Spectators watched as 10 tonnes of fireworks were launched from 17 rooftops and other sites at a dusk display and midnight show.

Celebrations kicked off early at Yarra Park and Footscray Park, the latter rocking in the New Year with its own fireworks display and a Robbie Williams tribute band.

Throngs lined the Yarra River and enjoyed live entertainment at Kings Domain, Docklands, Flagstaff and Treasury gardens before watching the fireworks from the city's best vantage points.

Some sailed into the new year, opting for a cruise which returned at midnight to Victoria Harbour - the only place to see the entire fireworks display.

Federation Square was jam-packed with revellers who partied to a multicultural line-up of music and dance, from African beats to Japanese folk, with performances from past contestants of X Factor, The Voice and So You Think You Can Dance.

Others watched fireworks explode over Melbourne's skyline from the upper deck of Melbourne Aquarium, with a cocktail and five-metre crocodile at arm's length.

In Melbourne's west, crowds lined the Williamstown foreshore for one of the best vantage points of the midnight fireworks in the CBD.

With temperatures peaking at 39.7 degrees in the city just after 3pm, and soaring to 40 degrees in Geelong, many grabbed the dog, a fold-up chair and esky and headed for the beach.

An estimated 20,000 visited St Kilda Beach as the local council and residents nervously watched to see if there would be a repeat of tonnes of rubbish left behind by revellers on Christmas Day.

Moviegoers ushered in 2016 with all the nostalgia of the 1960s at Dromana Drive-In. After a double feature on the big screen under the stars, guests were treated to a fireworks explosion.

At The Astor Theatre, people busted out their corsets and fishnets for the yearly tradition of an interactive screening of cult musical, The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

In Dandenong, people gathered for performances in Harmony Square followed by a grand fireworks display at 9.30pm, launched from the roof of the Walker Street multi-deck car park.

Some celebrated by escaping the city, enjoying the tranquility of a barbecue under the stars at Flowerdale Estate or camping at Camp Nong forest festival in the Kinglake Ranges.

Many residents along the surf coast spent a subdued night after fireworks were cancelled in Torquay, Lorne and Portarlington amid the raging Otways bushfire.

Thousands watched Geelong's waterfront fireworks displays, with many families coming from the surf coast and Bellarine Peninsula to enjoy shows at dusk and midnight.

Fireworks went off further along the Great Ocean Road at Port Fairy and Warrnambool.

Despite a total fire ban across both the the state's south-west, north-west, central and south-east, fireworks displays also proceeded as planned in Bendigo, Gippsland and Daylesford.

More than 18,000 people partied at the Falls Festival, which last week was swiftly moved from Lorne to Mt Duneed Estate because of the bushfire risk.

Festivalgoers snapped up more than 1200 bushfire-relief New Year's Eve tickets in 24 hours, with the $120,000 in ticket prices to be donated to fire-affected communities along the Great Ocean Road.