Fireworks light up the sky above the Sydney Harbor Bridge and the Sydney Opera House during New Year’s Eve celebrations on January 1, 2026 in Sydney, Australia. (
Izhar Khan/Getty Images
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Izhar Khan/Getty Images
As midnight strikes across time zones, people gather to celebrate the New Year.
We take a look at the joy and traditions shared in these photos.
Party-goers use their smartphones to film falling balloons and confetti as they celebrate the start of 2026 during the New Year’s countdown held at a Beijing shopping mall early on Thursday, January 1, 2026.
Andy Wong/AP
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Andy Wong/AP
Revelers watch a fireworks display and children’s light show on Museumplein as part of New Year’s celebrations in Amsterdam on December 31, 2025.
Remko de Waal/Getty Images
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Remko de Waal/Getty Images
Members of the public gather to celebrate the New Year during the annual bell ringing ceremony at Bosingak Pavilion on January 1, 2026 in Seoul, South Korea.
Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
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Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
Fireworks explode above skyscrapers during New Year celebrations on January 1, 2026 in Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines.
Ezra Acayan/Getty Images
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Ezra Acayan/Getty Images
People buy batons that read Happy New Year 2026 on December 31, 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand. Thousands of people lined up along the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok as the country welcomed the new year.
Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images
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Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images
Fireworks explode from the Taipei 101 building during New Year’s celebrations in Taipei, Taiwan, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)
ChiangYing-ying/AP/AP
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ChiangYing-ying/AP/AP
Revelers watch New Year’s fireworks from the Huc Bridge at Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi, January 1, 2026.
Nhac Nguyen/Getty Images
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Nhac Nguyen/Getty Images
People attend the New Year countdown to celebrate the start of 2026 in Hong Kong’s Central District on Wednesday, December 31, 2025.
Chan Long Hei/AP
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Chan Long Hei/AP
Fireworks explode around the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, during New Year’s celebrations in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, January 1, 2026.
Fatima Chbair/AP
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Fatima Chbair/AP
People pose for photos near the lighted decorations on New Year’s Eve in Mumbai, India, Wednesday, December 31, 2025.
Rafiq Maqbool/AP
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Rafiq Maqbool/AP
Revelers watch fireworks during New Year celebrations in Karachi on January 1, 2026.
Rizwan Tabassum/Getty Images
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Rizwan Tabassum/Getty Images
Iraqis gather in Baghdad’s Al-Zawraa Park during New Year celebrations, December 31, 2025.
Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP/Getty Images
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Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP/Getty Images
Spectators stand next to glowing ornaments on New Year’s Eve at Bakrkoy Square in Istanbul, December 31, 2025.
Yasin Akgul/Getty Images
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Yasin Akgul/Getty Images
People ring a giant bell to celebrate the New Year at the Zojoji Buddhist Temple a few minutes after midnight on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, in Tokyo.
Eugene Hoshiko/AP
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Eugene Hoshiko/AP
A couple takes a selfie as the last sunset of 2025 is seen over the Mediterranean Sea in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, December 31, 2025.
Hassan Ammar/AP
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Hassan Ammar/AP
