From the silence in Australia to the shocking fires of Dubai, the most spectacular photos and videos of New Year 2026

The main cities of the world receive this New Year 2026 full of hopes and also with the memory of what 2025 left behind. In Australia there was a gesture of silence, in a firm tribute, and in Dubai locals and tourists enjoyed one of the most impressive fireworks shows.

Every January 1st places Christmas Island, or Kiritimati, on the map. It is the place on the globe that first welcomes the New Year.

The first large city to do so is Aucklandin New Zealand. There was a fireworks display from New Zealand’s tallest structure, the Sky Tower. The celebration was tempered by rain.

In Sydney There were also fires and lights in the sky. But first a minute of silence was held in tribute to the victims of the Bondi Beach attack, which left 15 dead.

In Chinathere was a show that combined ancient tradition and innovation: a low-latency 5G system made it possible to synchronize the ringing of the Yongle Bell, in the Dazhong Temple, with an imposing drum performance in the Great Wall. The event, titled Galloping Horses, symbolized energy and progress, and brought together thousands of people in a celebration that was replicated in different countries around the world.

Y Dubai welcomed the New Year with an impressive show of lights and fires in the Burj Khalifa. The tallest building in the world was the epicenter of the celebrations in the United Arab Emirates, with a synchronized show of pyrotechnics and LED screens that lasted more than eight minutes and marked the arrival of 2026 before thousands of people.

In Europathe celebrations in Berlin stood out, with a crowd at the Brandenburg Gate; in Rome, with fireworks at the Colosseum; and in London, centered on the London Eye. In Paris, as always, people gathered on the sparkling avenue of the Champs-Elysées.

Instead, Greece and Cyprus lowered the volume, replacing traditional fireworks with low noise pyrotechnics in capitals. Officials explained that the change is intended to make celebrations more comfortable for children and pets.

In New York, the run-up to the celebrations was marked by security measures, with greater anti-terrorist precautions at the Times Square ball drop, with “mobile detection teams.” It was not in response to a specific threat, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.

Waiting for the New Year at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. Photo Britta Pedersen/dpa via AP

The majestic light show at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. Photo REUTERS/Maryam Majd

New Year celebrations on January 1, 2026 in Karachi, Pakistan. Photo EFE

New Year celebrations on January 1, 2026 in Karachi, Pakistan. Photo EFE

The New Year’s show at the Arc de Triomphe, in Paris. Reuters Photo

Cell phone screens, fireworks and the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Photo EFE

Damascus, Syria, minutes before welcoming the New Year 2026. Photo EFE

Edinburgh also dressed up to welcome 2026. Photo Steve Welsh/PA via AP

Lusail, in Qatar, city of good memories and wishes for 2026. Photo Reuters

The aerial view of Rome, with the Vatican in the background, in the first minutes of 2026. AP Photo

Traditional ceremony in the New Year 2026 in Switzerland. Photo EFE