London, Rio de Janeiro and Sydney put on characteristically incredible fireworks displays while a record was broken in the UAE.
People across the world spent the first few minutes of 2026 gazing upward in celebratory amazement at grand displays of light and sound.
A fireworks display lit up Cape Town’s harbour as the clock struck 12, while those in Johannesburg took it upon themselves to rock their neighbourhoods.
While South African authorities were issuing fireworks warnings, other nations were planning world record attempts and adorning national monuments with decorative explosives.
International fireworks displays
Here are five of the best New Year’s light displays from across the world.
Nairobi
Setting a new standard for an African city, the Kenyans put on arguably the best display on the continent.
Using Nairobi’s 163-meter-tall UAP Old Mutual Tower as the centrepiece, the display begins slowly before springing into life to mark a new chapter for the nation.
Sydney
The first major city to ring in the new year, Sydney always sets the international benchmark.
Held just 17 days after the city’s world-famous Bondi Beach was attacked by two gunmen, this year’s celebration had an air of defiance.
Lasting just over 10 minutes, Sydney’s harbour erupted in a brilliant array of colour, the display climaxes with a blinding cascade of embers from the arc of the harbour’s bridge.
London
Paris, Berlin, Athens and Venice all had admirable displays, but London took the prize for the best fireworks display in Europe.
Centred around the London Eye, another 10-minute wall of sound and light illuminated the banks of the River Thames.
Rio de Janeiro
One of the last major cities to welcome the new year, Rio de Janeiro did not disappoint.
Featuring barges docked in the waters off Copacabana Beach, the Brazilian tourist mecca could lay claim to the best display in the Americas.
Thousands were gathered on the 5km stretch of sand to witness an awe-inspiring scale of explosions.
Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah
The United Arab Emirates hosted two dramatic fireworks displays, with one setting a world record.
In Dubai, the 830-meter-tall Burj Khalifa dazzled with a display fitting of the world’s tallest building.
Roughly 100km up the coast, a new record was set in Ras Al Khaimah as 2 300 drones and 1 000 drones strapped with pyrotechnic portrayed a giant phoenix in the Arabian sky.
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