# Coca-Cola billboard > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Coca-Cola_billboard > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Coca-Cola_billboard.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coca-Cola_billboard > Source revision: 1350553137 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Advertising billboard in Sydney This article is about the billboard in Sydney, Australia. For the billboard in [Times Square](/source/Times_Square), New York City, see [Coca-Cola sign](/source/Coca-Cola_sign). The Coca-Cola billboard was first installed in 1974 and in 2015 the original neon sign was removed. In 2016 the new sign was turned on and it uses a lot less power by making use of LED tubing.[1] Photo taken in 2007. The **Coca-Cola Billboard** in [Kings Cross](/source/Kings_Cross%2C_New_South_Wales), [Sydney](/source/Sydney), is an advertising [billboard](/source/Billboard) erected in 1974 by [Coca-Cola](/source/Coca-Cola_Amatil).[1] It is more often regarded as an iconic landmark than as an advertisement and is considered to be the premier billboard in Sydney and is the second largest billboard in the [Southern Hemisphere](/source/Southern_Hemisphere) next to the Glebe Island silos billboard.[2] ## The sign The Coca-Cola billboard on the corner of William street and Darlinghurst road, [Kings Cross](/source/Kings_Cross%2C_New_South_Wales), [Sydney](/source/Sydney). 2026. The Coca-Cola sign is located above the intersection of [William Street](/source/William_Street%2C_Sydney) and Darlinghurst Road and is attached to the Zenith Residences, formerly the Millenium Hotel and Kingsgate Hotel. The sign is often referred to as *The Gateway to the Cross*, because it is prominently visible from all of William Street, which is the principal road leading to Kings Cross from the [Sydney CBD](/source/Sydney_central_business_district). One also must pass directly in front of the sign when entering Kings Cross from either William Street or Darlinghurst Road, the two main access roads. The sign is often thought to be heritage listed which it is not.[1] The billboard is made up of two parts: on the right, the famous red and white neon sign, and on the left the more modern, flex-faced sign.[1] In total the sign is 41 metres in length and 13 metres in height, with the right sign being slightly larger at 21 metres in length. The red and white neon sign is made up of eighty-eight vertical bars of red tubing. It also has 800 fluorescent lamps that are concealed behind reflectors that allow the billboard to project thirteen different patterns. The left part of the billboard is a flex-face style sign and is internally illuminated by approximately 1,000 fluorescent lamps. ## History In 2008 activists covered the billboard in protest of Chinese policies towards Tibet The red and white neon billboard was erected in 1974[1][3] in its current location whilst the left side of the billboard was a later addition in 1990. In 2004 the billboard for the first time in thirty years advertised a product other than Coca-Cola, when the left side of the board advertised the release of *[Halo 2](/source/Halo_2)*.[4] On 31 March 2007 the lights on the billboard were intentionally switched off for the first time, in correlation with the inaugural [Earth Hour](/source/Earth_Hour).[5] On 23 April 2008, four activists unfurled a banner over the billboard in protest of Coke's sponsorship of the Olympic torch relay at Kings Cross. The banner read: "Enjoy Compassion. Always Tibet. CHINA – TALK TO THE DALAI LAMA". All four activists were arrested.[6] In 2015, the original sign was removed to make way for an upgraded sign that is made up of LED tubing that uses a lot less power and the new Coca-Cola sign was officially turned on, on the 15 September 2016.[1][7] The lettering was auctioned off, raising $100,700 for the [Wayside Chapel](/source/Wayside_Chapel),[8] but the hyphen between the words was given away via a [Facebook](/source/Facebook) contest, and now resides in [Lithgow](/source/Lithgow%2C_New_South_Wales), as part of a Christmas light display.[9] It is the single largest controllable LED sign in the Southern Hemisphere and can change colour.[10] In 2025 the sign was refreshed.[11] ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-sign_Potts_Point_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-sign_Potts_Point_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-sign_Potts_Point_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-sign_Potts_Point_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-sign_Potts_Point_1-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-sign_Potts_Point_1-5) ["Coca-Cola Sign"](https://archives.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/nodes/view/1970745). *City of Sydney*. Retrieved 26 March 2026. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["It was a billboard made for the Sydney Olympics. Twenty-two years later, it's still there"](https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/it-was-a-billboard-made-for-the-sydney-olympics-twenty-two-years-later-it-s-still-there-20220926-p5bkzq.html). *SMH*. 26 September 2026. Retrieved 26 March 2026. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Coca-Cola (2016). ["The History and Future of the Kings Cross Coca-Cola Sign"](http://www.coca-colajourney.com.au/stories/times-they-are-a-changing-the-history-and-future-of-the-kings-cross-coca-cola-sign). *coca-colajourney.com.au*. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Ryan Shaw (2005). ["Halo 2"](http://moreresults.factiva.com/results/index/index.aspx?ref=ASPC000020050119e1210001t). *factiva.com*. Australian PC World. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Terry Smith (31 March 2007). ["Emerald city blacks out for brighter future"](http://www.smh.com.au/news/environment/emerald-city-blacks-out/2007/03/31/1174761820887.html). *[Sydney Morning Herald](/source/Sydney_Morning_Herald)*. Retrieved 1 May 2007. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Ramachandran, Arjun (23 April 2008). ["Activists cover Cross sign"](http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/activists-cover-cross-sign/2008/04/23/1208743017340.html). *The Sydney Morning Herald*. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Australia's iconic Coca-Cola billboard auctioned off letter by letter"](https://www.cnet.com/culture/australias-iconic-coca-cola-billboard-auctioned-off-letter-by-letter/). *Cnet*. 6 September 2016. Retrieved 27 March 2026. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Coca-Cola (2016). ["Coca-Cola has Auctioned off the Original Kings Cross Sign Letters for Charity"](http://www.coca-colajourney.com.au/stories/a-little-piece-of-history-why-coca-cola-is-auctioning-off-the-original-kings-cross-sign-letters). *coca-colajourney.com.au*. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["LithgowLights – 2015 Display July to November"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160212053134/http://lithgowlights.com/2016.html). *lithgowlights.com*. Archived from [the original](http://www.lithgowlights.com/2016.html) on 12 February 2016. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["New Coke sign to be switched on in Sydney"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160915171524/http://www.news.com.au/national/breaking-news/new-coke-sign-to-be-switched-on-in-sydney/news-story/5f3904e10f0a1ee6e17aeb6a34c4ac3f). [News.com.au](/source/News.com.au). Archived from [the original](http://www.news.com.au/national/breaking-news/new-coke-sign-to-be-switched-on-in-sydney/news-story/5f3904e10f0a1ee6e17aeb6a34c4ac3f) on 15 September 2016. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** [Kings Cross Coke sign gets a new look](https://mumbrella.com.au/kings-cross-coke-sign-gets-a-new-look-for-coca-cola-campaign-910150) *[Mumbrella](/source/Mumbrella)* 11 December 2025 v t e Coca-Cola buildings and structures Bottling plants Atlanta Baltimore Bogalusa, Louisiana Bloomington, Indiana Charlottesville, Virginia Cincinnati, Ohio Columbia, Missouri Elmira, New York Fort Lauderdale Los Angeles Ocala, Florida Placerville, California Savannah, Georgia Tallulah, Louisiana Trenton, Florida West Yorkshire Winchester, Virginia Syrup plants Baltimore Chicago St. Louis Sports arenas Coca-Cola Coliseum Coca-Cola Park Minute Maid Park Billboard signs Kings Cross, Sydney Five Points, Atlanta Times Square, New York Piccadilly Circus Office buildings Candler Building (Atlanta) Candler Building (Kansas City) Candler Building (New York City) Coca-Cola Place Other Biedenharn Museum Club Cool Coca-Cola Dome Coca-Cola Museum Coca-Cola Olympic City World of Coca-Cola [33°52′30.93″S 151°13′20.04″E / 33.8752583°S 151.2222333°E / -33.8752583; 151.2222333](https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Coca-Cola_billboard¶ms=33_52_30.93_S_151_13_20.04_E_) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Coca-Cola billboard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coca-Cola_billboard) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coca-Cola_billboard?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.