PETALING JAYA: As the clock struck midnight, people across the globe erupted in celebration, marking the arrival of the New Year 2026 with an array of festivities.
Major iconic landmarks served as the backdrop for dazzling fireworks displays, while each city added its own cultural flair.
Whether through dance, music, or shared meals, the spirit of unity and hope was palpable as diverse groups came together to celebrate.
World Welcomes 2026
TOPSHOT - Fireworks from the Taipei 101 building light up the midnight sky in the heavy rain during 2026 New Year's Day celebrations in Taipei on January 1, 2026. (Photo by I-Hwa Cheng / AFP)
Revellers wait for the midnight countdown during New Years celebrations at the Juyongguan Great Wall in Beijing on December 31, 2025. (Photo by Adek BERRY / AFP)
Fireworks explode over Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House to mark the New Year in Sydney, Australia, January 1, 2026. REUTERS/Hollie Adams
Balinese woman pose before they perform a traditional to release the sun of 2025, and to welcome the sun of 2026, during a New Year's Eve celebration in Denpasar, on Indonesia's resort island of Bali on December 31, 2025. (Photo by SONNY TUMBELAKA / AFP)
A projection mapping is displayed on the surface of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building, to celebrate the New Year, in Tokyo, Japan January 1, 2026. REUTERS/Issei Kato
Revellers watch fireworks during New Years Day celebrations in Makati, Metro Manila on January 1, 2026. (Photo by Jamillah STA. ROSA / AFP)
People watch New Year’s Day celebration fireworks from the Marina Bay Sands hotel in Singapore January 1, 2026. REUTERS/Edgar Su
Fireworks explode during the New Year celebrations in Bangkok, Thailand, January 1, 2026. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha
Revellers watch a fireworks and light show for children on Museumplein as part of New Year's Eve celebrations in Amsterdam on December 31, 2025. (Photo by Remko de Waal / ANP / AFP) / Netherlands OUT
Revellers watch fireworks during the New Year celebrations in Karachi on January 1, 2026. (Photo by Rizwan TABASSUM / AFP)
A man holds a child as fireworks explode during New Year's celebrations in Lusail, Qatar, January 1, 2026. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem
Fireworks explode over the Global Trade Center Office Tower during the New Year's celebrations in Nairobi, Kenya January 1, 2026. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya
The Bradenburg Gate is illuminated ahead of New Year's Eve celebrations in Berlin, Germany, December 31, 2025. REUTERS/Maryam Majd
In this image shot with a slow shutter speed, fireworks light up the sky of Baghdad, Iraq, during New Year's Eve celebrations, early Thursday, Jan. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)
Fireworks explode at the Arc de Triomphe during the New Year's celebrations on the Champs Elysees avenue in Paris, France, December 31, 2025. REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq
Fireworks explode during the New Year celebrations in Barcelona, Spain, January 1, 2026. REUTERS/Bruna Casas
Fireworks explode over the rooftops of Vienna during the New Year in Vienna on December 1, 2026. (Photo by MAX SLOVENCIK / APA / AFP) / Austria OUT
Fireworks light-up the sky in central London to celebrate the New Year on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
Fireworks light the sky above the Royal Castle during New Year's celebrations shortly after midnight in Warsaw, Poland, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)
Fireworks light up the African Renaissance Monument in Dakar, Senegal, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Misper Apawu)
