In Pictures

New Year’s Eve celebrations as the world welcomes 2026

As the world enters 2026, cities celebrate with fireworks, concerts and gatherings across different time zones.

Fireworks explode during the New Year celebrations in Bangkok, Thailand [Athit Perawongmetha/Reuters]

By AP and Reuters

New Year’s Eve celebrations are unfolding across the world as countries move into 2026 one time zone at a time.

The first major cities to mark the new year welcomed midnight with fireworks over their waterfronts, and large crowds gathered at public viewing points.

As the night continues, countries across the Americas will close out the global transition with events stretching from Rio de Janeiro’s beaches to Times Square in New York City and beyond.

This gallery shows how people are marking the start of 2026 around the world.

New Year's Eve Australia — Fireworks burst over the Sydney Harbour Bridge as New Year's celebrations begin in Sydney [Rick Rycroft/AP Photo]

New Year's Eve Emirates — Fireworks detonate around Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, during New Year's Eve celebrations in Dubai, United Arab Emirates [Fatima Shbair/AP Photo]

New Year's Eve Russia — People ride a chair carousel in Red Square on New Year's Eve in Moscow, Russia [Pavel Bednyakov/AP Photo]

NEW-YEAR/THAILAND-FIREWORKS — Fireworks explode during the New Year celebrations in Bangkok, Thailand [Chalinee Thirasupa/Reuters]

NEW-YEAR/UKRAINE — People hold sparklers next to a Christmas tree during a New Year's Eve celebration before a curfew during Russia's war on Ukraine, in Kyiv [Gleb Garanich/Reuters]

Vatican Pope New Year's Eve — Pope Leo XIV leaves after a moment of prayer in front of the nativity scene that adorns St Peter's Square at the Vatican [Andrew Medichini/AP Photo]

New Year's Eve Japan — People gather to celebrate the new year at the Zojoji Buddhist temple in Tokyo, Japan [Eugene Hoshiko/AP Photo]

New York New Year — Ryan Seacrest and Rita Ora, hosts of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2026, appear at the Times Square ball during New Year’s Eve celebrations in New York City [Ted Shaffrey/AP Photo]

New Year's Eve Hong Kong — People attend the New Year countdown event to celebrate the start of 2026 in the central district of Hong Kong [Chan Long Hei/AP Photo]

New Year's Eve China — Revellers are showered by confetti as they celebrate the start of 2026 during the New Year countdown event held at a shopping mall in Beijing, China [Andy Wong/AP Photo]

New Year's Eve India — A girl reacts after offering prayers during a New Year worship service at Centenary Methodist Church in Hyderabad, India [Mahesh Kumar A/AP Photo]