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Auckland answered in 2026 with downtown fireworks launched from New Zealand’s tallest building, the Sky Tower, making it the first major city to welcome New Year at a rain-soaked celebration.
South Pacific countries are the first to say goodbye to 2025. Clocks strike midnight in Auckland, which has a population of 1.7 million, 18 hours before the famous ball drops in New York’s Times Square.
The five-minute display included 3,500 fireworks fired from different floors of the 240-meter (787-foot) Sky Tower. Smaller social events were canceled on Wednesday in New Zealand’s North Island due to rain and possible thunderstorms.
Australians defiant after mass shooting
Australia’s east coast welcomes 2026 two hours after New Zealand, but in Sydney, the country’s largest city, the celebration will take place under the auspices of Australia’s worst mass shooting in nearly 30 years. Two gunmen attacked a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach on December 14, killing 15 and injuring 40.
A heavy police presence accompanied thousands of people who gathered on the downtown waterfront on Wednesday to watch the Sydney Harbor Bridge fireworks. Many officers openly carried rapid-fire rifles, a first for the annual event.
An hour before midnight, a minute’s silence will be observed to honor the victims of the massacre, while images of the menorah will be projected onto the pillars of the bridge. Those gathered were invited to show their solidarity with Australia’s Jewish community by lighting up the harbor with their telephone torches.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns has urged Sydneysiders not to stay away out of fear, saying extremists will interpret fewer crowds at New Year’s celebrations as a victory.
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“We cannot be in a situation where this horrible, criminal, terrorist event is going to change the way we live in our beautiful city,” Minns told reporters Wednesday.
“We must show defiance in the face of this terrible crime and say that we will not bow down to this type of terrorism,” he added.
Chinese Premier Xi renews threats to Taiwan
In Indonesia, one of Australia’s closest neighbours, cities scaled back New Year celebrations in a gesture of solidarity with communities devastated by catastrophic floods and landslides that hit parts of the island of Sumatra a month ago, killing more than 1,100.
The capital, Jakarta, will not ring the bell with the usual fanfare in 2026, instead opting for subdued celebrations with a calm and thoughtful program centered on prayers for the victims, the city’s governor, Pramono Anung, said last week.
Makassar Mayor Munafri Arifuddin called on residents of one of Indonesia’s largest cities to give up partying altogether, calling instead for prayer and reflection. “Empathy and restraint make more sense than fireworks and crowds,” he said.
Concerts and fireworks on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali have been canceled and replaced by a cultural and artistic event featuring 65 groups performing traditional dances.
And Hong Kong will welcome 2026 without the usual spectacular and colorful explosions in the sky above its iconic Victoria Harbour, after a huge fire in November killed at least 161 people.
The city’s tourism board will instead host a music show featuring soft rock duo Air Supply and other singers in Central, the business district. The facades of eight landmarks will turn into huge countdown clocks that will present a three-minute light show at midnight.
Many parts of Asia welcome the new year by respecting ancient traditions.
In Japan, crowds will gather at a Buddhist temple in Tokyo for a bell that will strike midnight. In the South Korean capital of Seoul, the ringing and countdown ceremony will take place at the Bosingak Pavilion.
Chinese Premier Xi renews threats to Taiwan
In a New Year’s address carried by state media, Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed his country’s technological advances in areas such as artificial intelligence and semiconductors, while renewing threats to Taiwan, which it claims as part of its sovereign territory.
“We Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait share a blood and kinship bond,” he said. “The reunification of our homeland, the trend of the times, is unstoppable.” China launched large-scale military exercises around the islands this week.
Berliners celebrate in the snow
Both tourists and Berliners marked the end of 2025 by enjoying the snowfall, taking selfies and building a snowman in front of the German capital’s cathedral and the legendary Brandenburg Gate. The famous Berlin TV tower was almost invisible thanks to the snowflakes and fog.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
