Live New Year's fireworks from London, Dubai, Sydney as world welcomes 2026

We find ourselves on the brink of a fresh year, bidding farewell to 2025 and ushering in 2026.

Around the world, nations will celebrate the New Year at varying times, forming a cascading sequence of festivities as the clock strikes midnight in each city. Auckland will be the first to greet 2026, with celebrations rolling across continents until Las Vegas brings the evening to a close.

A special "watch live" broadcast will transport viewers directly into the epicentre of New Year's Eve revelries worldwide. Spectators can tune into live footage from major metropolitan areas as they herald the New Year with pyrotechnics, musical performances and public gatherings.

The festivities will commence in the South Pacific region, with Auckland illuminating the sky at 10:45 GMT, before Sydney follows suit at 12:45 GMT. Asia will subsequently command attention with Tokyo or Seoul at 14:45 GMT, Kuala Lumpur at 15:45 GMT, Bangkok at 16:45 GMT, and New Delhi at 17:15 GMT.

South Asia and the Middle East will maintain the worldwide countdown, with Karachi marking the occasion at 18:45 GMT and Dubai proceeding at 19:45 GMT. Audiences can also witness Nairobi at 20:45 GMT and Athens at 21:45 GMT, as the New Year advances through Africa and Europe.

Western Europe will subsequently illuminate, with Paris, Rome or Madrid celebrating the moment at 22:45 GMT. London will usher in 2026 at 23:45 GMT featuring its renowned fireworks spectacular along the River Thames, focused around the London Eye.

Scotland's capital will also join the festivities, with Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations illuminating the historic cityscape surrounding Edinburgh Castle.

As the midnight hour progresses westward, audiences can witness Rio de Janeiro's coastal celebrations at 02:45 GMT, succeeded by the legendary Times Square ball drop in New York at 04:45 GMT.

Mexico City will celebrate the moment at 05:45 GMT, before Flagstaff, Arizona joins the festivities at 06:45 GMT. The worldwide celebrations will conclude with Las Vegas at 07:45 GMT, completing a 21-hour voyage of commemorations across the globe.

This live broadcasting provides an exceptional opportunity to witness New Year customs spanning continents, from spectacular urban fireworks and performances to public assemblies and cultural celebrations. Viewers can journey from one metropolis to another, observing how midnight arrives across different regions of the world.

From Auckland to Las Vegas, the "watch live" experience generates an unbroken global countdown, demonstrating how communities worldwide embrace the New Year. Whether observing from home or participating in local celebrations, audiences will share in a collective moment of festivity that encompasses the entire planet.