The new year and next decade are being welcomed in style around the world, kicking off with the Pacific Islands and New Zealand before Sydney, Australia followed suit with its annual epic fireworks display.
The Pacific Islands of Samoa were the first to mark 2020, sending out a shower of fireworks to ring in the new year.
In New Zealand, Auckland’s 328-meter-tall (1,076 feet) Sky Tower was the focus of the country’s New Year’s celebrations as crowds thronged the surrounding streets.
Many Australians had called on their government to cancel the fireworks in Sydney Harbor this year given the country’s ongoing wildfire crisis, and donate the money to firefighting relief efforts instead. However, state officials said that most of the budget had been spent months ago on the event, and experts said it was safe to continue the event without fear of causing further fires.
Huge crowds packed into the harbor area to witness the incredible show centered on the city’s iconic bridge, as well as a parade of illuminated boats along the waterfront.
The Japanese capital Tokyo was next in line to celebrate the holiday and the dawning of a new decade.
Elsewhere in Asia, Indians gathered around Mumbai’s renowned Gateway of India monument for a dazzling fireworks and laser show to usher in the New Year. Though India is experiencing its second coldest winter in over 100 years, the chilly whether didn’t appear to ruin the fun.
In a New Year’s address in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping called on citizens to “seize the day and live it to the full,” as revelers partied into 2020 at a massive celebration in the heart of the Chinese capital, complete with fireworks, a laser show and live stage performers.
From Jakarta to Bali, Indonesians welcomed 2020 with a number of brilliant fireworks displays, despite a downpour of rain in some areas. In the town of Sleman, colorful explosions lit up the night sky over the Prambanan temple complex – an ancient Hindu religious site – while in Bali, another fireworks show was held near the more contemporary Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue, which stands around 400 feet tall. A striking water and light show was also held at Jakarta’s National Monument complex.
The skies over Kuala Lumpur’s city center were also aglow as Malaysians gathered for New Year’s celebrations, with fireworks shows over the Mandarin Oriental hotel, as well as the impressive Petronas Twin Towers skyscrapers nearby, which from 1998 to 2004 held the record for the world’s tallest building.
Several celebrations in Moscow kicked off for the New Year holiday, including in the city’s iconic Red Square, among other locales, where Muscovites and tourists alike assembled for a grand fireworks show. With abnormally warm temperatures this year, partygoers will bring in the new decade free of snow.
Many other major cities around the world are poised to launch their own stunning displays and street parties as the countdown to 2020 continues.
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