Much of Asia has entered 2025, with millions of revellers flocking to fireworks displays in major cities.
Some events in the UK have been cancelled because of windy conditions, but the fireworks displays along the River Thames went ahead.
The iconic ball dropped to count down the New Year in New York City’s Times Square, accompanied by performances from numerous artists.
From spectacular fireworks displays to plunging into icy waters, revellers around the world have welcomed the arrival of 2025.
While Sydney’s skyline was one of the earliest to be lit up with fireworks, the glistening metropolises of East Asia followed suit.
Ahead of them, residents in the Pacific and New Zealand were the first in the world to bring in 2025.
- Year of the Snake welcomed by parts of Asia
While the Chinese New Year doesn’t officially begin until February, in Japan the zodiac cycle began on January 1.
The Year of the Snake in the Asian zodiac is heralded as one of rebirth — alluding to the reptile’s shedding skin.
In South Korea, celebrations were cut back or cancelled during a period of national mourning following the Sunday crash of a Jeju Air flight at Muan that killed 179 people.
In Thailand’s capital Bangkok, shopping malls competed for crowds with live musical acts and fireworks shows.
A fireworks display in Indonesia’s Jakarta featured 800 drones.
About 400 million pilgrims were expected at the spectacular Kumbh Mela festival on India’s sacred riverbanks — billed as the largest gathering of humanity on the planet.
In China, state media covered an exchange of New Year’s greetings between leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin in a reminder of growing closeness between the leaders who face tensions with the West.
President Xi told Mr Putin their countries will “always move forward hand in hand,” the official Xinhua News Agency said.
- Weather dampens UK celebrations
Celebrations will be mixed across Europe, with millions expected to flock to packed city squares and plazas to watch dazzling displays.
One of the world’s biggest celebrations, along the winding River Thames, went despite many other events across the UK being called off due to high winds.
Bad weather in Scotland forced the cancellation of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay street party, a major tourist draw that last year attracted about 30,000 people.
In northern France, hardy souls donned traditional bathing suits to brave the cold waters of the Channel in the traditional last swim of the year.
In a similar and equally freezing New Year’s Eve ritual, Swiss swimmers dipped into Lake Moossee despite single-digit temperatures.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on residents to stick together despite the country’s ailing economy and a deadly Christmas market attack that shocked the nation.
“We are a country of togetherness,” he said.
“And we can draw strength from this — especially in difficult times like these.”
- Times Square celebrated with annual ball-drop
In New York City, the organisation managing Times Square was early to test its famous ball drop and inspected 2025 numerals, lights and thousands of crystals as part of a tradition going back to 1907.
This year’s celebration included musical performances by TLC, Jonas Brothers, Rita Ora and Sophie Ellis-Bextor.
As the clock chimed midnight, thousands of revellers dressed in celebratory clothing — many including the ‘I Love New York’ insignia — cheered in unison as the famous ball exploded in fireworks and Times Square was coloured in clouds of confetti.
Meanwhile, Las Vegas’ pyrotechnic show will be on the Strip, with 340,000 people anticipated as fireworks are launched from the rooftops of casinos.
Nearby, the massive Sphere venue will display for the first time countdowns to midnight in different time zones.
American Samoa will be among the last to welcome 2025, a full 24 hours after New Zealand.
- Syria celebrates after tumultuous year
Across the Middle East, fireworks and parties were on full display.
Meanwhile, in Syria, a significant celebration was being held after the fall of the brutal Assad regime.
Packed crowds flocked to Damascus to dance and welcome in 2025.
In Kigali City, Rwanda, the end of the year 2024 was marked by the spectacular fireworks displays in an event that took place on Mount Rebero, at the KCC and at the Kigali City Hall.
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