Global New Year Celebrations Mark 2026 with Festivities and Reflections
As the world welcomed 2026, major cities across the globe marked the occasion with celebrations and significant speeches.
Las Vegas joined New York to ring in the new year, following major displays in the UK, Europe, China, the UAE, and beyond. London hosted a spectacular 12-minute fireworks display over the River Thames, drawing large crowds. The city's mayor, Sadiq Khan, praised the show. Meanwhile, in North America, Mexico City and other Central Standard Time regions observed midnight, alongside cities such as Chicago, Dallas, Houston, and Winnipeg.
In New York, the iconic Times Square celebrations concluded with crews promptly beginning the cleanup after the ball drop.
World leaders conveyed messages of hope and reflection. President Donald Trump, in his Mar-a-Lago New Year's Eve speech, called for peace on earth and declared that the United States was back and strong. Russian President Vladimir Putin described his troops as fighting for truth and justice in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pledged peace, and Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed to reunify China and Taiwan. The UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, spoke about defeating decline and division.
However, the celebrations were marred by tragedy as an explosion at the Le Constellation Bar and Lounge in a Swiss ski resort resulted in several deaths and injuries.
