In brief
Nations across the globe have embraced the arrival of the New Year with unique celebrations. From stunning firework displays in Sydney and Auckland to heartfelt tributes in memory of lost lives, the world unites in festive spirit as 2026 begins.
Nations around the world are welcoming the New Year as midnight strikes across different time zones.
The island of Kiritimati - an atoll in the remote Pacific nation of Kiribati - became the first place to enter 2026. One tourist there told us he marked it on a beach with no satellites, no signs of human life, complete darkness and countless crabs.
New Zealand soon followed by welcoming the New Year with fireworks in Auckland.
Then Australia lit up the sky over the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. The celebrations were marked by reflection due to the Bondi Beach attack that occurred earlier in the month, where a minute of silence was observed.
In other parts of the world, nations marked their coming New Year with unique traditions. In a nudist beach in Le Cap d'Agde, France, festivity included a traditional sea dip. Swimmers in Copenhagen, Denmark, also braved cold waters for a splash known as Nytaarsbad.
In Osaka, Japan, young women dressed in traditional kimono participated in a Shinto ritual procession at one of the country's oldest Shinto shrines.
Around the world, people celebrated in various ways, including the traditional Krakow New Year’s Run in Poland and Balinese dancers performing to welcome the next sun in Denpasar, Indonesia.
