Sydney, Australia, celebrated New Year's Eve with a spectacular fireworks display amid strict police security following a recent shooting incident.
On the night of Wednesday, 31 Dec 2025 GMT+7, Sydney, Australia, welcomed 2026 with a magnificent fireworks show while police increased security forces just weeks after a gunman killed 15 people at a Jewish festival on Bondi Beach.
Sydney's annual New Year's Eve celebrations are world-famous for their dazzling fireworks, featuring 40,000 pyrotechnic effects stretching over 7 kilometers along buildings and cargo ships in Sydney Harbour, including iconic landmarks like the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House.
This year saw a small change: at 11:00 p.m. local time, organizers requested attendees to observe one minute of silence in memory of the victims of the Bondi Beach attack, while the Harbour Bridge was illuminated in white light and a "Menorah," the seven-branched Jewish candelabrum symbol, was projected onto the bridge's pylons.
Sydney Mayor Clover Moore said before the event, "After our city faced a very sad end to the year, we hope this New Year's Eve will be an opportunity for everyone to come together and look towards 2026 with hope for peace and happiness."
The impact of the December 14 shooting led to a subdued Christmas season at Bondi Beach this year, with many planned year-end activities in the area canceled.
Meanwhile, Australian authorities deployed over 3,000 police officers, some armed with rifles, stationed throughout Sydney to ensure the safety of more than one million people expected to attend the New Year's celebrations.
Chris Minns, Premier of New South Wales, where Sydney is located, stated, "We must show strength in the face of this terrible crime and affirm that we will not yield to terrorism or change the way of life in our beautiful city."
Earlier, Auckland, New Zealand, marked the arrival of 2026 with a central city fireworks display launched from the Sky Tower, New Zealand's tallest building, making Auckland the first major city to welcome the new year, despite celebrations being dampened by rain.
The South Pacific nations were the first to bid farewell to 2025 as the clock struck midnight in Auckland, ahead of New York City, USA, which would celebrate the new year nearly 18 hours later.
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Source:cna