People across the world celebrate the start of 2026, with New York’s iconic Times Square ball descending 18 hours after the South Pacific greeted the new year.
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This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
People pose for pictures near illuminated decorations on New Year’s Eve in Mumbai, India, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
People pose for pictures near illuminated decorations on New Year’s Eve in Mumbai, India, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
Fireworks explode around the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, during New Year’s Eve celebrations in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
Fireworks explode around the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, during New Year’s Eve celebrations in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
Fireworks explode over the Chao Phraya River during New Year celebrations in Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
Fireworks explode over the Chao Phraya River during New Year celebrations in Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
People cheer during the 2026 Taipei New Year’s Party celebration in front of the Taipei City Government Building in Taipei, Taiwan, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)
People cheer during the 2026 Taipei New Year’s Party celebration in front of the Taipei City Government Building in Taipei, Taiwan, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying)
Fireworks burst over the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the New Year celebrations in Sydney, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Fireworks burst over the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the New Year celebrations in Sydney, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)
Revelers ring in the new year at the Juyongguan Great Wall on the outskirts of Beijing, China, early Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Revelers ring in the new year at the Juyongguan Great Wall on the outskirts of Beijing, China, early Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
People strike a giant bell to celebrate the New Year at the Zojoji Buddhist temple, minutes after midnight Thursday Jan. 1, 2026, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
People strike a giant bell to celebrate the New Year at the Zojoji Buddhist temple, minutes after midnight Thursday Jan. 1, 2026, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
People watch Russian President Vladimir Putin’s New Year’s message a few minutes prior to the New Year at the Palace Square, in St. Petersburg, Russia, late Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)
People watch Russian President Vladimir Putin’s New Year’s message a few minutes prior to the New Year at the Palace Square, in St. Petersburg, Russia, late Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)
A laser show can be seen at the “Yeah 26″ event at the Brandenburg Gate on New Year’s Eve, in Berlin, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (Britta Pedersen/dpa via AP)
A laser show can be seen at the “Yeah 26″ event at the Brandenburg Gate on New Year’s Eve, in Berlin, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (Britta Pedersen/dpa via AP)
People gather before the New Year’s countdown event in front of the Bosingak pavilion where the annual New Year’s bell-ringing ceremony is held in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
People gather before the New Year’s countdown event in front of the Bosingak pavilion where the annual New Year’s bell-ringing ceremony is held in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
People attend the New Year countdown event to celebrate the start of 2026 in the Central district of Hong Kong, on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)
People attend the New Year countdown event to celebrate the start of 2026 in the Central district of Hong Kong, on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)
People burn old resolutions on the New Year at the Zojoji Buddhist temple, minutes after midnight Thursday Jan. 1, 2026, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
People burn old resolutions on the New Year at the Zojoji Buddhist temple, minutes after midnight Thursday Jan. 1, 2026, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Performers ring in the new year at the Juyongguan Great Wall on the outskirts of Beijing, China, early Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Performers ring in the new year at the Juyongguan Great Wall on the outskirts of Beijing, China, early Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
Fireworks are launched above the My Dinh national stadium in Hanoi, Vietnam, January 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Huy Han)
Fireworks are launched above the My Dinh national stadium in Hanoi, Vietnam, January 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Huy Han)
Revelers use their smartphones to film the falling balloons and confetti as they celebrate the start of 2026 during the New Year countdown event held at a shopping mall in Beijing, early Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Revelers use their smartphones to film the falling balloons and confetti as they celebrate the start of 2026 during the New Year countdown event held at a shopping mall in Beijing, early Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
A man sits on a cliff as the last sunset of 2025 is seen over the Mediterranean Sea in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
A man sits on a cliff as the last sunset of 2025 is seen over the Mediterranean Sea in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
People ride a chair carousel at the Christmas fair on the Red Square on New Year’s Eve in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)
People ride a chair carousel at the Christmas fair on the Red Square on New Year’s Eve in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)
