New Year's Eve: New Zealand's Auckland kicks off 2026 celebrations with fireworks

Auckland rang in 2026 with a downtown fireworks display launched from New Zealand's tallest structure, Sky Tower, making it the first major city to greet the new year amid rainy weather.

South Pacific countries are the first to bid farewell to 2025. Clocks struck midnight in Auckland, a city of 1.7 million, 18 hours before the famous ball dropped in New York's Times Square.

The five-minute display featured 3,500 fireworks launched from various floors of the 240-meter (787-foot) Sky Tower. Smaller community events across New Zealand's North Island were canceled due to forecasts of rain and possible thunderstorms.

Australia plans defiant celebration

Australia's east coast welcomed 2026 two hours after New Zealand, but in Sydney, the country's largest city, celebrations were held under the shadow of the nation’s worst mass shooting in nearly 30 years. Two gunmen targeted a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach on Dec. 14, killing 15 and wounding 40.

A heavy police presence monitored the thousands who gathered at the downtown waterfront to watch a fireworks show centered on the Sydney Harbor Bridge. Many officers openly carried rapid-fire rifles, marking a first for the annual event.

An hour before midnight, victims of the massacre were commemorated with one minute of silence while images of a menorah were projected onto the bridge pylons. The crowd was invited to show solidarity with Australia’s Jewish community by shining their phone torches across the harbor.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns urged residents not to stay away out of fear. “We can’t be in a situation where this horrible, criminal, terrorist event changes the way we live in our beautiful city,” Minns said. “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.”

Indonesia and Hong Kong hold subdued events

In Indonesia, cities scaled back New Year's Eve festivities as a gesture of solidarity with communities devastated by catastrophic floods and landslides in Sumatra last month, which claimed more than 1,100 lives.

Jakarta opted for subdued celebrations focused on prayers for victims, rather than its usual fanfare, city Gov. Pramono Anung said. Makassar Mayor Munafri Arifuddin urged residents to forgo parties and focus on prayer and reflection. "Empathy and restraint are more meaningful than fireworks and crowds," he said.

On Bali, concerts and fireworks were canceled and replaced with a cultural arts event featuring 65 groups performing traditional dances.

In Hong Kong, the city rang in 2026 without its usual spectacular fireworks over Victoria Harbor, following a massive November fire that killed at least 161 people. Instead, a music show featuring soft rock duo Air Supply and other performers took place in Central, the business district. Eight landmark facades displayed giant countdown clocks with a three-minute light show at midnight.

Age-old traditions across Asia

Many parts of Asia welcomed the new year by observing traditional ceremonies. In Tokyo, Japan, crowds gathered at a Buddhist temple to hear the midnight bell. In Seoul, South Korea, a bell-tolling and countdown ceremony took place at the Bosingak Pavilion.