New Year's Eve live: World ushers in 2026

Hawaii has officially welcomed 2026. As one of the last places on Earth to ring in the new year, the islands have now joined the global celebration.

With that, we wrap up this live blog. Thank you for following along and celebrating the start of 2026 with us.

As a final treat, here's one last shot of the fireworks from DW's home base in Bonn, Germany.

The US West Coast is ringing in 2026 from Los Angeles to San Francisco and Seattle, the celebrations are lighting up the night as the clock struck midnight.

Across the border, parts of Mexico and Canada were also joining the party.

Several people were killed and others injured in an explosion at the Alpine ski resort of Crans-Montana, Swiss police said early Thursday.

The blast occurred at around 1:30 am local time (0030 GMT) as visitors were celebrating the New Year at a popular bar, police said.

More than 100 people were in the bar at the time of the incident, according to a police spokesperson.

The cause of the explosion was not immediately known, and an investigation is underway. 

Read more here

Mexico City's iconic Reforma Avenue was transformed into a vast open-air dance floor celebrating the arrival of 2026.

City authorities called it "the world's biggest electronic music festival."

In New York City's Times Square, revelers braved freezing temperatures to celebrate the new year, gathering for the famed New Year's Eve ball drop.

Crowds bundled in winter clothing cheered as the crystal-covered ball descended amid falling confetti.

Many had waited for hours, wearing festive hats and light-up necklaces, to watch the 12,350-pound (5,602-kilogram) ball complete its drop. After reaching the bottom, the ball rose again, glowing red, white and blue to mark the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States.

The celebration included a performance by Australian singer Tones and I of John Lennon's "Imagine."

New York City Police had planned additional anti-terrorism measures for the ball drop.

While people were celebrating the start of the New Year above ground at Times Square in New York, the city's new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, was sworn in at a historic, decommissioned subway station in Manhattan.

Mamdani, a Democrat, is the first Muslim to lead America’s biggest city, and swore his oath of office with a hand on a Quran.

“This is truly the honor and the privilege of a lifetime,” Mamdani said in a brief speech.

The ceremony, administered by New York Attorney General Letitia James, took place at the old City Hall station, one of the city’s original subway stops that is known for its stunning arched ceilings.

Brazil was next to usher in the new year, with its second-most populous city, Rio de Janeiro, putting on a fireworks show on its Copacabana beach.

French Guiana, Guyana, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and Chile have also welcomed the new year.

The 12 chimes of London's iconic Big Ben clock ushered in 2026 for countries under Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

Cities across the United Kingdom, Ireland, Iceland, Portugal and Ghana held large public gatherings, fireworks and cultural events to mark the new year.

In Britain's capital, around 100,000 people lined the River Thames to watch the capital’s traditional fireworks erupt around the London Eye. The display, visible across central London, was accompanied by music and a televised countdown.

In Edinburgh, Scotland, the world‑famous Hogmanay festival once again drew huge crowds, while in Dublin, Ireland, crowds gathered around Custom House Quay and along the River Liffey for the countdown.

Further north, Iceland's capital, Reykjavik, welcomed the new year with thousands of fireworks purchased to support local search‑and‑rescue teams.

Lisbon led Portugal's celebrations on the waterfront, with fireworks launched over the Tagus River and large crowds gathering in Praca do Comercio for live music.

Ghana, meanwhile, rang in 2026 with concerts in the capital Accra, church services and beach parties that were due to stretch late into the night.

Athens' ancient Parthenon was illuminated by a fireworks show as Greece welcomed the new year.

In the country's second-largest city of Thessaloniki, fireworks exploded over the Thermaikos gulf next to the White Tower.

Greece ushered in the new year at 2200 UTC, at the same time as a number of eastern African countries, as well as other countries in Europe like Romania, Bulgaria, Estonia, Belarus and Ukraine.

Residents of the Egyptian capital, Cairo, were treated to a fireworks show over the pyramids of Giza.

Egypt ushered in the new year at 2200 UTC, at the same time as South Africa, Rwanda and Sudan, as well as some countries in the east of the European continent like Ukraine, Romania, Finland and Russia.

Berlin, Hamburg and Munich have led Germany's celebrations to mark the start of 2026.

Although the usual huge New Year's Eve show in the capital was moved to Hamburg, due to funding being pulled by the Berlin state government, the city still lit up at midnight with an impressive fireworks display lasting 7 and a half minutes.

Hamburg took the responsibility for the traditional stage show aired on national TV, featuring top international and German talent, along with a huge fireworks display on the Elbe River. 

In France, visitors to Paris were treated to a video mapping light show projected onto the Arc de Triomphe ahead of the midnight fireworks. In 2026, the city marks the 70th anniversary of the Paris-Rome sister city relationship, with many events planned.

Not far away, Disneyland Paris also launched a new midnight fireworks show over the castle.

In Spain's capital, Madrid, tens of thousands of people gathered in Puerta del Sol, the bustling central square, to mark the opening of 2026.

An incoming ban on home fireworks in the Netherlands gave residents and tourists a final legal way to light up the sky with their own pyrotechnics.

Amsterdam organized a free electric fireworks show at Museumplein (Museum Square) as well as a spectacular eco-fireworks and sound display. The show is reported to be cleaner for the air and safer for animals, who are often disturbed by the noise.

Poland's capital, Warsaw, meanwhile, maintained its policy of no official municipal fireworks. While the skies lit up with numerous private displays, crowds gathered in the Old Town for casual street parties and live music.

Germany, France, Poland, Spain, Italy the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Albania, Hungary and a number of other countries all welcomed the new year at UTC 2300.

All of Russia has ushered in the new year, with the Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad the last to join the rest of the country.

The Eurasian country spans a whopping 11 time zones, from Kaliningrad to Kamchatka in the Far East.

In the capital, Moscow, the traditional fireworks displays in the city's historic Red Square were canceled and the square was blocked off until later in the morning, with authorities citing security concerns.

Ukraine has ushered in the new year, with its president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling for a "strong agreement" to end the war with Russia in his nightly address.

For more on Zelenskyy's comments for the new year, click here to go to our Ukraine live blog.