Cities around the world celebrate dawn of 2026 with thunderous fireworks

Confetti was released in Times Square to mark the start of 2026 (Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AP)

From Sydney to Paris to New York City, crowds rang in the new year with exuberant celebrations filled with thunderous fireworks or light shows, while others took a more subdued approach.

As the clock struck midnight in Japan, temple bells rang and some climbed mountains to see the year’s first sunrise, while a light show with somersaulting jet skis twinkled in Dubai.