New Year’s Eve: Sydney celebrates 2026 with spectacular fireworks as city ushers in new year after honouring Bondi victims – live updates

These were the scenes as Sydney welcomed 2026 with a bang following a spectacular fireworks display.

A massive pyrotechnic show took over the Sydney Harbor Bridge and Opera House at midnight local time.

It refers to the four Australian states; New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory have officially welcomed the new year.

South Australia will celebrate half an hour later, Queensland and the Northern Territory will celebrate an hour after Sydney.

Western Australians have the longest wait until 2026, three hours behind NSW.

Sydney and Melbourne are among the Australian cities officially entering 2026.

The city, known for its spectacular fireworks display over the Sydney Harbor Bridge, commemorated the victims of the terror attack on Bondi Beach earlier this month – the worst in Australian history.

More than a million people gathered in Sydney for the city’s famous midnight fireworks display, billed as a show of unity and defiance.

While those living in the southern hemisphere enjoy New Year’s celebrations in warm climates, also consider those living in the northern hemisphere.

In France, sea swimmers visited the popular nudist beach at Cap d’Agde, a seaside resort on the country’s Mediterranean coast, for a refreshing dip in the sea.

The unique local tradition known as the Dernier Bain de l’Année, or Last Bath of the Year, is one of the main daytime events in Cap d’Agde before the evening celebrations.

This is the moment Sydney remains silent in memory of those killed in the Bondi Beach terror attack on December 14.

15 innocent people, aged between 10 and 87, lost their lives when two gunmen opened fire on the Jewish holiday celebrating the first night of Hanukkah.

Australians near Sydney Harbor lit their torches to create a sea of ​​light as a menorah (the candelabra used for Hanukkah) was projected onto bridge pillars.

The menorah appeared as an outline drawing at the bottom of the posts, making it difficult for some spectators to see.

This is the moment the Sydney Harbor Bridge turns blue as people in the city prepare to ring in the new year.

Known as the Beyond Blue moment, the bridge was illuminated on New Year’s Eve in memory of the city’s charity Beyond Blue, which provides 24-hour mental health support.

Reminder, we’re only 30 minutes away from the main fireworks display in Sydney, which you can watch in our livestream above

Authorities in Edinburgh are preparing a fireworks display as the Scottish capital prepares for the return of the city’s famous Hogmanay celebrations.

An estimated 100,000 people are expected to be in Edinburgh for New Year’s Eve events on December 31, with a street party and fireworks display taking center stage.

People were left disappointed after the festival was canceled last year, but forecasters are predicting dry conditions in the Scottish capital on New Year’s Eve this year.

Temperatures will reach around minus 2C in the city but festivalgoers will avoid weather warnings that snow and ice will hit parts of Scotland from 6am on New Year’s morning.

Fiji has officially welcomed 2026 with the island nation becoming the last country seen in the new year.

Canadian doctor and author Brian Goldman showed video of a beach party with fire dancers as people celebrated the final countdown.

The Sydney Harbor Bridge will be illuminated in white with a menorah projected onto its pillars to commemorate the victims of the terror attack on Bondi Beach earlier this month.

In Bondi, the deadliest terrorist attack in Australian history, 15 people were killed when two gunmen opened fire during the Hanukkah event.

The memorial service will take place at midnight, one hour before the main fireworks display.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns encouraged Australians to enjoy the night.

“We want to make it clear that we will not be in a situation where the way we live in our beautiful city will be drastically changed as a result of the actions of these terrorists,” he told reporters.

Thousands of armed police have been deployed across metropolitan Sydney to improve security as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese encourages everyone to show courtesy.

A popular viewing spot for New Year’s Eve fireworks displays over London’s skyline has been turned into a no-go zone for ‘public safety’ reasons.

Primrose Hill offers panoramic views of central London and in recent years has become a popular place for people to see in the new year.

An estimated 30,000 people celebrated New Year’s Eve there in 2024; but this year it was closed for the first time and the doors were locked from 8pm on Tuesday until 6am on New Year’s Day.

Some areas of the royal park were cordoned off with plain green hoardings, while other parts were surrounded by only temporary fencing to prevent potential spectators from entering.

The park announced its decision to close, saying ‘the controls we can implement to ensure public safety are limited’.

Concerns are rising about the safety of the park after 16-year-old Harry Pitman was fatally stabbed on New Year’s Eve 2023.

Celebrations continue at full speed in New Zealand, where the year is officially 2026.

In Auckland, revelers watched the final countdown from the city’s Sky Tower before a fireworks display greeted the moment the clock struck midnight.

According to local news, the five-minute pyrotechnic show took six months to plan.

The show was launched from three separate levels of the tower, with fireworks fired up to 80 meters from the landmark (for a total height of 320 meters above ground).

There are only 10 minutes left until the clock strikes midnight in New Zealand, the first major country to welcome 2026.

Fireworks will light up skies across the country, including Auckland’s Sky Tower and Wellington Harbour.

Watch live scenes from Auckland above