The world welcomed 2026 with a wave of celebrations, from the first moments in the Pacific to grand displays in major cities across Europe and Asia. Festivities unfolded across multiple time zones, marked by both jubilant displays and somber remembrance [[1]]. While many nations ushered in the new year with vibrant fireworks, others paused to reflect on recent tragedies, including a deadly shooting in Sydney and a devastating fire in Hong Kong.
The world ushered in 2026 with celebrations spanning time zones, beginning in the Pacific and rolling westward. Kiribati, a small island nation, was the first to greet the new year at 11:00 CET, followed by the Chatham Islands in the southwestern Pacific. The festivities continued across the globe, with vibrant displays and moments of remembrance marking the transition into a new year.
Kiribati’s Christmas Island, officially known as Kiritimati, was the first inhabited place on Earth to enter 2026. Despite its proximity to Hawaii, the island observes the new year a full day ahead of its larger neighbors.
Just fifteen minutes later, the Chatham Islands, part of New Zealand, welcomed 2026. “It’s quite special to celebrate 2026 in such a remote and isolated location,” a local hotel bar owner told the BBC.
Spectacular Fireworks Display in New Zealand
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New Zealand officially entered 2026 at noon Central European Time, alongside the island nations of Samoa and Tonga. Auckland kicked off the celebrations with a five-minute fireworks show featuring 3,500 colorful rockets launched from various levels of the 240-meter-high Sky Tower.
Despite gloomy weather, celebrations, including spectacular fireworks, were planned throughout New Zealand. “It rained all day, but the sky cleared just in time to welcome the fireworks from the Sky Tower at midnight,” a resident celebrating in Auckland told the BBC.
At 1:00 PM CET, Fiji and the easternmost parts of Russia also joined the new year celebrations.
Fireworks and a Moment of Silence in Sydney
In Sydney, Australia, where the new year began at 2:00 PM CET, smaller fireworks displays began lighting up the sky above the iconic Harbour Bridge. The Guardian noted that Sydney is often referred to as the “world’s New Year’s Eve capital.”
However, celebrations in the city were briefly paused for a moment of silence to honor the victims of a shooting that occurred on December 14th. Fifteen people were killed in a terrorist attack targeting Hanukkah celebrants at Bondi Beach. As part of the tribute, the Harbour Bridge was illuminated with projections of a seven-branched menorah and a dove, accompanied by the words “unity” and “peace.”
Strengthened security forces were deployed throughout Sydney’s streets, with particular attention paid to public transportation, according to The Guardian. “We need to show strength and resilience at this time,” New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said, as reported by the British newspaper.
Japan Celebrates with First Sunrises
At 4:00 PM CET, Japan, North and South Korea, parts of Russia, and East Timor entered 2026. New Year’s celebrations in Japan, known as shogatsu, are traditionally focused on family, according to The Guardian.
It is customary to listen to the ringing of bells at midnight, eat soba noodles, and stay awake to witness the first sunrise of the new year. Buddhists also gather at temples across the country. In Seoul, a ceremony featuring bell-ringing and a countdown was held, reported the Associated Press.
Light Show Follows Tragedy in Hong Kong
At 5:00 PM CET, the Philippines, Taiwan, most of Mongolia, and China welcomed the new year. A video projection was displayed on a section of the Great Wall, performers showcased drumming on stage, and leaders from around the world extended well wishes via video messages.
In Taipei, a rain-soaked crowd enjoyed a concert illuminated by a spectacular fireworks display from the Taipei 101 tower. On Bali, people paraded in colorful costumes and with horse figures, as the upcoming year is the Year of the Horse in the Chinese zodiac.
In Hong Kong, a music and light show replaced the usual pyrotechnics, as the city continues to recover from a fire that ravaged a residential complex in November, claiming the lives of at least 161 people, according to the Associated Press.
In the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, people participated in a concert and lit candles forming the number 2026 before midnight. At 6:00 PM CET, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and western Indonesia bid farewell to the old year. Bangkok welcomed the new year with a light show preceding a midnight fireworks display.
The United Arab Emirates also welcomed the new year. In Dubai, the Burj Khalifa skyscraper was illuminated, as reported by the BBC. New Year’s celebrations are extensive in the city each year. At 10:00 PM CET, the new year arrived in Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
New Year Celebrations in European Capitals
Fireworks displays at the Brandenburg Gate and the Arc de Triomphe marked the arrival of the New Year in Berlin and Paris, respectively. London followed an hour later, with crowds watching a show over the River Thames. New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day celebrations continued elsewhere in Europe and around the world.
The BBC reported that London’s skies were lit up with 12,000 pyrotechnic shells, viewed by around 100,000 people along the Thames. In Edinburgh, Scotland, approximately 45,000 people attended the Hogmanay street party, a Scottish term for New Year’s festivities. Additional celebrations took place across the country, from Belfast to Manchester, Newcastle, and Cardiff.
In Germany, the largest open-air parties were held at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, in the port of Hamburg, and in the center of Munich, according to DPA. No major incidents were reported across the country.
However, police and emergency personnel were attacked in several Berlin districts. In Neukölln, on Hermannstrasse, and in Moabit, people set off firecrackers at rescuers and threw them with fireworks, a police spokesperson, Florian Nath, said. Further attacks occurred during the arrest of suspected perpetrators. By one hour after midnight, police had detained more than three hundred people in the German capital. Approximately fifteen police officers sustained minor injuries.
Incidents were also reported in Hamburg and Leipzig. A large New Year’s Eve party with live music and a light show in Munich, attended by around ten thousand paying visitors, reportedly took place without incident. “Everything was absolutely calm. There were no incidents,” said Katrin Strauch of the organizing agency. A fireworks display was not permitted at the private event.
