half hour until midnight,
and it's also partnered with a display on the Harbor Bridge,
so it's going to be a fantastic night.

Speaker 2 (01:19):
How do you go about designing a fireworks display? How
much time does it take?

Speaker 3 (01:24):
It takes a long time. We're very lucky term We've
got great partners in a company called Pyros. They've been
working with us for many years. They start planning a
five months ago and it takes three hundred and fifty
hours for them just to get all of the fireworks
put in place, with up to fourteen kilometers of electrical

(01:45):
cabling and wiring to go in there. So it's a
huge effort from them every year, and it's a lot
of fireworks to lug up two hundred and twenty meters
in the tower.

Speaker 2 (01:55):
That is that's quite the high, isn't it. What's the
budget if you can tell me or who pays for it?
Is this all on you guys?

Speaker 3 (02:02):
Yes, guys. City has paid for this for many years.
It's we think it's a wonderful way to celebrate a
an iconic structure in the skytower, but obviously a wonderful
way to be part of the community. Look, it's not
a small budget, but We know that Aucklands and New
Zealanders look forward to seeing it and bring in the

(02:23):
new year every year, so we're delighted to do it.

Speaker 2 (02:26):
Do you get nervous before kickoff on these events? What's
your most stressful time on New Year's Eve?

Speaker 3 (02:32):
The weather is always the most stressful part, Tim, As
you've talked about, it's looking okay for tonight, but any
wins over thirty five knots isn't ideal. So we have
a lot of people. It's certainly the biggest night for
us across the year, so you know, we have many
tens of thousands of people in and around the precinct,

(02:52):
so that brings us some complexities. But certainly the weather
is the biggest question mark. But it's really interesting. Tim's
a big night for us. But speaking to all of
the staff, everyone really gets excited about working on New
Year's Eve. It's just such a fantastic atmosphere to share
with our customers.

Speaker 2 (03:11):
Well, where's the best place to watch from right underneath
the skytower or sort of from a distance.

Speaker 3 (03:15):
That's a great topic of discussion by many people, Tim.
Some people love watching straight underneath on Victoria Streets and
Federal Street, and in that precinct. RTR Square is a
fantastic spot the viaduct Devenport. A lot of people like
being around on the north shore and also people out
on their boats in the harbor. It's also on TV

(03:38):
and did though so and also live streams, so anyone
not in Auckland or who doesn't have view of the
tower can watch it. But we certainly think the streets
in and around the Skytower looking straight up at the
three hundred and six degree display that fantastic spot to
watch it.

Speaker 2 (03:53):
Yeah, I reckon. Hey, thanks so much. That's Callum Mallett.
He's Chief operating office at sky City.

Speaker 1 (03:58):
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