Sydney welcomed 2026 with spectacular fireworks.

(Patria) - While cities around the world are preparing for the celebration, some have already stepped into 2026.

The small Pacific archipelago of Kiribati was the first to welcome the New Year, followed shortly by Samoa, Tonga, and New Zealand.

One of the most spectacular New Year's fireworks displays was again in Australia this year.

Sydney welcomed the New Year with a magnificent fireworks display amidst heightened security measures, two weeks after 15 people were killed in an armed attack at a Jewish celebration on Bondi Beach in the city.

At 11 PM local time, organizers paid tribute to the victims of the attack with a minute of silence.

The Harbour Bridge was illuminated in white, and a menorah, a symbol of Judaism, was projected onto its pylons.

"After a tragic end to the year for our city, we hope that the New Year's celebration will provide an opportunity to come together and look forward with hope to a peaceful and happy 2026," said Sydney Mayor Clover Moore ahead of the celebration.

Around 3,000 police officers, some armed, were deployed in the city during the main celebration, which usually attracts more than a million people.

"We must show defiance in the face of this terrible crime and say that such terrorism will not intimidate us and that we will not change the way we live in our beautiful city," said the Premier of New South Wales, Chris Minns.

Residents of Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, and Bougainville, as well as some parts of Russia, have also entered the New Year so far.