WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Auckland marked the year 2026 with fireworks in its city center launched from New Zealand's tallest structure, the Sky Tower, making it the first major city to ring in the New Year with celebrations marred by rain.
The countries of the South Pacific were the first to say goodbye to 2025. The clock strikes midnight in Oakland, population 1.7 million, 18 hours before the famous ball drops in New York's Times Square.
The five-minute show included 3,500 fireworks launched from different floors of the 240-meter (787-foot) Sky Tower. Small public events were canceled in New Zealand's North Island on Wednesday due to forecasts of rain and possible thunderstorms.
Australia plans defiant celebration after country's worst mass shooting
Australia's east coast welcomes 2026 two hours after New Zealand, but in Sydney, the country's largest city, celebrations will take place under the shadow of Australia's worst mass shooting in nearly 30 years. Two gunmen attacked a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach on December 14, killing 15 people and wounding 40.
A heavy police presence kept an eye on thousands of people who gathered on the city center waterfront on Wednesday to watch the fireworks display on the Sydney Harbor Bridge. For the first time at the annual event, many officers openly carried rapid-fire rifles.
An hour before midnight, a minute's silence will be held for the victims of the massacre, and images of a menorah will be projected on the bridge's pylons. The crowd was invited to show their solidarity with Australia's Jewish community by lighting up the harbor with their phone torches.
NSW Premier Chris Minns has urged Sydneysiders not to stay away out of fear, saying extremists will see fewer crowds over the New Year holidays as a victory.
“We cannot be in a situation where this horrific, criminal, terrorist event changes the way we live in our beautiful city,” Minns told reporters Wednesday.
“We must show defiance in the face of this terrible crime and say we are not going to be afraid of this kind of terrorism,” he added.
Indonesia and Hong Kong hold low-key events
In Indonesia, one of Australia's closest neighbors, cities have scaled back New Year celebrations in a show of solidarity with communities devastated by catastrophic floods and landslides that hit parts of Sumatra island a month ago, killing more than 1,100.
The capital Jakarta will not ring in 2026 with the usual fanfare, opting instead for subdued celebrations with a calm and thoughtful program centered on prayers for the victims, the city's governor, Pramono Anung, said last week.
Makassar Mayor Munafri Arifuddin urged residents of one of Indonesia's largest cities to avoid partying altogether, calling instead for prayer and reflection. “Compassion and restraint are more meaningful than fireworks and crowds,” he said.
Concerts and fireworks displays on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali have been canceled and replaced with a cultural arts event featuring 65 groups performing traditional dances.
Hong Kong will also enter 2026 without the usual spectacular and colorful explosions in the skies over the iconic Victoria Harbor after a massive fire killed at least 161 people in November.
Instead, the city's tourism board will hold a music show featuring soft rock duo Air Supply and other singers in the Central business district. The façades of eight landmarks will be transformed into giant countdown clocks, which will present a three-minute light show at midnight.
Many parts of Asia celebrate the New Year by observing age-old traditions.
In Japan, crowds will gather at a Buddhist temple in Tokyo to ring the bell at midnight. In the capital of South Korea, Seoul, the Bosingak Pavilion will host a bell ringing and countdown ceremony.
___
Associated Press writers around the world contributed to this report.
