New Year 2026: See the world celebrate from Times Square to Sydney

Photos capture iconic New Year celebrations from around the globe.

Last updated:
Lekshmy Pavithran, Assistant Online Editor
2 MIN READ
Fireworks light up the midnight sky over Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House during New Year’s Day celebrations in Sydney on January 1, 2026.
Fireworks light up the midnight sky over Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House during New Year’s Day celebrations in Sydney on January 1, 2026.
AFP

People across the world celebrate the start of 2026, with New York's iconic Times Square ball descending 18 hours after the South Pacific greeted the New Year.

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Fireworks light up the midnight sky over Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House during New Year’s Day celebrations in Sydney on January 1, 2026.
AFP
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Performers ring in the new year at the Juyongguan Great Wall on the outskirts of Beijing, China, early Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. c
AP
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People watch fireworks explode over the port city as part of the New Year celebrations in Colombo on December 31, 2025.
AFP
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Revellers watch fireworks during New Year’s Day celebrations in Makati, Metro Manila on January 1, 2026.
AFP
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Fireworks light up the midnight sky over the Lotte World Tower, South Korea's tallest building in Seoul during New Year’s Day celebrations on January 1, 2026.
AFP
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Fireworks explode from the Taipei 101 building during the New Year's celebrations in Taipei, Taiwan, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026.
AP
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People turn on their mobile phones' flashlights as they observe a minute's silence to reflect on the tragic Bondi Beach shooting attack before New Year's Eve midnight fireworks display in Sydney on December 31, 2025.
AFP
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Revellers pose for photographs at an illuminated sea promenade during New Year's Eve in Mumbai on December 31, 2025.
AFP
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Revellers wait for the midnight countdown during New Year’s celebrations at the Juyongguan Great Wall in Beijing on December 31, 2025.
AFP
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A tourist rides a one‑humped camel during the last sunset of 2025 on New Year’s Eve in Al‑Wakrah, on December 31, 2025.
AFP
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Revellers pose for photos as they wait for the midnight countdown during New Year’s celebrations in Hong Kong on December 31, 2025.
AFP
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Revellers pose for photographs at an illuminated sea promenade during New Year's Eve in Mumbai on December 31, 2025.
AFP

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