Overview
- Kiritimati in Kiribati ushered in 2026 first, followed by Auckland’s Sky Tower show and Sydney’s large display that included a minute of silence for Bondi Beach victims.
- Major Asian cities then lit up, with Japan, Hong Kong, Seoul, Manila, Bangkok and others joining before celebrations moved through eastern Russia, South Asia and the Middle East.
- Dubai drew large crowds at the Burj Khalifa, Europe and Africa counted down across successive time zones, and the Americas capped the sequence with Rio’s Copacabana, Acapulco, Valparaíso and New York’s Times Square ball drop.
- Pre-event guides for Florida outlined viewing at Miami’s Bayfront Park, Orlando’s theme parks, the Tampa Riverwalk, St. Augustine’s beaches and downtown Fort Myers.
- Texas listings pointed to Dallas’s Reunion Tower ‘Lone Star NYE’ show reported to feature thousands of pyrotechnic effects, drones and LEDs, along with a confirmed Prestige pass midnight party at Six Flags Fiesta Texas and local events in Fort Worth’s Stockyards and McKinney’s TUPSS Brewery.