Matthew Tuckerand
Lucy Talavera
Countries around the world are welcoming the New Year as midnight approaches in each time zone.
Kiritimati Island, an atoll in the remote Pacific nation of Kiribati, has become the first location to welcome 2026. One tourist there said they marked the beach “with no satellites, no sign of humans, complete darkness and countless crabs.”
Crowds in the UK enjoyed thousands of fireworks lighting up the London sky, while in Edinburgh crowds gathered in true Hogmany fashion despite weather warnings.
Australia then lit up the sky above the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbor Bridge.
In Sydney, celebrations were tempered by sadness as the nation reflected on the December 14 Bondi Beach attack that killed 15 people.
At 23:00 local time, Sydney Harbor fell silent for a moment as crowds held lanterns in memory of the Bondi victims. The Jewish Menorah was projected onto the pylons of the Harbor Bridge.
Elsewhere, more fireworks were set off at Singapore’s Marina Bay waterfront.
The fireworks matched the lights of skyscrapers in Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines.
Thousands of people lined up at the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok as Thailand welcomed the New Year.
In Dubai, people watched fireworks from the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, followed by a combination of light displays, music and water jets.
In Hong Kong, spectators brought their hats and enjoyed the live performance.
Beijing Juyongguan Great Wall of China is illuminated.
Laser light decorated the night sky of Lotte World Tower, the tallest building in Korea, in Seoul.
Artists performed a New Year’s countdown at Bosingak in Seoul.
A street performer showed off her fiery skills as part of the Dublin Parade of Lights before heading to the Matinee Countdown concert at Dublin Castle.
In other parts of the world, countries celebrated the coming New Year with their own traditions.
Clothed and naked people took part in traditional bathing to mark New Year’s celebrations on the nudist beach of Le Cap d’Agde in southern France.
Swimmers at Island Brygge Harbor Bath in Copenhagen, Denmark, also braved the cold water for a traditional dip known as Nytaarsbad.
In Ommen, Netherlands, local residents watched the annual Carbide shooting. This was a New Year’s Eve tradition where milk cans were turned into cannons.
In Osaka, Japan, young women wearing traditional kimonos took part in a Shinto ritual procession to mark the end of the year at Sumiyoshi Taisha, one of Japan’s oldest shrines.
A colorful group of runners brave the December air for the traditional Krakow New Year Run in the old town of Krakow, Poland.
In Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, adults and children performed a traditional dance to liberate the sun of 2025 and welcome the sun of 2026.
