New Year’s Eve fireworks show is the highlight at the end of each year. On Wednesday night (December 31), as the global countdown of “10, 9, 8…” entered Thursday (January 1, 2026), many cities around the world staged grand fireworks displays. People around the globe bid farewell to the challenging year of 2025 and looked forward with hope to the upcoming year of 2026.
The celebration began first in the Pacific island nations close to the International Date Line, including Kiribati, Tonga, and New Zealand. Following them closely was Sydney, Australia, with Taiwan, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, Belgium, the United States, and other countries presenting spectacular fireworks displays.
New Zealand is one of the first countries globally to welcome the first light of the new year. The 328-meter-high Auckland landmark Sky Tower welcomed the new year with a 360-degree dazzling fireworks display, the tallest fireworks show in the Southern Hemisphere. A large crowd gathered beneath the Sky Tower to enjoy the brilliant fireworks show, creating a festive atmosphere.
Sydney’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display is globally renowned, with over 40,000 fireworks lighting up the skies over the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House accompanied by carefully choreographed music. It is estimated that over 1.1 million people watched at 48 viewing locations in Sydney that night, with around 400 million people tuning in to the live broadcast via television and the internet.
To welcome the arrival of the new year in 2026, Taipei 101’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display, themed “Our Generation Gen. TAIWAN,” lasted for 6 minutes and featured 5 main thematic chapters with exclusive music, connecting democracy, culture, technology, and diverse values, guiding the people towards a brand new year.
Taipei 101 stated that the fireworks theme “Our Generation Gen. TAIWAN” symbolizes innovation and confidence in the generation, representing every brave Taiwanese individual, from looking back at past efforts and achievements to envisioning endless possibilities for the future. The fireworks display, with the core imagery of marching forward together, conveys the beliefs and power belonging to this generation.
In Paris, France, the New Year’s Eve fireworks countdown spectacle took place as usual on the Champs-Elysees outside the Arc de Triomphe. A large crowd gathered on this street known as one of the most beautiful in Paris to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new one together.
London, known for its grandeur, always provides an extraordinary backdrop for New Year’s Eve fireworks displays. Upon entering the new year of 2026, the Big Ben first rang in the new year, followed by fireworks illuminating the night sky around the iconic London Eye.
In the U.S. capital of Washington, starting from 7 p.m. on December 31, the towering Washington Monument was illuminated with lights projecting on all four sides. At midnight, New Year’s fireworks lit up around the monument. The Washington Monument and its surrounding National Mall have long been the focal point of celebrations in the U.S., but this year’s New Year’s Eve was particularly unique.
The patriotic spirit displayed at the Washington Monument and New York Times Square celebrations this year foreshadows the grandeur of the upcoming celebration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. Hundreds of events and programs will commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Independence by American founding fathers in 1776.