From Vienna to Sydney

How the year 2025 was welcomed around the globe

The Australians were one of the first nations in the world to welcome in the New Year 2025 with a spectacular fireworks display in Sydney.

(Bild: AFP )

From Sydney to New York, cities were once again ablaze with colorful lights on the night of January 1st. There were spectacular fireworks displays in Sydney and New York, for example. In Vienna, 800,000 people celebrated in the city center.

Nine tons of fireworks were shot from the famous Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House. As every year, thousands of people gathered at the picturesque harbor of the Australian metropolis for a huge party. 

• However, the people on the South Pacific atoll of Kiritimati were the first in the world to welcome in 2025. The approximately 7300 inhabitants started the new year 13 hours before Austria - at 11 a.m. CET. The Chatham Islands, which belong to New Zealand, followed just 15 minutes later. Only a few hundred people live here.
• 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 Bangkok , the mighty Chao Phraya River once again took center stage, where many revelers set out on party boats to experience the mega fireworks display up close. Thailand, which follows the Buddhist calendar, starts the year 2568.
• In New York, hundreds of thousands of people celebrated as usual in Times Square and counted down to the ball drop.

Celebrations in Times Square in New York

(Bild: KameraOne)

• In the glittering city of Singapore , numerous onlookers came to watch the fireworks at Marina Bay with a view of the skyline.
• In Vienna , the 33rd New Year's Eve Trail opened at 2 pm on Tuesday. Stages on Freyung, Am Hof, Graben, Stephansplatz, Kärntner Straße and Neuer Markt attracted visitors with a free program covering all genres. The area was fully booked before midnight and no new revelers could be admitted. According to the police, there were no reported incidents. 

Video: New Year's Eve trail in Vienna

• On Sylt, the celebrations on the beach promenade were canceled due to stormy weather. In the Scottish capital Edinburgh, the organizers cancelled a party.

Video: Fireworks in Sydney

• Germany welcomed in the New Year with a colorful fireworks display in the night sky. At midnight, rockets went off in many places and firecrackers were set off. Incidents resulted in deaths and many injuries. 
• In Greece and Cyprus , people opted for "silent fireworks". Modern pyrotechnics offer unique rocket magic with all the popular effects, but without the noise pollution.

"Drone fireworks" in South Carolina

(Bild: KameraOne)

• Around 100,000 people celebrated the turn of the year in the British capital to the chimes of Big Ben and with a spectacular firework display on the London Eye Ferris wheel. In northern Germany, parts of the UK and Scandinavia, the start of the new year was stormy for many.
• The Chinese capital Beijing organized a big celebration in a former steelworks on the western outskirts of the city. In the metropolis of Shanghai, onlookers marveled at light shows on the world-famous river promenade and at other locations in the city.