New Year’s 2026 Celebrations Around the World: Photos and Videos

Wearing colorful hats and costumes for a road race in São Paulo, dancing in a field in Bali, dipping into a frigid lake in Croatia and — of course — setting off lots and lots of fireworks, people around the world came together on Wednesday to celebrate the end of 2025 and bring in a new year.

New Year’s Eve offered a moment to reflect after a year of disruption. A trade war led by a new Trump administration upended world markets. Federal raids targeting immigrants in major U.S. cities set off protests and lawsuits. President Trump dismantled some pillars of government and reshaped others.

Globally, old conflicts raged on in Ukraine and Sudan and deadly new tensions flared across borders in Asia. Violence continued in Gaza despite a cease-fire. The United States bombed Iran and attacked boats in the Caribbean in what legal experts said amounted to extrajudicial killings.

There were milestones. An American pope. A new government in Syria. A Muslim man elected mayor of New York. The death of the penny. And an engagement announcement from one of the world’s biggest pop stars.

As 2026 dawned, here’s how commemorations looked around the world:

Fireworks burst over the Giza Pyramids on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt.

A laser show for New Year’s Eve on Ludwigstraße in Munich.

Fireworks explode over the Athens skyline.

“Baesemanne” (broom men) in “Achetringele,” a traditional procession to drive away evil spirits for the new year in Laupen, Switzerland.

In the United Arab Emirates, Dubai ushered in the new year with a fireworks display at the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa.

A person launches fireworks during New Year celebrations in Baghdad.

Crowds forming in Times Square in anticipation of the New Year’s Eve ball drop.

People enjoying festivities in Times Square in Manhattan.

Drones depicted a horse rearing over the city to celebrate the New Year in Busan, South Korea.

A light display was projected on the facade of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building to celebrate the New Year.

Fireworks painted arches in the sky, exploding over Marina Bay in Singapore.

A crowd of revelers in city streets released balloons to mark the start of the New Year in Ahmedabad, India.

A balloon drop during a countdown event in Beijing.

Thailand brought in the New Year with fireworks over the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok.

A fireworks display launched from the Taipei 101 tower to bring in 2026 in Taiwan.

Pope Leo XIV waved after a moment of prayer in front of the Nativity scene that adorns St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican.

New Zealand was among the first nations to celebrate 2026’s arrival, with a countdown at the Sky Tower in Auckland, followed by fireworks.

Australians observed a moment of silence to honor the victims of the Dec. 14 mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney.

Taking a dip on a new day in Lake Bajer in Fuzine, Croatia.

Balinese women performed a traditional dance to release the sun of 2025 and welcome the sun of 2026, in Denpasar, Indonesia.

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