Organisers of a New Year’s Eve event at The Domain’s Tarpeian Precinct on Sydney harbour which cost up to $500 a ticket have apologised after receiving a barrage of complaints about “disastrous” facilities and service.
Attendees demanded refunds and threatened legal action after complaining of awful food, enormous lines for toilets and ordinary music at NYE Above the Harbour.
“The organisers and caterers, in good faith, are currently processing any complaints and a formal process is in place to address and resolve these issues,” event organisers said in a statement on Sunday.
Revellers swamped social media to slam the “complete joke” of an event, with some even complaining of poor views of the fireworks.
#nyeabovetheharbour My view of the 9pm fireworks, you should be fined and shut down by the ACCC. pic.twitter.com/uWJ8WGEqyD
— Jessica Bragg (@jessicasbragg) January 1, 2016
Many attendees, including Chris Lee, were highly critical of its culinary offerings.
“I cannot believe you charged us over $400 for an ‘all inclusive’ event with only three food stalls for thousands of people,” he posted on Facebook. “We had to wait 2.5 hours to get fed some disgusting dried up pork buns that tasted like cardboard.”
Sydney's 'Above the Harbour' New Year's Eve event slammed after revellers pay $500 EACH | Daily Mail Online https://t.co/BHI7ZRNlwi
— amanda meade (@meadea) January 1, 2016
Angela Micallef, from the United Kingdom, said ticketholders did not get value for money.
“I spent most of my night queuing up for one thing or another and didn’t get to spend time with my family,” she said on the event’s Facebook page. “The beer tent ran out of cider early on, the music/sound quality was awful and the kids’ corner comprised an air hockey table.”
Organisers said on Sunday they felt for aggrieved attendees and would deal with complaints on a case-by-case basis.
“The organisers and caterers empathise with patrons and are themselves disappointed with the issues that have arisen,” they said. “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.”
A Time Out promotion prior to the event described NYE Above the Harbour as a chance to “experience some magic beneath the stars sans stress”.
“Take the most primo patch of land Sydney Harbour has to offer and then imagine it taken over by a one-night wonderland of the finest dining, drinking and chilled-out partying that this city has to offer. Ticket-holders will be privy to their own private party paradise, complete with five-star food stalls from Shangri-La Hotel, unlimited beverages from wine, beer and cocktail bars including a special Above the Harbour exclusive brew by Young Henrys, and an open-air dancefloor manned by some of Sydney’s best DJs, hosted by Smooth FM’s Cameron Daddo.”
