Happy 2026: Australia ushers in the new year

The first New Year's Eve festivities kicked off Wednesday in Australia and in several Pacific nations, where thousands of people gathered on beaches, squares and harbors to welcome 2026 with music, light shows and traditional fireworks.

In Sydney, hundreds of thousands of people filled its iconic harbor to witness the 9 tons of fireworks that were set off from midnight to welcome the year.

However, in the Australian city, the self-proclaimed "New Year's Eve capital of the world," were covered by the dark cloud of the massacre that occurred just two weeks ago during a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney.

An hour before midnight, the celebrations stopped to observe a minute of silence for the 15 victims of the terrorist attack, while the city's Harbour Bridge was lit up white as a symbol of peace.

"The joy that we usually feel at the start of a new year is tempered by the sadness of the old," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a video message.

Elsewhere, Pacific countries such as Kiribati and Samoa were the first to welcome 2026 with a toast, followed by New Zealand, where the capital, Wellington, was lit up with a fireworks display.

Other countries await the arrival of 2026

There is great anticipation for the celebrations in glitzy New York and on the icy streets of Scotland, where the Hogmanay festival takes place.

However, Copacabana beach in Brazil will be the scene of the world's largest New Year's Eve celebration, with an estimated 2.5 million people in attendance.

The party will include concerts spread across three stages, with Gilberto Gil as the headliner, and a 1,200-drone show, in addition to the traditional fireworks display.