Cities around world welcome 2026 with fireworks, heightened security

From Sydney to Paris to New York City, crowds rang in the new year with exuberant celebrations filled with thunderous fireworks or light shows, while others took a more subdued approach.

As the clock struck midnight in Japan, temple bells rang, and some climbed mountains to see the year's first sunrise, while a light show with somersaulting jet skis twinkled in Dubai. The countdown to 2026 was projected onto the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, while in Moscow, people celebrated in the snow.

In New York City's Times Square, revellers braved frigid temperatures to celebrate with the famed New Year's Eve ball drop.

In Rio de Janeiro, revellers packed more than 4 kilometres (2 1/2 miles) of the city's Copacabana Beach for concerts and a 12-minute fireworks show, despite high tides that had both organisers and tourists worried and large waves that rocked barges carrying fireworks.

Other events were more subdued. Hong Kong held limited celebrations following a recent fire at an apartment complex that killed 161 people. Australia saluted the new year with defiance less than a month after its worst mass shooting in almost 30 years.

Ball drop in New York City  Crowds bundled up against the chilly temperatures cheered and embraced as the New Year's Eve ball, covered in more than 5,000 crystals, descended down a pole and confetti fell all around them in Times Square.

Revellers wearing tall celebratory hats and light-up necklaces had waited for hours to see the 12,350-pound (5,602-kilogram) ball drop. The festivities also included Tones and I performing John Lennon's Imagine.

The television hosts interviewed visitors who were attending from such places as Florida, Mexico and South Korea, and read people's wishes for the new year. A sixth grader from Dallas, Texas, told one of the hosts that he wants to get good grades in 2026 and for it to be a better year.

Police in the city had planned additional anti-terrorism measures at the ball drop, with mobile screening teams. It was not in response to a specific threat, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.

After the ball dropped, it rose again, sparkling in red, white and blue, to mark the country's upcoming 250th birthday.

A few miles away in a decommissioned subway station, Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as mayor during a private event just after midnight Thursday.

More security in Sydney  A heavy police presence monitored crowds watching fireworks in Sydney. Many officers openly carried rapid-fire rifles, a first for the event, after two gunmen targeted a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach on Dec. 14, killing 15.

An hour before midnight, victims were commemorated with a minute of silence, and the crowd was invited to show solidarity with Australia's Jewish community.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns had urged residents not to stay away from festivities, saying extremists would interpret smaller crowds as a victory: We have to show defiance in the face of this terrible crime."  Shadows of war and disasters  Indonesia scaled back festivities in solidarity with communities devastated by floods and landslides in parts of Sumatra a month ago that killed over 1,100. Fireworks on the tourist island of Bali were replaced with traditional dances.

Hong Kong rang in 2026 without fireworks over Victoria Harbour after the massive fire in November. Facades of landmarks were turned into countdown clocks and a light show at midnight.

And in Gaza, Palestinians said they hope the new year brings an end to the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

The war humiliated us, said Mirvat Abed Al-Aal, displaced from the southern city of Rafah.

Around Europe  Pope Leo XIV closed out the year with a plea for the city of Rome to welcome foreigners and the fragile. Fireworks erupted over European landmarks, from the Colosseum in Rome to the London Eye.

In Paris, revellers converged around the glittering Champs-Elysees Avenue. Taissiya Girda, a 27-year-old tourist from Kazakhstan, expressed hope for a calmer 2026.

I would like to see happy people around me, no war anywhere, she said. Russia, Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, I want everybody to be happy and at peace."  In Scotland, where New Year's is known as Hogmanay, First Minister John Swinney urged Scots to follow the message of Auld Lang Syne by national poet Robert Burns and show small acts of kindness.

Greece and Cyprus turned down the volume, replacing traditional fireworks with low-noise pyrotechnics in capitals. Officials said the change was intended to make celebrations more welcoming for children and pets.