Overview
- Kiritimati in Kiribati welcomed 2026 at 11:00 CET, followed by the Chatham Islands at 11:15 and New Zealand at 12:00 with fireworks centered on Auckland’s Sky Tower.
- Sydney has ushered in 2026 with a harbour spectacular using roughly nine tonnes of pyrotechnics, a 23:00 local minute of silence, the Harbour Bridge lit in white, and a Menora projection honoring the 15 victims of the Dec. 14 Bondi Beach attack.
- German cities are proceeding with large events under reinforced security, with Berlin deploying about 4,300 police officers and 1,600 fire service personnel and North Rhine–Westphalia fielding roughly 7,600 police.
- Pre‑holiday incidents underscore safety risks, including a Leipzig case in which a 16‑year‑old lost a finger after a non‑approved firework exploded, according to police.
- Fireworks policy remains in focus, with the Netherlands set to prohibit private fireworks from the 2026/2027 New Year following a parliamentary decision.