The whole world is now in 2026!
The new year has been welcomed with celebrations across the globe - watch the highlights in 90 seconds
In New York City, its famous ball dropped to cheers, while fireworks lit up the world's tallest building in Dubai, and London enjoyed a thunderous 12-minute spectacular
In the Antarctic, the crew of the RRS Sir David Attenborough quite literally rang in the new year - see the moment here
And a "time-travelling" UK pharmacist finally made it to American Samoa - celebrating new year twice
Image source, ReutersThe ball has dropped in New York City, heralding the beginning of 2026 to a Times Square jam-packed with revellers.
Of course, it's not just about New York City - cities up and down the east coast are also celebrating the new year, including Boston, Washington DC and Miami.
It’s also midnight in Ottawa, Canada – happy new year!
The next to cheer is the east coast of the US, which will welcome the new year shortly. Here is the shrinking list of places still counting down:
Image source, EPAPeople shop before the year's end at the Sonora Market in Mexico City
Image source, Getty ImagesPeople are packed in to watch the ball drop at midnight.
With less than 20 minutes until midnight in New York, crowds are waiting in anticipation to watch the ball drop in Times Square.
As we mentioned earlier, an estimated one million could turn out in the streets, CBS News reports. Earlier in the day, NYPD shared on X, external the different road closures and entry points with a reminder to attendees that safety comes first.
On 1 January, Zohran Mamdani will also be officially sworn in as the new mayor of New York City. He is expected to take his oath at an abandoned subway stop in a midnight private ceremony before a public ceremony later on New Year's Day.
Image source, Getty
Image source, Getty
Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu
Reporting from Washington, DC
Image source, Bloomberg via Getty ImagesWhen the clocks strike midnight here, the US will officially kick off activities to celebrate 250 years of independence. Officials here plan to commemorate the occasion in a big way.
Fireworks are planned and the Washington Monument - a 555ft (169m) obelisk that towers over the US capital - will be lit up in national colours and projections highlighting major achievements in the country's history.
America 250, as it is dubbed, is not the only major event in 2026 to look forward to. The US will also play co-host to the Fifa World Cup and there are highly consequential elections in November that could reshape the country's politics.
For now, I am eagerly awaiting the firework display here.
Crystals and LEDs: A look at the Times Square New Year's Eve ball
New year celebrations can be found across the US, but many would argue that festivities in New York City are the most famous.
Thousands of people have gathered in Times Square to ring in new year. The most important part of the party is the ball drop, which happens as the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve.
The enormous crystal ball features 5,280 circular Waterford crystal LED lights and will drop down a 139ft (42m) pole, marking the beginning of 2026.
The moment has been immortalised in pop culture and become so synonymous with the new year that other cities in the US have also started a "drop" on New Year's Eve.
In Boise in Idaho, for example, residents have spent 13 years heralding the new year by dropping a giant polystyrene potato.
The clock has officially struck midnight in Venezuela, Bolivia, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
A very happy new year to all!
Massive crowds can be seen watching the epic fireworks show at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro.
We are still waiting to hear whether the Brazilian city has beaten its 2024 Guinness World Record for the biggest New Year's Eve celebration - when reportedly 2.5 million people gathered to celebrate.
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, GettyMasses of people are gathering in New York City's Times Square with just under two hours to go until the clock strikes midnight.
Crowds are expected to reach an estimated one million people in the square, CBS News reports.
Most people are gathering to watch the famous ball drop, but prior to the magical moment crowds are enjoying live performances from the likes of singer Robyn, Ciara, Tones and I, and many more.
Image source, ReutersPeople gather at Times Square ahead of the ball drop at midnight
Image source, EPAUS R&B singer Ciara performs in Times Square
Image source, Joe JacksonOn the RRS Sir David Attenborough, stationed in the Antarctic, the crew and science teams rang in the new year with the ship’s bell.
The UK’s polar research ship is currently sailing around the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula.
Third Officer, Joe Jackson, tells the BBC: "Marking the new year is a proper tradition on British Antarctic Survey ships!
"The oldest person onboard rings out the old year just before midnight, then the youngest person on the ship rings the bell 10 times as we enter the new year. This time we had Neil MacDonald, our Chief Engineer, mark the end of 2025, and then IT Engineer, Joshua Holder, celebrate the start of 2026.”
Quote MessageMarking the new year is a proper tradition on British Antarctic Survey ships!"
Joe Jackson, Third Officer, aboard the RRS Sir David Attenborough
Happy new year to some of South America!
Parts of Brazil, including the capital Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo, have ushered in 2026 with fireworks galore.
Argentina and Bermuda are also celebrating the arrival of new year.
The city of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil is one of the latest preparing to welcome in 2026.
On Copacabana Beach, a massive music and fireworks party is under way.
Organisers are hoping to beat their 2024 Guinness World Record for the biggest New Year's Eve celebration.
Image source, ReutersPeople seen earlier on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, ahead of the main event
Malu Cursino
Live reporter
In just over 30 minutes Brazil will enter 2026. And there, New Year's Eve is big deal - as I've seen myself many times over the years.
There are several traditions some Brazilians follow to welcome the new year, from wearing white clothes to jumping seven waves (if you are near a beach).
Sported by religious and non-religious people, the tradition of wearing white clothes is widely adopted by worshipers who celebrate Iemanjá, a Yoruba deity known as the "Queen of the Sea".
As well as wearing white, those who worship Iemanjá take flowers to the sea at the end of the year as offerings to give thanks for the year that's passed.
For others, including many Catholics or those with no religious beliefs, wearing white and going into the sea is about manifesting peace and harmony for the year ahead, rather than being linked to the deity.
There's also a tradition of wearing specific colours to "attract" different things for the new year. Although this is subjective, here's what each colour symbolises:
Greenland - the world's largest island - has just welcomed in the new year.
It's an autonomous Danish dependent territory with its own parliament.
As we mentioned in our previous post, thanks to this connection, many in Greenland welcome in the new year twice. Once when the new year began in Denmark (four hours earlier), and again at midnight local time.
The UK, and the rest of Europe, have crossed into 2026, but many parts of the world are still awaiting the new year.
Greenland, 02:00 GMT
Thanks to their connection to Denmark, many in territory will end up celebrating the arrival of 2026 twice.
Once when the new year began in Denmark, and again at 00:00 local time.
Brazil, 03:00 GMT
The city of Rio de Janeiro was awarded the title of the largest New Year’s Eve celebration in the world by Guinness World Records on 30 December, following the festivities that accompanied the arrival of 2025.
So we are expecting big things this year!
New York City, 05:00 GMT
The east coast of the US will welcome the new year in under four hours - which of course, will include New York City and the famous Times Square ball drop.
By midday GMT, it will officially be 2026 worldwide.
With Europe officially in 2026, photos of celebrations across the continent are flooding in.
Image source, Christophe Petit-Tesson/EPAParis, France
Image source, Hannibal Hanschke/EPABerlin, Germany
Image source, Bruna Casas/ReutersBarcelona, Spain
Image source, PA MediaTens of thousands of revellers gathered for the spectacular midnight firework display over Edinburgh Castle, the traditional image of Hogmanay in Scotland's capital. It marks a return of the event after it was cancelled last year because of bad weather.
The city has come alive in a street party to ring in the new year, with live music, DJs and street theatre for the tens of thousands of people celebrating the beginning of 2026.
Image source, PA MediaHere's a look back at the display that welcomed in the new year in London.
Watch: London rings in 2026 with spectacular fireworks
Spectators have just seen 12,000 fireworks light up London skies to celebrate the new year, in a display that took months to choreograph.
We say it every year, but this might have been the best one yet!
Image source, Tolga Akmen/EPA
Image source, Tolga Akmen/EPA
Image source, Jonathan Brady/PAAs the iconic bongs on Big Ben rang in the new year, fireworks erupted from barges set up in front of the London's famous ferris wheel.
As the bells stopped ringing, a playlist kicked off, mashing together some of the UK's biggest moments of the year with the biggest songs from 2025.
Nathan Williams
Live page editor
Big Ben's iconic bongs have just sounded marking the start of 2026 in the UK. See the full fireworks display over the Thames by pressing watch live above.
In Edinburgh, tens of thousands of revellers are at the Princes Street party enjoying the display above Edinburgh Castle for the first time in a couple of years - after last year's event which was cancelled because of bad weather.
And there are celebrations across the country from Cardiff to Newcastle.
Wherever you are, from all of us in the BBC newsroom, happy new year!