New Year 2026: New Zealand launches the world’s first fireworks display
New Zealand rang in 2026 first, with Auckland staging a fireworks show from the Sky Tower, the country’s tallest building, using more than 3,000 fireworks.
Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city and economic hub, welcomed New Year 2026 with fireworks in the city centre from the Sky Tower, the tallest building in the country.
The celebration made Auckland one of the first major cities to enter the New Year, despite light rainfall during the festivities.
The South Pacific nation was among the first in the world to bid farewell to 2025. Clocks in Auckland—home to around 1.7 million people—struck midnight up to 18 hours ahead of the New Year’s celebration in Times Square, New York, in the United States.
The Sky Tower’s fireworks display lasted five minutes, using a total of 3,500 fireworks launched from multiple levels of the 240-metre-high tower.
