New year 2026 in the world. More countries are celebrating [ZDJĘCIA, WIDEO]

Ashley Davis31/12/2025

0 87 3 minutes read

Kiribati welcomes 2026 as the first in the world

Kiribati, an island nation in the Pacific, consists of 33 atolls stretched over thousands of kilometers of ocean. In 1994, the country changed its time zones so that all islands had the same, unified date. Thanks to this, Kiritimati became the first place in the world to welcome the New Year, despite being located almost at the same longitude as Hawaii.

At 12 Polish time New Zealand welcomed the New Year. In Auckland, there was a fireworks display launched from various floors of the 240-meter-high Sky Tower, which is the tallest building in the country. Due to forecast rainfall and possible storms, smaller celebrations in New Zealand were canceled.

At 14 The New Year was welcomed by, among others, residents of the eastern part of Australia, including Sydney. The celebration took place in the shadow of the worst mass shooting in the country's history, which took place on Bondi Beach in mid-December. As a result, New Year's Eve celebrations in Sydney have been curtailed. To honor the victims, some ceremonies were canceled, including the planned Elrow Bondi Beach XXL music festival. The number of fireworks displays has also been limited.

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When did Kiribati welcome the New Year?

What events took place in Sydney to celebrate New Year?

Why was the Hong Kong pyrotechnics show canceled?

What does January 1st mean in China?

As part of the ceremony in Sydney, tribute was also paid to the victims of the attack on Bondi beach. At At 11 p.m. local time (1 p.m. in Poland), a minute of silence was observed in their memory, and the Sydney Harbor Bridge was illuminated in white, and a menorah appeared on its pylons as a symbol of Judaism.

The Sydney Harbor Bridge was illuminated in white and a menorah appeared on its pylons as a symbol of JudaismPAP/EPA/DAN HIMBRECHTS

At midnight in Sydney (2 p.m. Polish time), the fireworks show for which the city is famous all over the world began. The organizers usually plan to shoot 40,000. fireworks from boats and famous city buildings such as the Sydney Harbor Bridge and the famous Opera House.

Sydneysiders celebrating the arrival of the New YearPAP/EPA/DAN HIMBRECHTS

New Year 2026. This is how China and Taiwan celebrated

The Hong Kong authorities made the unprecedented decision to cancel the famous pyrotechnics show over Victoria Harbour. Instead of loud explosions, the facades of skyscrapers lit up during a light show, and a subdued concert was organized in the business district on Chater Road. This restraint is related to the tragic November fire at the Wang Fuk Court complex, which claimed the lives of at least 161 people.

In mainland China, police in many metropolises, such as Guangzhou, Xi'an and Zhengzhou, have issued preventive warnings about the lack of official outdoor events in popular city spots. Officers maintain order to prevent uncontrolled gatherings. One of the exceptions on the map of the PRC is Wuhan, where a light show and countdown were organized at the historic Yellow Crane Tower.

For the Chinese, January 1 is mainly an official date and a day off; the most important family holiday – the so-called The Spring Festival marking the entry into the new Lunar Year, this time the Year of the Horse, will come only on February 17.

A completely different atmosphere prevailed in Taiwan. In the capital, an event titled “Sailing to the Future” attracted crowds to the Taipei 101 skyscraper. The star of the evening was the South Korean group KARA, and at midnight the sky was lit up with a spectacular six-minute fireworks display. It used special, low-smoke pyrotechnics imported from Italy, synchronized with music composed by young Taiwanese artists.

The last to enter in 2026 will be the uninhabited Baker and Howland Islands in the Central Pacific. They will strike midnight there only when, in many parts of the world, the New Year has already lasted for several hours.