Sydney's First Winter Wonderland

There is something special about a white winter and it is not something Sydneysiders usually get to experience; but for four weeks from 13 June – 13 July in the heart of the harbour city, Darling Harbour Cool Yule 2014 will provide a fun and seriously cool winter wonderland for all ages to relish.

From snow-pits for the kids to open-air ice-skating, mind-blowing ice-carvings, a floating iceberg and more, Darling Harbour Cool Yule is a celebration of winter, proudly presented by the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority and Darling Harbour Alliance.

An inaugural event, the Darling Harbour Cool Yule 2014 program features The Winter Festival's iconic open-air ice-skating rink at Tumbalong Park, where live entertainment, an après-skate bar and gourmet delights will also be available every day of Cool Yule 2014. Those who book online will receive a discount on the cost of tickets, starting from $24 per adult and from $14 per child.

Also at Tumbalong Park, the 25 metre inflatable Thredbo Snow Slide is guaranteed to thrill all members of the family – including mums and dads as the slide will be FREE of charge daily.

The Winter Festival will also transport visitors to Queenstown, thanks to the life-size Air New Zealand Snow Globes at Tumbalong Park and at Palm Grove, where a gigantic, illuminated snowflake will Let it Glow for the perfect backdrop to snap a photo.

From Darling Harbour Marina between 10am – 5pm, visitors will get to experience Sydney Harbour like never before while floating within a Lindt Lindor Zorb Ball on Cockle Bay. Lindt Chocolate Café patrons who spend $15 or more will receive a FREE ticket to experience the thrilling ride, suitable for all ages.
 
Also floating on Cockle Bay every day of Darling Harbour Cool Yule, The Cool Iceberg will present an extraordinary sight and Frosty Fireworks will light-up the skies above Cockle Bay every Saturday from 8.30pm.

Across the Bay at Harbourside Amphitheatre from 18-20 June at 7pm and 8.30pm, the super-exciting, Australia-first and FREE Extreme Ice Show will provide a truly unique winter experience! The show will be presented by Colorado's extreme ice sculpture artists, the 'Icemen,' who will crank-up their chainsaws and chisels to transform blocks of ice into amazing shapes and characters.

At seven metres high and 20 metres long, Frozen Forest will also captivate at The Civic Connector, opposite Darling Quarter. Visitors will get to marvel at the magic of the FREE experiential installation and frosty soundscape - every day of Darling Harbour Cool Yule 2014.
 
School holiday entertainment will be offered at The Cool Yule Snow Pit under the Pyrmont Bridge, between Harbourside Shopping Centre and the Australian National Maritime Museum. For $5 per child for 20 minutes of frolicking in the snow, The Cool Yule Snow Pit will operate from Sunday – Thursday, 29 June – 3 July and 6 July – 10 July.

Visitors to Darling Harbour Cool Yule 2014 should also Watch Out! Snow's About! as it will fall from dusk across Druitt Landing, next to Cockle Bay Wharf, the Harbourside promenade and at the eastern end of the Pyrmont Bridge, near SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium.

With world-class dining options across Darling Harbour, families will find it a cinch to warm-up their bellies at one (or more!) of the many restaurants and cafés in-precinct.

Events staged by Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority – including Darling Harbour Cool Yule – help to attract an annual average of 26 million visitors to Darling Harbour and provide a valuable contribution to the NSW visitor economy which is all part of the vision to make extraordinary places in Sydney that the world talks about

The Darling Harbour Alliance is a public / private partnership between the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority and core tenants of Darling Harbour. The Alliance was established to manage the strategic direction of business, entertainment and events during development of the AUD$1 billion International Convention Centre Sydney, which is due to open at Darling Harbour in 2016.