In pictures: Fireworks and celebrations as world welcomes 2026

People around the world rang in 2026 on Thursday, bidding farewell to a volatile year when the Israeli brutal war on Gaza raged on, violence in Sudan continued unabated, temperatures soared and US President Donald Trump upended global trade.

In Sydney, partygoers paused for a minute of silence to remember the victims of the mass shooting on Bondi Beach before fireworks lit up the skies at the stroke of midnight.

Heavily armed police patrolled the shoreline, packed with hundreds of thousands of people, barely two weeks after 15 people were gunned down at a Jewish festival in Australia's deadliest mass shooting for almost 30 years.

The famed Sydney Harbour Bridge was bathed in white light to symbolise peace.

Pacific nations, including Kiribati and New Zealand, were the first to see in 2026, with Seoul and Tokyo following Sydney in celebrations that make their way around the globe with each passing hour.

In Gaza, Palestinians marked the moment with grief. “We bid farewell to 2025 with deep sorrow and grief,” said Gaza City resident Shireen Al-Kayali, describing lives uprooted by displacement, bombardment and fear.

In contrast, cautious optimism prevailed in Syria, where people in Damascus celebrated a full year since the fall of Bashar al Assad. “There is no fear, the people are happy, all of Syria is one and united,” said marketing manager Sahar al-Said as church bells rang in the capital.

In the United States, celebrations ranged from a lit-up Washington Monument launching the country’s 250th anniversary year to the traditional Times Square ball drop in New York, where crowds braved freezing temperatures under tight security.

Here are some of the images