As 2025 drew to a close, cities across the world marked the arrival of 2026 with celebrations shaped by both long standing traditions and the political and social tensions of the past year.
Midnight arrived first in Pacific island nations near the International Date Line, including Kiribati, Tonga and New Zealand, setting off a wave of countdowns that rolled westward across the globe.
From fireworks and public gatherings to moments of silence and heightened security, the transition into the new year reflected a mixture of hope, restraint and uncertainty.
In Australia, Sydney welcomed 2026 with its customary harbor fireworks, featuring around 40,000 pyrotechnic effects across bridges, buildings and barges.
The display was conducted under an enhanced police presence following a deadly attack at a Jewish event in the city weeks earlier.
Organizers held a minute’s silence at 11 p.m., illuminating the Sydney Harbour Bridge in white and projecting a menorah onto its pylons.
“After a tragic end to the year for our city, we hope that New Year’s Eve will provide an opportunity to come together and look with hope for a peaceful and happy 2026,” Lord Mayor Clover Moore said ahead of the event.
Elsewhere, celebrations took varied forms.
In Croatia, the town of Fuzine continued its tradition of a noon New Year’s countdown, with daytime festivities and a ceremonial plunge into the icy waters of Lake Bajer.
In New York, preparations for the Times Square ball drop unfolded in subzero temperatures, with security barriers and stages erected ahead of large crowds.
In Seoul, thousands gathered at the Bosingak bell pavilion, where a bronze bell was struck 33 times at midnight to symbolize the dispelling of misfortune.
The global celebrations unfolded against a backdrop of unresolved conflicts and fragile ceasefires.
Russia and Ukraine entered 2026 still at war, with no public New Year events planned in Kyiv amid ongoing attacks.
In Gaza, a ceasefire brokered earlier in the year remained unstable, while other truces, including one between Thailand and Cambodia, showed signs of strain.
Some cities curtailed festivities altogether.
Hong Kong canceled its traditional fireworks after a deadly apartment fire, while security concerns shaped celebrations in several capitals.
As the world crossed into a new year, the celebrations highlighted both a shared desire for renewal and the persistence of global uncertainty.