Celebrations around the world mark the start of the new year
Rod McGuirk And Sheikh Salik
Updated ,first published
As China and the rest of East Asia celebrated the start of 2026, drummers rang in the New Year and a stampede of computer-generated horses was featured on a section of the Great Wall of China.
The first countries to say goodbye to 2025 were the South Pacific countries. New Zealand held its fireworks display 18 hours before the ball dropped in New York’s Times Square.
Auckland
Auckland rang in 2026 with a city center fireworks display from New Zealand’s tallest structure, the Sky Tower, making it the first major city to ring in the new year with a rain-soaked celebration.
The five-minute show featured 3,500 fireworks launched from various floors of the 240-meter Sky Tower. Smaller community events were canceled on New Zealand’s North Island on Wednesday due to forecasts of rain and possible storms.
All eyes were on Sydney Harbor on New Year’s Eve; Weeks after the Bondi Beach terror attack, hundreds of thousands of people observed a minute’s silence for the victims.
A menorah was projected onto the pylons of the Harbor Bridge and a dove with the words “peace” and “unity” was displayed as the crowd held telephone flashlights aloft.
The quiet reflection contrasted with the brilliant fireworks display that resounded across the world-famous harbor at midnight.
There was a heavy security presence throughout the festivities, with thousands of armed police participating to ensure the safety of the crowd.
Hundreds of thousands of people in Melbourne braved a cold evening to watch fireworks displays across the city to celebrate the new year.
Seven-minute firework displays lit up the skies across Melbourne, first at 9.30pm, followed by a spectacular display across the Yarra River with the main show at midnight.
Tokyo
In Japan, where fireworks are not a traditional part of the festivities, temple bells rang throughout the country. Others traditionally ate noodles out of a desire for longevity because of the noodle’s shape.
seoul
Thousands of people gathered at the Bosingak bell pavilion, where a bronze bell was struck 33 times at midnight; this was a tradition rooted in Buddhist cosmology and symbolizing the 33 heavens.
It is believed that the bells banish misfortune and welcome peace and prosperity for the coming year.
Hong Kong
In Hong Kong, the annual New Year’s fireworks display was canceled following a fire at an apartment complex that killed 161 people in November.
Instead, a light show with the theme of ‘New hopes, new beginnings’ transformed the facades of the Central district.
Beijing
Celebrations were held at the Juyong Pass on the Great Wall just outside Beijing, with drummers and a display of computer-generated horses along a section of the Wall.
Revelers wore headdresses and wavy boards emblazoned with “2026” and the horse symbol.
February will mark the arrival of the Year of the Horse according to the Chinese lunar calendar.
Jakarta and Bali
Cities around Indonesia have scaled back festivities in solidarity with communities devastated by floods and landslides in parts of Sumatra island a month ago, where more than 1,100 people died.
Concerts and fireworks on the tourist island of Bali were replaced by a cultural event featuring traditional dances.
Dubai
In Dubai, United Arab Emirates, a light show sparkled with jet skis tumbling as fireworks exploded around the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.
still to come
Elsewhere, preparations are underway for the more traditional midnight toasting ceremony throughout Thursday (AEDT). Fireworks were planned over European landmarks, from the Colosseum in Rome to the London Eye.
In Paris, revelers gathered towards the sparkling Champs-Élysées
Pope Leo XIV closed the year with a call for the city of Rome to welcome the foreigner and the vulnerable. Berliners took selfies and made snowmen in front of the iconic Brandenburg Gate of the German capital.
In Scotland, where the New Year is known as Hogmanay, First Minister John Swinney urged Scots to heed this message: Auld Lang Syne and show small acts of kindness in 2026.
In sub-zero temperatures in New York, organizers began erecting security barriers and stages in front of crowds that would flock to Times Square for the annual cannonball.
New Mayor Zohran Mamdani will also take the oath of office at midnight on a centuries-old Quran, the first time a New York City mayor has used Islam’s holy text to take the oath, in a ceremony held in a long-closed subway station beneath City Hall.
At Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, the stage was being set for a massive music and fireworks party known as Reveillon. Organizers were hoping to break the 2024 Guinness World Record for the largest New Year’s Eve celebration.
In snowy Kiev, Ukrainians were preparing to cling to hopes of peace in the new year, but many lamented that peace still appeared elusive after nearly four years of conflict with Russia.
Palestinians in Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced due to the war that has been going on for more than two years, said they hope the new year will bring an end to the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
AP, Reuters
