New Year’s Eve around Australia and the world: How we celebrated
Jennifer Lopez and other stars performed to a near-empty New York as other nations ushered in the New Year with fireworks.
World
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The world began celebrating the end of a hellish 2020 and welcomed in the New Year Thursday, with COVID restrictions dampening celebrations for billions of people.
Celebrations began in the Pacific Islands before Auckland became the first major city to light up the skies with a fireworks show from its SkyTower.
Sydney was next up with a typically stunning harbour light show as Melbourne celebrated with a laneway food festival and Queenslanders packed the city’s bars and restaurants.
At 4pm AEST the crystal ball took centre stage in an almost-empty New York’s Times Square, while locked down London saw a special presentation on TV to thank frontline NHS workers.
See how the world launched its farewell to 2020, known not so affectionately as “the worst year ever”.
USA
In New York, for the first time in decades Times Square was closed to the public on New Year’s Eve.
Instead, about 40 frontline and essential workers and their families were honoured with secure spots near the stage.
The famed New Year’s Eve ball dropped in a mostly empty Times Square, followed by the traditional confetti and fireworks.
Revellers were subdued, some dancing, others just watching on, as the ball dropped and the countdown began.
In accordance with New York’s health orders, social distancing was enforced and face masks were mandatory.
President-elect Joe Biden and soon-to-be first lady Jill Biden appeared on the ABC’s “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2021” for their final interview of 2020.
American Idol host Seacrest interviewed the Bidens for the New Year’s celebration show, and they discussed “hope, unity and best wishes for the year ahead.”
The show also featured performances by Jennifer Lopez, Billy Porter, Cyndi Lauper, Jimmie Allen and Machine Gun Kelly.
BRAZIL
One of the world’s most famous New Year’s Eve parties in Rio de Janeiro traditionally attracts millions of revellers from around the globe.
This year, however, the famed Copacabana beach almost empty after authorities cancelled the festivities and official fireworks due a second outbreak of COVID in the country already stricken by the virus.
Police were out in force to keep the crowds away, but it didn’t deter people from launching their own fireworks at midnight, and there were also loud protests against the country’s President Jair Bolsonaro over his handling of the pandemic.
Demonstrators beat pots and pans shouting “Get out, Bolsonaro!” from their windows in Rio and Sao Paulo.
Almost 195,000 people have died from COVID in Brazil, making it the second-highest death toll worldwide after the United States.
Bolsonaro, the politician dubbed the “Tropical Trump,” has downplayed the gravity of the virus from the start and consistently defied health experts’ advice on containing it.
He ended the year on the same note, saying that face masks “don’t protect against anything.”
“That’s a fiction,” he said in a New Year’s Eve live address on Facebook.
“When are we going to get some people with the courage – because I’m not a specialist on this, OK? – to speak up and say that the protection provided by masks is a tiny percentage?”
New Year’s celebrations were largely muted affairs across Brazil, though crowds of mask-less revellers could be seen at beaches and clubs in some areas.
Police reportedly broke up large parties in several cities.
ICELAND
With only a third of the regular party crowd gathering around Hallgrimskirkja church, where the statue of Leif Erikson stands, and a heavy fog, revellers still celebrated the coming of the new year with fireworks.
The UK
In England, a series of illegal New Year’s Eve raves were secretly planned across tier four London, according to The Sun Online.
Tier 4 restrictions mean people are supposed to stay home and not meet up with other households.
Police arrested a man at Westminster Bridge as they tried to disperse crowds.
Most watched a special presentation on the TV from the BBC.
2020 proved that, even when we are separated from loved ones, London is one community. As we begin 2021, we must work together to build a better city. That’s something I will never stop fighting for. #HappyNewYear #LondonTogether pic.twitter.com/W81JIJy2Tu
— Mayor of London (gov.uk/coronavirus) (@MayorofLondon) January 1, 2021
There were some unofficial fireworks though that went ahead.
There were also fireworks in Newcastle upon Tyne.
EUROPE
Romans live-streamed the burning of an enormous pyre in Circus Maximus, the ancient city’s stadium, alongside a two-hour event featuring artist performances and illuminated views of iconic sites.
Italy, where shocking images of makeshift morgues and exhausted medics awoke the world to the severity of the crisis, is on a nationwide lockdown until January 7 and a 10pm curfew is in place.
In Spain, fireworks were also seen at Puerta del Sol Square.
In Italy, the government continues to enforce the national lockdown measures to control the spread of COVID-19.
New Year's Eve celebratory fireworks have been cancelled in most cities worldwide or broadcasted online in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19 infections. But fireworks still went ahead.
GREECE
Fireworks exploded over the ancient Parthenon temple atop the Acropolis hill during New Year’s day celebrations in Greece.
BERLIN
The world famous Brandenburg Gate was illuminated with the lettering '2021' amid subdued celebrations.
SAUDI ARABIA
The town of Ras al-Khaimah erupted with a massive fireworks display at midnight.
FRANCE
In France, police and military personnel were deployed to make sure night-time curfews or bans on large gatherings are enforced.
But crowds were still out until the 8pm curfew before celebrations were aired on TV.
PAKISTAN
Pakistanis turned out to watch fireworks during the New Year celebrations in Rawalpindi.
TAIWAN
Fireworks were set off the Taiwan skyline and Taipei 101 Observation Deck as usual.
THAILAND
Bangkok lit up too, with a fireworks display over the city.
INDONESIA
The Indonesian government requested residents to stay home with the rise in coronavirus infections but like many other lgobal cities, it still went ahead with its fireworks display.
NEW ZEALAND
Auckland was the first major city to put on a show with a spectacular fireworks display from the city’s SkyTower after the Pacific nations of Kiribati and Samoa led the world’s march into 2020. Virus-free New Zealand was one of the few major cities where residents could celebrate with only limited restrictions. Despite the Covid-19 restrictions and the New Year fireworks cancelled, many in Wuhan turned out to celebrations where they released balloons into the air.
CHINA
Despite the Covid-19 restrictions and the New Year fireworks cancelled, many in Wuhan turned out to celebrations where they released balloons into the air.
IRAQ
Fireworks were let off in the city of Basra.
AUSTRALIA
Melboune canned the light show for this year and instead put on a laneways food festival.
There was a large police presence at the popular St Kilda beach, where plenty of younger people still enjoyed the night.
But one man was arrested as his friends continued to argue with police.
There were no 9pm family fireworks or activities around Sydney Harbour this year with few spectators able to be there to watch in person.
Plans to allow crowds were scrapped amid a cluster of around 150 new infections that have seen travel to and from Sydney severely restricted.
But in Queensland, fireworks went ahead for happy crowds at the popular Redcliffe beach.
The spectacular fireworks continued in Queensland at the Gold Coast where large crowds gathered at Labrador for the light show.
Cairns also lit up its night sky with fireworks.
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