Auckland was the first major city to welcome 2025 with thousands of revelers counting down to the New Year and cheering with colorful fireworks launched from New Zealand’s tallest structure, the Sky Tower, and a spectacular light show in the center of the city.
Countries in the South Pacific are the first to ring in the New Year with midnight in New Zealand striking 18 hours before the ball drops in New York’s Times Square.
In Australia, fireworks went off over the Sydney Harbor Bridge and across the bay to welcome the New Year. More than a million people gathered on Sydney Harbor for the celebration with British pop star Robbie Williams, who led a song along with the crowd.
The coming year of the Snake in the Asian zodiac is heralded as a year of rebirth, alluding to the shedding of the reptilian skin. Shops in Japan, which observe the zodiac cycle from January 1, have been selling small figurines of smiling snakes and other snake-themed products. Other countries in Asia will begin marking the Year of the Snake later with the Lunar New Year.
Jakarta’s New Year celebrations will feature a dazzling fireworks display, including an air show with 800 drones, followed by a countdown to midnight at the Hotel Indonesia Roundabout.
