The Christian New Year is being celebrated across the world amid various festivities. Due to time differences, different countries welcome the first moments of 2026 at different times, with colourful fireworks lighting up the skies.

The Pacific island nation of Kiribati became the first country in the world to welcome the Christian New Year 2026, with celebrations beginning in Kiritimati. The area is located south of Hawaii and northeast of Australia. Kiribati gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1979 and has a population of around 116,000, according to the BBC.

Soon after, residents of New Zealand’s Chatham Islands, home to about 600 people, welcomed the New Year. This was followed by celebrations across several Pacific nations, including New Zealand, Tonga and Samoa. The New Year was marked mainly by fireworks, accompanied by dance, music and special meals. Auckland’s sky was illuminated by dazzling fireworks at midnight. Similar celebrations were also held in other Pacific nations such as the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Nauru.

Meanwhile, Sydney’s skyline was lit up with spectacular fireworks as thousands of people gathered at designated venues well in advance. Many were seen waiting for hours to witness the celebrations. New Year festivities also began in Brisbane and Australia’s Great Barrier region.

The list of countries entering 2026 then expanded to include Japan, South Korea and North Korea, where people welcomed the New Year with various events, including the ringing of bells at major temples. Celebrations later began in China, home to 1.4 billion people, as well as in the Philippines, Malaysia and parts of Indonesia. Subsequently, New Year festivities spread to Mongolia, Taiwan, Brunei, Russia’s Irkutsk region, Perth in Western Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau and parts of Antarctica.

Across Asia, countries that have already welcomed the New Year include Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and western Indonesia’s Jakarta, as well as Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Fireworks marked the occasion everywhere, while several Asian countries also welcomed the New Year with spectacular drone shows and festive celebrations.