Turn of the year worldwide

People are already celebrating 2025 here

Fireworks lit up the sky over Sydney at 9 p.m. local time.

(Bild: APA/AP)

Kiritimati, with a population of around 7300, is the first place in the world to start the new year - at 11 a.m. CET. The atoll is part of the island republic of Kiribati, which has several time zones and stretches along the equator in the middle of the South Pacific.

Just 15 minutes later, we continued on to the Chatham Islands, which belong to New Zealand. The islands with just over 700 inhabitants are located around 800 kilometers east of New Zealand and have their own time zone. 

One hour after Kiritimati in the island state of Kiribati, New Zealand and the two island states of Samoa and Tonga celebrated the New Year. In New Zealand's largest city, Auckland, the 328-metre-high Sky Tower observation and telecommunications tower was the focus of a huge light show with 500 kilograms of pyrotechnics. According to the authorities, the spectacle was six months in the making.

Then the corks popped in Australia. Nine tons of fireworks were shot off in the metropolis of Sydney. At midnight (14:00 CET), the sky above the world-famous harbor was lit up. The fireworks were set off at 264 different points, including, for the first time, firing points west of the Harbour Bridge. Drones and platforms also hovered over the water. According to reports, the show lasted at least 20 minutes. 

At 9 p.m. local time, fireworks lit up the sky over Sydney.

(Bild: APA/AP)

Sensational light shows were also on the program in many Asian cities. In Bangkok, the mighty Chao Phraya River once again took center stage, where many revelers on party boats experienced the mega fireworks display up close. Thailand, which follows the Buddhist calendar, starts the year 2568.

In Singapore and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, light shows could also be admired.

The new year is also welcomed with open arms in Egypt.

(Bild: APA/AP)

Storm warning: several parties in Europe canceled
There were probably no explosions of color in many areas of Europe. Due to storm warnings, several parties were canceled in parts of the UK, northern Germany and Scandinavia, among other places. 

Silent pyrotechnics in Greece and Cyprus
In Greece and Cyprus, the focus this year is on "silent fireworks". According to the city administration of the Cypriot port city of Limassol, modern pyrotechnics offer unique rocket magic with all the popular effects, but without noise pollution. In Athens, in addition to the silent pyrotechnics, drones were also to paint effects in the sky. The silent fireworks contain fewer toxic materials and are therefore more environmentally friendly.

And in Vienna, the New Year's Eve Trail, which has been visited by around 800,000 revelers in previous years, took place for the 33rd time - under high security measures.

American Samoa, which lies just 220 kilometers east of Samoa on the other side of the international date line, was to be the last country to welcome in the New Year - twelve hours after Austria.