Thousands of people have braved the cold to see in the new year at London’s firework display as the UK prepares to usher in 2026.
Despite the temperature hovering around zero degrees, huge crowds gathered along the River Thames in advance of the firework spectacular, which will be set off near the London Eye at midnight and will be watched on TV by millions across the country.
Tickets to view the display up close are highly coveted and typically sell out long before New Year’s Eve. Areas around the display, including Embankment and parts of Lambeth, began closing to the public as early as 2pm to prepare for the extravaganza.
However, people are not able to use the vantage point of Primrose Hill this year. The green space in Camden offers panoramic views of the capital and in 2024 an estimated 30,000 revellers marked the beginning of year at the park, but it was shut this year, with gates not to reopen again until 6am on New Year’s Day.
Royal Parks – the charity that manages the site – says this is in part due to the Met’s decision to disband the Royal Parks police earlier this year.
A number of other UK cities are holding new year’s firework displays, with Edinburgh’s Hogmanay returning after being cancelled due to the weather last year.
Thousands of people began gathering in central Edinburgh before 10pm to get ready to see in the new year at the city’s famous Hogmanay celebrations on Prince’s Street, where the night’s entertainment includes a pipe band, drummers, a DJ set by Belgian duo 2manydjs, and a silent disco.
There is also an hourly “teaser” firework display above Edinburgh Castle in the build-up to the main event, with initial burst going off at 9pm.
Meanwhile the Concert in the Gardens is getting under way in Princes Street Gardens West, which is being headlined by the band Wet Leg.
The organisers said more than 40,000 tickets have been sold for the event, which is seeing a return following last year’s cancellation due to the weather.
Manchester’s official display will take place in the city centre’s St Peter’s Square, while Newcastle upon Tyne’s Quayside will host a “Howaymanay” to ring in the new year.
The Geordie take on the Scottish tradition will be a festival of its own, and of course will boast a massive firework display.
Around the globe, New Year’s Eve firework displays and celebrations have already been held as 2026 began in other time zones.
The island of Kiritimati was the first place in the world to celebrate 2026. Part of the Pacific Ocean nation, Kiribati, located south of Hawaii and northeast of Australia. It is made up of several atolls – ring-shaped coral reefs – and spans almost 2,500 miles from east to west.
Australia welcomed 2026 with a spectacular fireworks display over Sydney Opera House, as well as a minute’s silence to remember the victims of the Bondi Beach attack.
The 40,000 fireworks stretched more than four miles across buildings and barges along the harbour.
An hour before midnight, the victims of the country’s deadliest terrorist attack – during which 15 were killed and 40 injured – were commemorated with a moment of reflection while images of a menorah were projected onto Sydney Harbour Bridge. The crowd were invited to show their solidarity with Australia’s Jewish community by shining their phone torches across the harbour.
Japan and South Korea celebrated the New Year around 3pm GMT with a traditional bell-ringing ceremony. Tens of thousands gathered at Bosingak Pavilion in central Seoul for the countdown.
At midnight local time, a bronze bell was struck 33 times, a tradition rooted in Buddhist cosmology, symbolising the 33 heavens.
The sounds are believed to dispel misfortune and bring in peace and prosperity for the coming year, while lanterns are lit to celebrate the occasion.
The fireworks in the UK will come before New York, which will join in the celebrations at 5am GMT on New Year’s Day, with performances by Diana Ross and Ciara. People queued around 6th Avenue hours in advance.
