2026 New Year Celebrations Around the World

The arrival of 2026 was celebrated as a true global party, with millions of people gathered in squares, avenues, beaches and emblematic monuments to say goodbye to 2025.  From Europe to Asia, passing through America and Oceania, the world shared the same countdown marked by music, lights, ancestral traditions and technological shows. 

In Europe, Madrid was once again the epicenter of New Year’s Eve.

Thousands of people gathered in the Puerta del Sol to follow the traditional chimes.

Paris dazzled with a spectacular light and fireworks display at the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Élysées.  Attendees watch a light and fireworks show at the Arc de Triomphe to celebrate the New Year 2026 on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, France.

Fireworks over the Colosseum during New Year’s celebrations in Rome, Italy on Thursday.  Rome lit up the sky with fireworks over the Colosseum. 

Fireworks light up the sky above the Quadriga statue at the Brandenburg Gate during New Year’s Eve celebrations in Berlin, Germany, on January 1, 2026. In Berlin, fireworks illuminated the Quadriga statue at the Brandenburg Gate, a symbol of unity and renewal, during the January 1, 2026 celebrations. 

London also stood out among the major European capitals. The city lit up along the banks of the River Thames with a spectacular display featuring the Tower of London and the London Eye, which marked midnight before thousands of spectators.  Fireworks light up the sky above Big Ben in London, United Kingdom, this Thursday during New Year’s celebrations.

People take selfies during New Year’s Eve celebrations at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, South Korea, on December 31, 2025.  In East Asia, the celebration had a strong symbolic and cultural component. In South Korea, thousands of people gathered at the Bosingak Pavilion in Seoul, where participants rang a giant bell during the countdown to welcome the New Year 2026.  Participants rang a giant bell to welcome the New Year during a countdown at the

Bosingak Pavilion in Seoul, South Korea, on January 1, 2026. According to the Chinese zodiac, 2026 is the Year of the Red Horse. (South Korea, Seoul). In Busan, the celebrations combined light shows with drone choreographies that drew figures in the night sky.  Drones illuminate Cape Ganjeol, a coastal point where sunrise is earliest on the Korean Peninsula, off the coast of Ulsan, southeastern South Korea, on January 1, 2026, as part of the festivities to welcome the new year. (South Korea)   According to the Chinese zodiac, 2026 corresponds to the Year of the Red Horse, a symbol of energy, movement and new beginnings. 

China celebrated the arrival of the new year with events steeped in tradition. Artists play drums on stage during the New Year 2026 countdown celebration at the Great Wall in Juyongguan, Beijing, China, on January 1, 2026.  At the Great Wall in the Juyongguan sector of Beijing, artists played drums on stage during the countdown to the New Year 2026, in a ceremony that combined historical heritage and contemporary cultural expression, reinforcing the solemn and festive character of the date.

In the rest of the world, the celebration was no less intense.  Sydney kicked off the year with its traditional harbor show.  Fireworks light up the sky above Sydney Harbour during the Calling Country New Year’s Eve celebrations at Mrs Macquaries Point in Sydney, Australia, on December 31, 2025

In the Philippines, fireworks lit up the sky in various cities.  Fireworks light up the sky above the Quezon Memorial Circle to welcome the New Year in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. 

In New York, the ball drop in Times Square once again drew thousands of people. Confetti rains down on revelers during New Year’s Eve celebrations in Times Square, New York, USA, on January 1, 2026. Every year, crowds gather in New York’s Times Square to watch the iconic ball drop at midnight, a tradition marking the start of the New Year since 1907.

In Latin America, Rio de Janeiro celebrated with crowds in Copacabana.  Photograph provided by the Rio de Janeiro City Hall showing the Christ the Redeemer statue and fireworks over Copacabana beach. 

Just like the beach in Acapulco, where tourists and locals welcomed 2026 amidst music, fireworks and an atmosphere of shared optimism. Tourists watch the traditional fireworks and laser light show early Thursday morning to celebrate the arrival of the New Year in the resort city of Acapulco, in the state of Guerrero, Mexico.

Fireworks and light effects illuminate the night sky from the Taipei 101 skyscraper during New Year’s celebrations in Taipei, Taiwan, on January 1, 2026.

VALPARAÍSO (CHILE) 12/31/2025  Photograph showing fireworks during the New Year’s celebration this Thursday in Valparaíso (Chile).

In East Asia, the celebration had a strong symbolic and cultural component