In Sydney, before the midnight fireworks, the crowd observed a minute’s silence in remembrance of victims of the recent Bondi Beach attack.

Many police officers openly carried rapid-fire rifles, a first for the popular annual fireworks display over Sydney’s Harbour Bridge.

Similarly, on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro - albeit with warmer weather - staging was being set up for a massive music and fireworks party known as "Reveillon." Organizers were hoping to beat their 2024 Guinness World Record for the biggest New Year's Eve celebration.

Ambulance services in Victoria saw emergency incidents more than triple in some parts of the state

As millions of Australians look skyward on New Year’s Eve few spare a thought for the wild, often dangerous business that once powered Australia’s consumer fireworks boom.

Auckland rang in 2026 with a downtown fireworks display launched from New Zealand’s tallest structure, Sky Tower, making it the first major city to greet the new year at a celebration dampened by rain.

Terror attack victims remembered with menorah projected on to Harbour Bridge before dazzling display