As it happened | New Year 2025 Celebrations: New York City welcomes 2025 with Ball Drop moment
The transition to 2025 unfurled in a striking wave of celebrations from Asia to Americas as each region marks the occasion. This is how the world celebrated.
The New Year's celebrations took place across the world as people enthusiastically marked the arrival of 2025. The transition to 2025 unfurled in a striking wave of celebrations as each region marks the occasion. The celebration is testament of global unity, as from small islands in the Pacific to energetic and busy cities, all welcomed the New Year with passion and thrill.
Confetti falls after the ball dropped over Times Square during the 2025 New Year’s Eve celebrations on January 1, 2025 in New York City.
Fireworks explode during the New Year celebration at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, early on January 1, 2025. A traditional fireworks display and free music concerts will be held to welcome the new year during the New Year's Eve celebration in Rio de Janeiro.
The Rio Mayor's Press Office considers it the world's biggest New Year's Eve celebration, with 2 million people expected to attend.
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The epic tradition was first held on December 31, 1907, when the New Year's Eve Ball made its maiden descent from the flagpole atop One Times Square. Since then, every year the ball drop has been held.
However, in 1942 and 1943, in observance of wartime blackouts, when due to the "dim out" of lights in New York City, the ceremony was suspended.
Every year, for decades, New York City has marked the New Year's celebration with its epic ball drop.
Just like every year, this year, the ball will drop at the stroke of midnight in the Big Apple (0500 GMT and 1030 IST), ushering in the new year.
New Year has finally arrived in India. The country has welcomed 2025 with much fervour.
Bangladesh welcomed the New Year after a year of upheaval in the country.
Hundreds of people gathered at Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour for a firework display to celebrate the New Year.
Crowds gathered in Japan's capital Tokyo at Tokudai-ji temple to celebrate the New Year to take part in the ringing of bells.
South Korea held muted New Year events and cancelled the big celebration following the plane crash on Sunday (Dec 29).
In his New Year’s Eve address, Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on Germans to vote in the snap elections set for February.
New Year's Eve celebrations have begun in Australia as the country is about to dive in 2025, with utmost enthusiasm and thrill. A "family fireworks" has already lit up the Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.