Celebrations on New Year’s Eve as 2026 approaches.
As nations transition into 2026 one time zone at a time, New Year’s Eve festivities are taking place all across the world.
Large crowds gathered at public viewing locations as the first major cities to celebrate the new year celebrated midnight with pyrotechnics over their waterfronts.
With ceremonies taking place from Times Square in New York City to the beaches of Rio de Janeiro and beyond, nations throughout the Americas will conclude the worldwide shift as the evening wears on.
This collection displays the various ways that people throughout the world are commemorating the beginning of 2026.
In 2026, at approximately 5 a.m. EST in the United States, the first nation to ring was the 136,500-person Pacific island nation of Kiribati.
New Year 2026 Fireworks, Celebrations
Japan, China, South Korea, Thailand, the Philippines, and a large portion of Indonesia joined New Zealand, Fiji, and most of Australia in celebrating the New Year by 8 a.m. EST.
In Nepal, India, Greece, and Moscow, Russia, the clock will reach midnight by 5 p.m. EST on Wednesday, while most of Europe will have finished ringing in the new year by 8 p.m.
Millions of people worldwide were already ringing in 2026 with fireworks and other festivities in Sydney, Tokyo, Bangkok, and other locations by the time the East Coast’s morning alarm clocks went off on Wednesday.
Countries ring in 2026 with fireworks and celebrations. This was the initialOne of the earliest nations to celebrate the New Year was New Zealand. A huge fireworks show in Auckland served as the focal point of the festivities.While the rest of the world awaits 2026, India celebrated the New Year with a mixture of jubilation and thick fog. The streets were packed in the major cities. Marine Drive in Mumbai was crowded, and Connaught Place in Delhi was filled despite the bitter weather.
With temperatures as low as 12 degrees Celsius, it was the coldest New Year’s Eve the capital had experienced since 2020. Tourists flocked to mountain cities like Shimla and Manali, who didn’t mind the snow as long as they celebrated together.
In the meantime, the New Year has already been celebrated in New Zealand, Australia, South Korea, North Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, and China.
One of the first nations to enter 2026 was New Zealand. The sky above the famous Sky Tower in Auckland was illuminated by a massive fireworks show that spearheaded the festivities. About 3,500 fireworks were fired from various floors of the 240-meter-tall Tower during the midnight celebration in Auckland.
The tallest building in the nation, the Sky Tower, once more took centre stage during the festivities. The spectacle, which signalled the official start of the new year for the country, drew thousands of people.
The first place in New Zealand to celebrate the New day was the Chatham Islands, which are east of the country’s mainland.
Australia also celebrated the start of the New Year across the Tasman Sea. Sydney, the self-described “world capital of New Eve,” put on a spectacular fireworks display over its well-known harbour. A minute of silence was held in remembrance of the Bondi Beach attack victims before to the festivities. A dove and the words “peace” and “unity” were among the symbols of togetherness that were illuminated on the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Shogatsu, Japan’s traditional New Year’s ceremonies, marked the start of 2026. The celebration starts on January 1 and lasts for a few days.
On New Eve, temple bells are traditionally rung 108 times to represent the expulsion of earthly cravings. Pine, bamboo, and straw are used to clean and adorn homes, signifying rebirth, luck, and a new beginning.
Every year, South Korea celebrates the New Year twice. Sinjeong, or January 1st, is a public holiday that commemorates the start of the year.
The nation observes Seollal, or Lunar New Year, later in the year, which has more cultural significance.