In brief
- Landmarks across Australia will be lit up in the colours of the USA flag this weekend.
- The US embassy said it "underscores the enduring friendship" between Australia and the US.
Dozens of Australian landmarks will glow red, white and blue this weekend — but not everywhere is taking part.
Landmarks across Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Darwin (see the full list below) will be lit up with colours of the United States flag to mark 250 years since the US Declaration of Independence.
The US embassy and consulates in Australia said they were "grateful to our Australian friends" for marking the occasion, adding the lighting "underscores the enduring friendship" between the two countries.
"For 250 years, the United States has celebrated the founding principles of liberty, equality, and self-governance," US Mission to Australia chargée d’affaires Erika Olson said.
"Seeing these colours reflected across Australia is a powerful reminder of the close partnership between our countries and the values we continue to uphold together."
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
However, public buildings in NSW, South Australia, the ACT, and Tasmania — including the Sydney Opera House and Canberra's Parliament House — won't be taking part.
The illuminations come as Australian sentiment toward the Trump administration remains low, with recent polling showing most Australians view the second Trump administration unfavourably.
A show of reverence or favour-currying?
Jared Mondschein, director of research at the University of Sydney's United States Studies Centre (USSC), says the illuminations reflect Australia's long-standing ties to the US rather than any attempt to court the current administration.
"It shows reverence — our most cherished icons in the country showing another flag," Mondschein told SBS News.
"Landmarks are very visible and very known to the public. When you see any sort of different orientation on them, that is striking and attention-grabbing."
He points to the US' role in World War Two and argues the ideas behind the Declaration of Independence helped shape Australia's own democratic system — sometimes dubbed a 'Washminster' model for borrowing from both the Westminster and US systems.
Asked whether the illuminations might be seen as a show of goodwill toward the current administration, Mondschein rejected the idea.
"I don't think it's really emblematic of any one city thinking that they need to curry favour with the Trump administration or with American politicians," he said.
Even with Australians largely unfavourable towards Trump personally, he argues the public still separates the president from the country and the alliance itself.
New polling of 1,000 Australians in May 2026 by the USSC found that roughly a third (32 per cent) of Australians believe the second Trump administration has been very bad for Australia.
Only one in five believes the US is mostly helpful in Asia, while 36 per cent see the US as mostly harmful in the region.
Looking to the future, Australians are split between agreeing (45 per cent) and being unsure (45 per cent) about whether the US will become a better ally of Australia after Trump's presidency ends.
Mondschein adds that it's not worth trying to guess whether Trump himself will notice the gesture.
"He can be mercurial and switch positions quickly," he said. "At the end of the day, I think Australia pursuing its own interests is the way to go — and that includes celebrating its history with the United States."
Not the first time — but not everyone's on board
Illuminating landmarks for foreign anniversaries isn't new in Australia.
The Sydney Opera House has been lit up for St Patrick's Day, for the 75th anniversary of India's independence, and in solidarity colours for Ukraine and Israel. Landmarks in Brisbane and Perth were lit up for Bolivia's bicentenary last year.
The Opera House and Canberra's Parliament House were also illuminated in the US colours in 2021 for the 70th anniversary of the ANZUS alliance.
This time, though, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT and NSW are sitting out — though the US ambassador's residence in Canberra and the consul general's residence in Sydney will still be illuminated.
A Sydney Opera House spokesperson confirmed the sails will not be lit, pointing to updated guidelines.
"In late 2024, the NSW Government introduced updated guidelines for projections onto the Opera House sails, to ensure the Opera House is being used appropriately and in line with its World Heritage status, as well as meeting community expectations," a spokesperson at the Sydney Opera House told SBS News.
"Under the guidelines, the projection of national flags on the Opera House sails, other than the Australian or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders flags in limited circumstances, is not permitted."
The site previously saw criticism after being illuminated in the colours of the Israeli flag after Hamas' October 7 2023 attack. However, a spokesperson maintained the rule change was independent of this.
Mondschein cautions against reading too much into the omission.
"I don't think that one time not having the US flag is somehow any insulting omission to the US-Australia alliance," he said.
A spokesperson for Parliament House in Canberra pointed SBS News to the building's Illuminations and Lighting Projections Policy.
The policy says that "light projections may be displayed on the Parliament House façade to mark cultural commemorations and celebrations" and that such displays "must adhere to standards befitting the building's significance and preserve its dignity at all times".
It also says: "In general, requests from charity, commercial, political and all other organisations for illuminations will not be approved."
SBS News has sought comment from the NSW and South Australian state governments.
Full list of illuminated sites
Twenty-four sites across four cities will be lit up:
Melbourne: Flinders Street Station, Melbourne Town Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne (Spire), Old Treasury Building, National Gallery of Victoria, Kardinia Park (Geelong), Melbourne Rectangular Stadium
Perth/WA: City of Perth buildings including Council House, Graham Farmer Freeway tunnel (Northbridge/East Perth), Great Northern Highway (Port Hedland), Joondalup Drive Bridge (Wanneroo), Matagarup Bridge, Mount Street Pedestrian Bridge, Sky Ribbon Gateway Bridge (Perth Airport/Tonkin Highway, Belmont)
Brisbane: Story Bridge, Victoria Bridge, Kangaroo Point Bridge, Reddacliff Place sculptures (Donna Marcus, Steam, 2006), City Hall, King George Square, Wickham Terrace Car Park architectural wall, Breakfast Creek and Yowoggera Bridges
Darwin: Parliament House, Darwin Convention Centre
Organisers have invited the public to share photos of the illuminations using the hashtag #Freedom250.
For the latest from SBS News, download our app and subscribe to our newsletter.
