4 hours ago
Last Updated:January 01, 2026, 07:18 IST
From Sydney to Paris, the New Year was marked by fireworks and reflection as 2026 began.
The Burj Khalifa is illuminated on New Year's Eve in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (IMAGE: REUTERS)
Cities across the world ushered in 2026 with fireworks, light shows, and public celebrations, as millions marked the start of the new year.
From Europe to Asia-Pacific and the Americas, crowds gathered at iconic landmarks as the New Year arrived across time zones.
Fireworks And Festivities Across Cities
In Paris, a countdown to midnight was projected onto the Arc de Triomphe as revellers gathered along the Champs-Élysées. Celebrations were also held in Berlin and Rome, with fireworks and public events lighting up major squares.
Dubai staged one of the world’s most watched New Year spectacles, with fireworks, lasers, and a light-and-sound show illuminating the Burj Khalifa. Thousands of revellers queued for up to nine hours for the fireworks and laser display at the world’s tallest building.
In East Asia, traditional rituals marked the transition into 2026. In Japan, temple bells rang across the country as worshippers welcomed the New Year, while some climbed mountains to catch the year’s first sunrise. In South Korea, thousands gathered at Seoul’s Bosingak bell pavilion, where a bronze bell was struck 33 times at midnight, a ritual believed to dispel misfortune and usher in peace.
China rang in the New Year with drum performances at the Juyong Pass of the Great Wall near Beijing, where crowds waved signs bearing “2026" and symbols linked to the upcoming Year of the Horse on the lunar calendar.
Pacific nations closest to the Date Line, including Kiribati, Tonga and New Zealand, were the first to welcome 2026, followed by Australia and East Asia as celebrations moved westward hour by hour.
Location :
Dubai/London/Paris/Sydney
First Published:
January 01, 2026, 07:11 IST
News world From Burj Khalifa To Eiffel Tower, World Rings In 2026 With Spectacular Fireworks, Celebrations
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