New Year’s Eve: Sydney celebrates 2026 with spectacular fireworks as city ushers in new

Cities across Indonesia have scaled back New Year’s Eve festivities as a mark of respect to communities devastated by floods and landslides that struck parts of Sumatra island a month ago, claiming more than 1,100 lives.

The capital, Jakarta, is not ringing in 2026 with its usual fanfare, choosing subdued celebrations with a program centered on prayers for victims, city officials said last week.

Concerts and fireworks in Bali have been cancelled and replaced with a cultural arts event featuring traditional dances (pictured below).

Vladimir Putin donned heavy make-up as he vowed victory in the war with Ukraine in his New Year message.

As 2026 arrived in the extreme east of Russia, his message was angled to his troops – as he defied efforts to find peace with Kyiv.

The Russian President said: ‘I congratulate all our soldiers and commanders on the upcoming New Year!

‘We believe in you and our victory.’

He was speaking less than two weeks before his war in Ukraine will have lasted longer than the 1,418 days Josef Stalin led the Soviet Union in the Second World War in Europe between 1941-45.

These pictures shows crowds are gathering at Tokyo’s Zojo-ji temple – a Buddhist place of worship – for a traditional Japanese ceremony on New Year’s Eve.

Known as Joya no kane, the custom sees temple bells rung by monks 108 times to mark the cleansing of worldly desires.

In just under an hour’s time, the first countries in Asia including Japan and South Korea will celebrate the new year.

Revellers have been pictured enjoying the lights and taking selfies in Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square earlier today.

The East Asian nations will reach midnight at 3pm UK time.

Sydney started 2026 with a spectacular fireworks display held under an enhanced ‌police presence, weeks after gunmen killed 15 people at a Jewish event in the city.

Sydney’s annual New Year’s Eve celebrations are known globally for their spectacular fireworks, with 40,000 pyrotechnic effects stretching seven ​km (four miles) across buildings and barges along its harbour, including ​the city’s iconic Harbour Bridge and Opera ​House.

Organisers held a minute’s silence for the victims of the attack at 11:00pm local time (12:00pm GMT), with ⁠the Harbour Bridge lit up in white and a menorah – a symbol ​long used to symbolise Judaism – projected ‍onto its pylons.

Traditional Christmas celebrations at Bondi were muted this year, and several New Year events planned there were cancelled.

Around ⁠3,000 police, some carrying long arms, were deployed in the city during the main New Year celebrations, that typically attract over a million revellers.

These were the scenes in Sydney as the city welcomed 2026 with a bang following another awesome fireworks display.

At midnight local time, a massive pyrotechnics display covered the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House.

It means four Australian states; New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory have officially entered the new year.

South Australia will follow half an hour later while Queensland and the Northern Territory celebrate an hour after Sydney.

Western Australians have the longest wait to 2026, three hours behind NSW.

Sydney and Melbourne are among the Australian cities who have officially entered 2026.

Known for its spectacular fireworks display above Sydney Harbour Bridge, the city paid tribute to victims of the Bondi Beach terror attack – the worst in Australia’s history – earlier this month.

More than a million people gathered in Sydney for the city’s famous midnight firework display in what was billed as a show of unity and defiance.

While people in the southern hemisphere can enjoy New Year’s Eve celebrations in warmer climes, spare a thought for those in the northern half.

In France, sea swimmers have visited a popular nudist beach in Cap d’Agde, a seaside resort on the country’s Mediterranean coast, for a bracing dip in the sea.

The unique local tradition known as Dernier Bain de l’Année or, Last Bath of the Year, is one of the main daytime events in Cap d’Agde before the evening celebrations.

This is the moment Sydney fell silent in honour of those killed in the Bondi Beach terror attack on December 14.

Fifteen innocent people, aged 10 to 87, lost their lives after two gunmen opened fire on a Jewish festival celebrating the first night of Hanukkah.

Australians beside Sydney Harbour lit their torches to create a sea of light as a menorah – the candelabrum used for Hanukkah – was projected on the bridge pylons.

The menorah appeared as an outline drawing at the bottom of the pylons, making it difficult for some audience members to see.

This is the moment the Sydney Harbour Bridge turned blue as people in the city prepare to see in the new year.

Known as the Beyond Blue moment, the bridge was illuminated in recognition of the city’s charity partner, Beyond Blue, who provide 24-hour mental health support on New Year’s Eve.

Reminder, there is just 30 minutes until the main fireworks display in Sydney which you can watch on our live stream above

Officials in Edinburgh are preparing fireworks as the Scottish capital gears up for the return of the city’s famous Hogmanay celebrations.

An estimated 100,000 people are expected in Edinburgh for the New Year events, the centrepiece of which is a street party and fireworks display on December 31

People were left disappointed last year after the festival was cancelled but forecasters expect dry conditions in the Scottish capital on New Year’s Eve this year.

Temperatures will reach about minus 2C in the city but festival-goers will avoid the weather warnings for snow and ice set to hit parts of Scotland from New Year’s Day at 6am.