Asia’s drummers pound in the new year as others mark 2026 with defiance or hope

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) – Drummers pounded in the New Year and a stampede of computer-generated horses was shown over a section of the Great Wall as China and the rest of East Asia marked the start of 2026.

Temple bells rang across Japan, and some climbed mountains to see the year’s first sunrise. Hong Kong held subdued celebrations following a recent fire that killed 161 people at an apartment complex.

Sydney saluted the new year with joy and defiance, as the famous Harbor Bridge crackled with fireworks less than three weeks after Australia’s worst mass shooting in almost 30 years.

South Pacific countries were the first to bid farewell to 2025. New Zealand’s capital, Auckland, held a fireworks display 18 hours before the ball drop in New York’s Times Square.

A heavy police presence monitored the thousands watching the fireworks show in Sydney. Many officers openly carried rapid-fire rifles, a first for the event, after two gunmen targeted a Hannukah celebration at Bondi Beach on Dec. 14, killing 15 and wounding 40.

An hour before midnight, the victims of the massacre were commemorated with a minute of silence, and the crowd was invited to show solidarity with Australia’s Jewish community.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns had urged Sydney residents not to stay away from the festivities due to fear, saying extremists would interpret smaller crowds as a victory: “We have to show defiance in the face of this terrible crime.”

Cities around Indonesia scaled back festivities in solidarity with communities devastated by floods and landslides in parts of Sumatra island a month ago, claiming more than 1,100 lives. Concerts and fireworks on the tourist island of Bali were replaced with a cultural event featuring traditional dances.

Hong Kong rang in 2026 without the usual fireworks spectacle over Victoria Harbor after the massive fire in November. Facades of landmarks instead were turned into countdown clocks that presented a light show at midnight.

In Japan, where fireworks aren’t a traditional part of festivities, temple bells rang across the country. Others ate noodles in a traditional wish for long life because of the noodle’s shape. In South Korea’s capital, Seoul, a bell tolled at the Bosingak Pavilion.

Palestinians in Gaza said they hope the new year brings a definitive end to the war between Israel and Hamas that has battered the enclave for two years, as negotiators push for progress into the ceasefire’s challenging second phase.

“We hope that it will be a good year for our people in Palestine,” said Faraj Rasheed, noting that thousands continue to live in harsh conditions in tent camps.

Others described 2025 as a year of loss. “The war humiliated us,” said Mirvat Abed Al-Aal, displaced from the southern city of Rafah.

Tourists and Berliners marked the end of 2025 by taking selfies and making snowmen in front of the German capital’s cathedral and the iconic Brandenburg Gate. The Berlin TV Tower was nearly invisible thanks to the falling flakes and fog.

Greece and Cyprus were turning down the volume, replacing traditional fireworks with low-noise pyrotechnics, light shows and drone displays in capital cities. Officials said the change is intended to make celebrations more welcoming for children and pets, particularly animals sensitive to loud noise.

Police in New York City will have additional anti-terrorism measures at the Times Square ball drop, with “mobile screening teams.” It is not in response to a specific threat, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.

After the ball drops it will rise again, sparkling in red, white and blue, to mark the country’s upcoming 250th birthday.

Zohran Mamdani will take office as mayor at the start of 2026. Two swearing-in ceremonies are planned, starting with a private ceremonial event around midnight in an old subway station.