Sydney welcomes 2026 with spectacular fireworks show as world rings in new 12 months | EUROtoday

Australia has welcomed in 2026 with a spectacular fireworks show over Sydney Opera House, in addition to a minute’s silence to recollect the victims of the Bondi Beach assault.

The 40,000 fireworks stretched greater than 4 miles throughout buildings and barges alongside the harbour.

An hour earlier than midnight, the victims of the nation’s deadliest terrorist assault – throughout which 15 had been killed and 40 injured – had been commemorated with a second of reflection whereas photos of a menorah had been projected onto Sydney Harbour Bridge. The crowd had been invited to indicate their solidarity with Australia’s Jewish neighborhood by shining their telephone torches throughout the harbour.

New South Wales premier Chris Minns urged Sydney residents to not keep away via concern, saying extremists would interpret smaller crowds at New Year’s Eve festivities as a victory.

“We can’t be in a situation where this horrible, criminal, terrorist event changes the way we live in our beautiful city,” Mr Minns advised reporters on Wednesday.

“We have to show defiance in the face of this terrible crime and say that we’re not going to be cowered by this kind of terrorism,” he added.

New Zealand

Two hours earlier, more than 3,000 fireworks were launched over the top of New Zealand’s tallest building – the Sky Tower – as Auckland became the first major city to welcome in the new year.

New Zealand’s capital celebrated midnight 18 hours before New York. The five-minute display involved 3,500 fireworks launched from various floors of the 240m (787ft) Sky Tower.

The island of Kiritimati was the first place in the world to celebrate 2026. Part of the Pacific Ocean nation, Kiribati, located south of Hawaii and northeast of Australia. It is made up of several atolls – ring-shaped coral reefs – and spans almost 2,500 miles from east to west. Kiribati became independent from the United Kingdom in 1979 and has a population of about 116,000.

Japan and South Korea

Japan and South Korea have celebrated the New Year around 3pm GMT with a traditional bell-ringing ceremony. Tens of thousands gathered at Bosingak Pavilion in central Seoul for the countdown.

At midnight, a bronze bell is struck 33 times, a tradition rooted in Buddhist cosmology, symbolizing the 33 heavens. The sounds are believed to dispel misfortune and bring in peace and prosperity for the coming year. Lanterns are lit to celebrate the occasion.

Additionally, fireworks lit up the sky over the Lotte World Tower in Seoul, South Korea’s tallest building.

They were joined by Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan shortly after. In Singapore, fireworks were set off over the Marina Bay to bring in 2026.

However, Hong Kong did not mark the occasion with a fireworks display after a devastating fire killed 161 people in an apartment complex in November – the deadliest blaze the city had seen in decades.

The city is usually home to the world’s largest and most extravagant demonstrations with light shows, fireworks, music and performances.

Instead, the government organised a light show and pared-back musical performances for members of the public.

People have gathered in the Juyongguan section of the Great Wall, also known as Juyong Pass, in Beijing, China to ring in the New Year, which will mark the Year of the Horse.

Chinese president Xi Jinping, in a New Year’s Eve address broadcast by state media, hailed his country’s technological progress in areas such as artificial intelligence and semiconductors while renewing threats against Taiwan, which it claims as part of its sovereign territory.

“We Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait share a bond of blood and kinship,” he mentioned. “The reunification of our motherland, a trend of the times, is unstoppable.” China this week launched large-scale army drills across the island.

Europe

Europe will be part of the celebrations later with Germany, France and Italy bringing within the new 12 months at round 11pm GMT, earlier than the UK, Portugal, Mali and Ghana.

Residents of Berlin are already having fun with snowfall, taking selfies and making snowmen in entrance of the German capital’s cathedral and the long-lasting Brandenburg Gate. The well-known Berlin TV Tower is sort of invisible because of the falling flakes and fog.

The greatest firework show in London this 12 months, as in earlier years, would be the mayor of London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks – an occasion watched by greater than 10 million individuals within the UK.

Tickets to view the show up shut are extremely coveted and sometimes promote out lengthy earlier than New Year’s Eve. Areas across the show, together with Embankment and elements of Lambeth, start closing to the general public as early as 2pm as preparations get underway.

New York will be part of within the celebrations at 5am GMT on New Year’s Day, with performances by Diana Ross and Ciara, whereas Los Angeles will have a good time at 8am GMT.