Overview
- The first celebrations began in the Pacific, with Kiribati entering 2026 before Auckland’s Sky Tower fireworks welcomed the new year 18 hours ahead of New York.
- In Sydney, crowds observed a pre-midnight minute of silence for Bondi Beach victims as heavily armed police oversaw the harbour fireworks.
- Beijing highlighted the coming lunar Year of the Horse with drummers and a projected stampede of horses at the Great Wall, while Dubai’s Burj Khalifa staged a synchronized fireworks and light show.
- Indonesia scaled back concerts and fireworks after deadly Sumatra floods, and Hong Kong replaced its Victoria Harbour pyrotechnics with landmark light-clock countdowns.
- New York prepared Times Square with NYPD mobile screening teams, which officials said were precautionary and not driven by a specific threat.