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6h ago

World Greets 2026 With Fireworks, Rituals and Heightened Security

Sydney’s showcase included a minute of silence under visible long‑arm policing after the Bondi Beach massacre.

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Fireworks explode over Sydney Harbour Bridge to mark the New Year in Sydney, Australia, January 1, 2026. (Photo: Hollie Adams/Reuters)
Among major cities, Seoul, Tokyo and Auckland have ringed in 2026.
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Overview

  • The Pacific islands led the countdown with Kiribati first to enter 2026, followed by New Zealand’s early fireworks over Auckland’s Sky Tower.
  • Sydney held its traditional harbor display after a tribute to Bondi victims, with a heavy police deployment and many officers carrying rapid‑fire rifles for the first time at the event.
  • East Asian observances blended spectacle with tradition, including temple bell ringing in Japan, the Bosingak bell in Seoul, and drumming plus CGI horses at Beijing’s Great Wall.
  • Several places scaled back festivities out of respect for recent tragedies, with Indonesian cities reducing events after deadly Sumatra floods and Hong Kong canceling Victoria Harbour fireworks following a fatal November fire.
  • New York City prepared for the Times Square ball drop with added anti‑terror measures such as NYPD mobile screening teams, with officials citing no specific threat.