While much of the world is still making final preparations to bid farewell to 2025, countries in the eastern hemisphere began welcoming 2026 on Wednesday with fireworks, dancing and the traditional midnight kiss.
The first places to greet the new year were island nations in the South Pacific. At noon Israel time, Kiribati became the first country to enter 2026, followed an hour later by Tonga, Samoa and New Zealand. Auckland was the first major city in the world to celebrate, marking midnight with 3,500 fireworks launched from multiple levels of the Sky Tower, the tallest building in the country.
New Zealand New Year celebration
(Reuters)
At 2 p.m. Israel time, 2026 arrived in parts of Russia’s Far East. Spanning 11 time zones, Russia’s capital, Moscow, will not welcome the new year until nine hours later.
Australia, typically the first major country to usher in the new year and showcase its midnight fireworks to the world, began celebrations at 3 p.m. Israel time. This year’s events were more subdued, held in the shadow of the antisemitic terror attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach two and a half weeks ago, in which 15 people were killed during a Hanukkah event organized by the Jewish community.
Sydney, regarded as Australia’s “New Year’s Eve capital,” halted festivities at 11 p.m. local time for a minute of silence in memory of the victims. The iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge was illuminated in white as a symbol of peace, and a menorah was projected onto the structure. Revelers at the city’s main celebration site were asked in advance to turn on their phone flashlights during the silence, lighting up the darkness together.
“It’s been a hard year for so many people,” said Stephen Grant, a 32-year-old Sydney resident. “We hope the world will be a better place in 2026.”
Hundreds of thousands of people were expected to line Sydney’s coastline to watch a nine-ton fireworks display explode above the harbor. Security around the event was heightened, with armed police patrolling among the crowds. New South Wales Premier Chris Minns urged residents not to stay away from the celebrations, warning that low turnout would be seen as a victory for extremists.
“We cannot allow this horrific terrorist attack to change our way of life in our beautiful city,” Minns said.
As the day progressed, countries around the world prepared to welcome the new year one by one. More than 2 million people are expected to attend New Year’s Eve celebrations at Copacabana Beach in Brazil, which authorities describe as the largest New Year’s party in the world.
The final major city to ring in 2026 will be New York, where thousands are expected to gather in Times Square for the traditional crystal ball drop at midnight.
Security there will also be heavy. CNN reported overnight that an FBI and Department of Homeland Security assessment warned the greatest threat to the event comes from “lone wolves” or small ideologically motivated groups. Two weeks ago, the FBI arrested four pro-Palestinian activists accused of planning bomb attacks in the Los Angeles area timed for midnight on New Year’s Eve.