Australia welcomed 2026 with a spectacular fireworks display over the Sydney Opera House, as well as a minute’s silence to remember the victims of the Bondi Beach attack.
The 40,000 fireworks stretched more than four miles over buildings and ships along the harbor.
An hour before midnight, the victims of the country’s deadliest terrorist attack – which left 15 dead and 40 injured – were remembered with a moment of reflection as images of a menorah were projected onto the Sydney Harbor Bridge. The crowd was invited to show their solidarity with Australia’s Jewish community by shining their telephone flares over the harbour.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns urged Sydney residents not to stay away out of fear, saying extremists would interpret smaller crowds at New Year’s Eve festivities as a victory.
“We cannot find ourselves in a situation where this terrible, criminal, terrorist event changes the way we live in our beautiful city,” Minns told reporters on Wednesday.
“We must show defiance in the face of this terrible crime and say that we will not be intimidated by this kind of terrorism,” he added.
New Zealand
Two hours earlier, more than 3,000 fireworks were shot off atop New Zealand’s tallest building – the Sky Tower – as Auckland became the first major city to welcome the New Year.
New Zealand’s capital celebrated midnight 18 hours before New York. The five-minute display saw 3,500 fireworks launched from various floors of the 240-metre-high Sky Tower.
The island of Kiritimati was the first place in the world to celebrate 2026. Kiribati, part of the Pacific Ocean nation, is located south of Hawaii and northeast of Australia. It consists of several atolls – ring-shaped coral reefs – and covers almost 4,000 kilometers from east to west.
Kiribati became independent from Britain in 1979 and has a population of approximately 116,000.
Japan and South Korea
Japan and South Korea celebrated the new year around 1500 GMT with a traditional bell-ringing ceremony. Tens of thousands gathered at the Bosingak Pavilion in central Seoul for the countdown.
At midnight local time, a bronze bell was struck 33 times, a tradition rooted in Buddhist cosmology and symbolizing the 33 heavens.
The sounds are believed to drive away bad luck and bring peace and prosperity for the coming year, while lanterns are lit to celebrate the occasion.
Fireworks also lit up the sky above Seoul’s Lotte World Tower, South Korea’s tallest building.
Those in Japan and South Korea were soon joined by Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan. In Singapore, fireworks were set off over the Marina Bay for the 2026 fireworks display.
However, Hong Kong did not mark the occasion with fireworks after a devastating fire killed 161 people at an apartment complex in November, the deadliest fire the city had seen in decades.
The city is usually home to the world’s largest and most extravagant demonstrations with light shows, fireworks, music and performances.
Instead, the government organized a light show and subdued music performances for the public.
People gathered at the Juyongguan section of the Great Wall, also known as the Juyong Pass, in Beijing, China to ring in the new year, which will mark the Year of the Horse.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, in a New Year’s Eve address broadcast by state media, praised his country’s technological progress in areas such as artificial intelligence and semiconductors, while renewing threats against Taiwan, which claims to be part of its sovereign territory.
“We Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait share a blood and kinship bond,” he said. “The reunification of our motherland, a trend of our time, cannot be stopped.” China launched large-scale military exercises around the island this week.
Europe
Europe will join the celebrations later, with Germany, France and Italy ringing in the new year around 11pm GMT, ahead of Britain, Portugal, Mali and Ghana.
Berlin residents have already enjoyed snowfall on Wednesday afternoon, taking selfies and snowmen in front of the German capital’s cathedral and iconic Brandenburg Gate. The famous Berlin television tower was almost invisible thanks to the falling flakes and fog.
The biggest fireworks display in London this year, as in previous years, will be the Mayor of London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display – an event watched by more than 10 million people in Britain.
Tickets for the exhibition are highly sought after and are usually sold out long before New Year’s Eve. Areas around the display, including Embankment and parts of Lambeth, will begin closing to the public from as early as 2pm to allow for preparations.
However, people will not be able to use the Primrose Hill viewing point this year. It offers panoramic views over the capital and in 2024 an estimated 30,000 revelers marked the start of the year in the park, but this year it will be closed to the public, with the gates not reopening until 6am on New Year’s Day.
Royal Parks – the charity that runs the site – says this is partly due to the Met’s decision to disband the Royal Parks Police earlier this year.
New York will join the celebrations on New Year’s Day at 5am GMT, with performances from Diana Ross and Ciara, while Los Angeles will celebrate at 8am GMT.
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