Here’s what New Year’s celebrations look like as the world rings in 2026
CBC
From Sydney to Paris to New York City and Toronto, 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.
In New York City's Times Square, revellers braved frigid temperatures to celebrate with the famed New Year's Eve ball drop.
In Europe, fireworks were planned over a number of landmarks, from the Colosseum in Rome to the London Eye.
In Paris, revellers converged around the glittering Champs-Élysées Avenue. Taissiya Girda, a 27-year-old tourist from Kazakhstan, expressed hope for a calmer 2026.
“I would like to see happy people around me, no war anywhere,” she said. “Russia, Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, I want everybody to be happy and in peace."
In Scotland, where New Year’s is known as Hogmanay, First Minister John Swinney urged Scots to follow the message of Auld Lang Syne by national poet Robert Burns and show small acts of kindness.
Greece and Cyprus turned down the volume, replacing traditional fireworks with low-noise pyrotechnics. Officials said the change is intended to make celebrations more welcoming for children and pets.
Qatar and the United Arab Emirates lit up their night skies, holding grand celebrations to mark the start of 2026.
Thousands gathered in Qatar's Lusail district to ring in the New Year on Thursday with a dazzling fireworks display.
In Dubai, the world's tallest building was lit in celebration, as fireworks exploded around it. Abu Dhabi saw plenty of fireworks following a drone display that gave viewers unique visuals of the countdown appearing in the night sky.
In Gaza, where hundreds of thousands have been displaced by more than two years of war, Palestinians said they hope the New Year brings an end to the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
"We hope that it will be a good year for our people in Palestine," said local resident Faraj Rasheed, noting that thousands continue to live in harsh conditions in tent camps.
Others described 2025 as a year of loss.
For those hoping to ring in the new year in style, there are a variety of events across Toronto.
Small bridges around Paulatuk, N.W.T., are giving harvesters a safer way to get to their camps, as climate change makes travelling on the land more dangerous.
A year-end poll from Nanos suggests Canadians will want to see action from the Liberal government on major economic files in the new year.
City of Calgary officials say they have identified the location of what they are calling a second “catastrophic” water main break in the northwest in less than two years, but they do not have a timeline as to when it might be fixed.