People from all over the world gathered to celebrate the new year. Some people watched spectacular fireworks and light shows in cities such as Sydney and Dubai, while others hoped for an end to conflicts around the world in the new year of 2026.
As in previous years, hundreds of thousands of people flocked to the famous and glittering Champs-Elysées in Paris, where 27-year-old tourist Taishia Gilda expressed hope for a calmer 2026.
“I want happy people around me and no wars anywhere,” she said. “Russia, Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, I want everyone to be happy and at peace,” one person said as they watched the countdown displayed on the Arc de Triomphe.
Meanwhile, at the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV ended the year by calling on the city of Rome to welcome foreigners and vulnerable people. Revelers in the Italian capital enjoyed a huge public concert at the Circus Maximus and a fireworks display at the Colosseum.
In Scotland, First Minister John Swinney encouraged Scots to follow the message of national poet Robert Burns’ Auld Lang Syne and show small acts of kindness. In Scotland, the new year is known as Hogmanay.
This year, Athens and Nicosia, the capitals of Greece and Cyprus, opted for quieter celebrations, including drone shows, low-noise fireworks and light installations instead of traditional fireworks.
Officials said the changes were designed to make the celebration more welcoming for children and pets.
worldwide celebration
Crowds of people braved New York City’s chilly temperatures to gather in Times Square to witness the traditional countdown and the drop of a ball covered in more than 5,000 crystals and weighing 5,602 kilograms.
Just before midnight, Australian artist Tones and I performed John Lennon’s Imagine in front of visitors from all over the United States and around the world, including Florida, Mexico and South Korea.
On July 4th, this country celebrates its 250th anniversary.
Meanwhile, New York’s newly elected mayor, Zoran Mamdani, took the oath of office shortly after midnight on Thursday at a private event at a defunct subway station a few kilometers away.
Police openly carried automatic weapons on New Year’s Eve, an unusual sight for Australians, following the December 14 Bondi Beach terrorist attack that killed 15 people during Hanukkah celebrations.
At 11pm local time, the crowd was asked to observe a minute’s silence to show solidarity with Australia’s Jewish community.
“We must show defiance in the face of this horrific crime,” said New South Wales Premier Chris Minns, who said extremists would interpret smaller crowds as a victory and urged residents to stay away from the festival.
Indonesia has scaled back the festival in solidarity with communities devastated by recent floods and landslides in parts of Sumatra that killed more than 1,100 people.
The tourist island of Bali has replaced the usual fireworks with traditional dancers.
In Hong Kong, celebrations were kept simple, with a countdown and light show at midnight, following a devastating fire that spread through a residential area in November and killed 160 people.
And in Gaza, Palestinians said they hoped the new year would bring an end to the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
“The war humiliated us,” said Mirvat Abed al-Aal, who fled the southern city of Rafah.
video editor • Lucy Doverrow
Additional sources of information • AP