Auckland welcomed the year 2026 with a dazzling fireworks display launched from the iconic Sky Tower, New Zealand’s tallest structure. Despite the rain, the city became the first major metropolis to celebrate the new year.

As one of the first regions to exit 2025, the South Pacific leads the world in ushering in the new year. With a population of 1.7 million, Auckland marks midnight a full 18 hours ahead of New York’s famed Times Square ball drop.

The spectacular five-minute fireworks show in Auckland featured 3,500 fireworks exploding from different levels of the 240-meter Sky Tower. Meanwhile, other community events across New Zealand’s North Island faced cancellations due to rain forecasts and potential thunderstorms.

In Indonesia, New Year’s Eve celebrations were toned down across cities, in solidarity with regions on Sumatra island that recently endured devastating floods and landslides, resulting in over 1,100 fatalities.

Jakarta, the capital, opted for a more subdued observance of the new year. Instead of its usual exuberance, the city focused on a calm and reflective program, including prayers for the victims, as announced by Governor Pramono Anung last week.

The capital, Jakarta, will not ring in 2026 with its usual fanfare, choosing instead subdued celebrations with a calm and reflective program centred on prayers for victims, city Governor Pramono Anung said last week.

Makassar Mayor Munafri Arifuddin urged residents of one of Indonesia’s largest cities to forgo parties altogether, calling for prayer and reflection instead. “Empathy and restraint are more meaningful than fireworks and crowds,” he said.

Concerts and fireworks on Indonesia’s tourist island of Bali have been cancelled and replaced with a cultural arts event featuring 65 groups performing traditional dances.

Hong Kong, too, will ring in 2026 without the usual spectacular and colourful explosions in the sky over its iconic Victoria Harbor, after a massive fire in November killed at least 161 people.

The city’s tourism board will instead host a music show featuring soft rock duo Air Supply and other singers in Central, a business district. The facades of eight landmarks will turn into giant countdown clocks presenting a three-minute light show at midnight.

Many parts of Asia welcome the new year by observing age-old traditions.

In Japan, crowds will gather at a Buddhist temple in Tokyo for a bell striking at midnight. In the South Korean capital Seoul, a bell tolling and countdown ceremony will be held at the Bosingak Pavilion.