It's almost time to gather around and welcome in the new year with a rendition of Auld Lang Syne and as we all know, there's no better way to bid the old farewell than with a spectacular fireworks display to light up the sky.
Across the UK, county councils and mayors' offices have been planning 31 December for months and as the clock strikes midnight, there will be plenty of spots to catch a glimpse of fireworks exploding overhead.
In Manchester, the city is breaking new ground with its first-ever dual-site firework and light spectacular across St Peter’s Square and Albert Square, while Edinburgh’s Hogmanay holds pride of place as the ultimate New Year destination and London gears up to put on its usual extravaganza over the Thames.
Further afield, things are operating a little differently this year with cities such as Sydney and Tokyo scaling back due to safety fears, and Paris and Hong Kong cancelling altogether.
Without further ado, HELLO! Has compiled a guide to seeing the NYE fireworks both at home and abroad so you can ring in 2026 with a dazzle of colour and splash of glittering light, wherever you may be.
© PA Images via Getty ImagesLondon, England
London’s skyline is set to ignite in a fantastic display of light as the city welcomes 2026 with a bang.
The capital’s celebrations will centre around the London Eye and remain a strictly ticketed-only event, with all 100,000 official wristbands being snapped up long before the first fuse is lit.
If you haven't managed to secure a spot on the river's banks, it is best to avoid the area as the City Bridge Foundation and the Met Police have cordoned off key through-ways like Waterloo and Tower Bridge.
However, you won't miss out as a high-tech broadcast experience has been planned so everyone gets to watch the show, no matter where from. This year’s 12-minute choreography is a tribute to the London Eye's 25th anniversary and will blend 12,000 pyrotechnic blasts with a sophisticated light show designed specifically for the BBC’s programme.
© Getty ImagesEdinburgh, Scotland
North of the border, the spirit of Hogmanay is being kept fiercely alive, despite many flagship celebrations undergoing a high-security transformation.
In Edinburgh, the world’s most famous street party, primarily along Princes Street, is a masterclass in controlled chaos; while the "Midnight Moment" fireworks will still be released from the ramparts of the Castle.
For the night that's in it, the city centre has been carved into a fortress of ticketed zones to manage the swell of 40,000 partygoers, however, once you find your zone, the energy in the city is unmatched.
Elsewhere in Scotland, Glasgow is putting on one official council display and across the Highlands, street parties in the likes of Inverness are set to rage on well into the early hours as 2026 embraces Scottish traditions.
© Getty ImagesCardiff, Wales
In Cardiff, the traditional midnight sky-show has undergone a dramatic, tech-led evolution for 2026.
The city council has officially moved away from a centralised public display, leaving the skyline to be reclaimed by more intimate, localised pockets of celebration. While Winter Wonderland at Cardiff Castle remains the emotional heart of the city's festivities, it now closes its doors at 10 pm with a "Late Night Skate" rather than a midnight fireworks display, serving as the ultimate family warm-up.
For those refusing to see the year out without a flash of colour, the action has shifted to the waterfront, where a display is set to be mirrored by the calm waters of the River Ely and Cardiff Bay.
Outside the city, Swansea is putting on a display with a superhero theme, turning the St Helen’s Ground into a hub of light and sound that promises to start off 2026 with an almighty bang.
© Getty ImagesManchester, England
Manchester is doing things differently this year as the countdown to 2026 marks a bold departure from the plan of recent years. The city will split itself across two historic squares for a dual-site celebration.
While Albert Square transforms into a neon-soaked carnival featuring the UK's largest mobile Ferris Wheel and a sprawl of artisanal food stalls, the real pyrotechnic drama is reserved for St Peter’s Square.
The traditional midnight blast has been reimagined as a "firework and light spectacular," launched from the rooftop of the iconic Central Library. This is a family-first, alcohol-free zone where the air will be filled with beats from DJ sets as 2026 arrives.
Which global displays have been cancelled?
Following a tumultuous 2025, several iconic New Years Eve festivals have been cancelled around the world due to security concerns or periods of respectful mourning after events that rocked cities right before Christmas.
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© Getty ImagesSydney, Australia
In Sydney, the usual festive atmosphere at Bondi Beach has been replaced by a heavy, sombre silence for 2026. The world-famous shoreline, which was set to host its first major New Year’s festival in over a decade, saw all official celebrations and firework displays cancelled following the heartbreaking mass shooting at a Hanukkah event earlier this month.
However, the main Sydney Harbour Bridge display will go ahead with modifications. At 11 pm, the celebrations will pause for a powerful minute of silence as images of a menorah and a dove to honor the fifteen victims are projected onto the bridge.
In place of the Bondi parties, Sydneysiders are being urged to gather at the 48 official harbour vantage points, where a record-breaking security presence will be in attendance.
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© AFP via Getty ImagesParis, France
Paris is hitting the mute button on its most famous party for the arrival of 2026. Their iconic massive open-air concert on the Champs-Élysées, which typically draws over a million people, was scrapped by police following a series of security incidents.
While the Arc de Triomphe will still ignite with fireworks at midnight, the concert has been replaced by a pre-recorded broadcast for viewers at home.
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© Getty ImagesTokyo, Japan
For the sixth year in a row, Tokyo has officially pulled the plug on the iconic Shibuya Crossing countdown.
It is believed the reasons behind the cancellation are due to fears about public drinking, littering, and the risk of a crowd crush at one of the world's busiest intersections.
As an alternative, Shibuya is going indoors, with most revellers heading inside to sophisticated jazz sessions or local Shinto shrines like Meiji Jingu to hear the midnight Taiko drums.
