As clocks strike midnight in different time zones, nations around the world begin welcoming the New Year.

Kiritimati Island, an atoll in the remote Pacific nation of Kiribati, was the first place to welcome 2026.

A tourist there told us He recounted celebrating “on a beach without satellites, without any signs of human life, in complete darkness and surrounded by countless crabs.”

The arrival of the first minutes of the new year began to spread across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. And then the clock struck midnight in the Americas.

In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as usual, the celebrations took place on Copacabana beach.

Another city that took advantage of its seaside location to display lights was Acapulco, Mexico.

The same happened in Valparaiso, Chile.

The arrival of the New Year is a time for optimism and hope.

Despite recent tensions with the United States and the difficulties they are facing, Venezuelans found reasons to celebrate in Caracas. In the United States, one of the most anticipated celebrations took place in New York, with the traditional balloon descending as the crowd counted down to midnight amidst a shower of confetti. Many hours earlier, the arrival of 2026 was celebrated in Asia and Europe with fabulous light displays. Big Ben chimed to mark the arrival of the new year in London, where there was a grand light show. The Arc de Triomphe in Paris welcomed the new year with a spectacular display featuring the colors of the French flag. Celebrations in Madrid took place in the Puerta del Sol, where thousands of people welcomed 2026. Barcelona also had a combination of fireworks and drones.Residents and tourists in Amsterdam welcomed the New Year with a light show in the city's Museumplein park. As is tradition, Berlin's Brandenburg Gate was illuminated with fireworks and a light show to welcome 2026. New Zealand was one of the first countries to welcome the New Year, doing so with fireworks in Auckland. Australia then lit up the sky above the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. In Sydney, the celebrations were overshadowed by sadness as the nation remembered the Bondi Beach attack on December 14, in which 15 people died. At 11:00 p.m. local time, Sydney Harbour observed a minute of silence, and the crowd switched on lights to pay tribute to the victims of Bondi. A Jewish menorah was projected onto the pillars of the Harbour Bridge.

Elsewhere, there were more fireworks at Marina Bay Waterfront in Singapore.

The fireworks rivaled the skyscraper lights in Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines.

Thousands of people gathered on the banks of the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok to welcome the New Year in Thailand.

In Hong Kong, spectators enjoyed live performances with eye-catching headdresses.

The Great Wall at Juyongguan was illuminated in Beijing.

Laser lights dominated the night sky above Lotte World Tower, South Korea's tallest building, in Seoul.

At Seoul's Bosingak Pavilion, various artists performed during the New Year's countdown.

A street artist showcased her fire skills as part of the Procession of Light in Dublin before heading to the afternoon concert at the Irish city's castle.

Elsewhere in the world, nations celebrated the arrival of the New Year with their own traditions.

At a nudist beach in Le Cap d'Agde, in the south of France, clothed and nude people took part in a traditional sea dip to mark the New Year celebrations.

Swimmers at the Islands Brygge resort in Copenhagen, Denmark, also braved the chilly waters for a traditional dip, known as Nytaarsbad.

In Ommen, the Netherlands, local residents witnessed the traditional annual carbide shell firing, a New Year's Eve tradition that involves turning milk cannons into cannons.

In Osaka, Japan, young women dressed in traditional kimonos took part in a Shinto ritual procession to mark the end of the year in Sumiyoshi Taisha,One of the oldest Shinto shrines in Japan.

Runners dressed in colorful outfits braved the cold December air in Krakow, Poland, to take part in the traditional Krakow New Year Run in the Old Town.

Adults and children performed a traditional dance to bid farewell to the sun of 2025 and welcome the sun of 2026 in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia.