Sydney welcomed 2026 with a more than 12‑minute fireworks spectacle around the Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House, paired with a minute's silence and projections of "Peace," "Unity" and a hanukkiah. Bondi Beach festivities were cancelled after an attack at a Hanukkah gathering killed 15 people. Over one million spectators watched the display under heightened police security, while Pacific islands from Kiritimati to American Samoa marked the New Year in staggered time zones.
Sydney Rings In 2026 With Dazzling Harbour Bridge Fireworks And Bondi Tribute
Fireworks are seen over Sydney Harbour during the New Year's Eve midnight display, at Mrs Macquaries Point in Sydney. Dan Himbrechts/AAP/dpa
Sydney welcomed 2026 with a spectacular fireworks display that lit up the area around the city's iconic Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House, just two weeks after a deadly attack at a Hanukkah gathering on Bondi Beach.
In a solemn moment before the countdown, the words "Peace" and "Unity" and a hanukkiah — a nine‑branched menorah used during Hanukkah — were projected onto the Harbour Bridge, which was bathed in white light during a minute's silence (1300 GMT). Thousands of people held candles and small lights as they observed the remembrance.
Public celebrations on Bondi Beach were cancelled following the attack at a Jewish Hanukkah gathering that left 15 people dead.
Shortly after a concert that featured pop star Melanie C, about 9 metric tons of fireworks were launched at midnight, producing more than 12 minutes of cascading light across the harbour. Curtains of light flowed from the Harbour Bridge while colourful bursts and flames illuminated the sky around the Opera House.
More than one million spectators attended the event, many queuing from early morning to secure views. Thousands of police safeguarded the main display and other busy party zones across the city; some officers were equipped with long‑barrelled firearms, an unusual step for police in New South Wales.
South Pacific Celebrations
The first inhabited place to welcome 2026 was Kiritimati Atoll in Kiribati — home to roughly 7,300 people — where midnight fell at 1000 GMT. Fifteen minutes later the Chatham Islands of New Zealand marked the New Year; at 1100 GMT New Zealand and the Pacific nations of Samoa and Tonga also celebrated with light shows and fireworks. American Samoa, on the other side of the International Date Line, will be the last inhabited place on Earth to welcome 2026.
