Australia and New Zealand set off huge firework displays as world starts to welcome 2024
Auckland, NEW ZEALAND — New Zealand and Australia have begun welcoming in 2024 as the world starts to celebrate the New Year.
Thousands gathered at the Sky Tower in Auckland, New Zealand, to ring in 2024, the first major city in the world to celebrate the new year at 11am GMT.
At around 1pm GMT, the Sydney Harbor Bridge in Australia lit up for its renowned midnight fireworks display and light show viewed annually by around 425 million people worldwide.
Revellers camped at the best vantage points since Sunday morning in order to watch the spectacle. More than one million people were expected to converge on the waterfront for the occasion.
Eight tonnes of pyrotechnics were launched from two of Australia's most recognisable landmarks - the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House - in one of the world’s biggest New Year’s Eve displays.
One tourist who waited for hours to secure a spot to see the fireworks, Christopher Maldonado, from Chile, told the BBC: “It's iconic because it's the first fireworks in the world and it's the first celebration of the New Year so it's really nice. And it's cool because you have the spot really near and this is amazing, this is amazing.”
In Japan, temple bells rang out across the nation as people gathered at shrines and temples to welcome in the new year.
At the Tsukiji Temple in Tokyo, visitors were given free hot milk and corn soup as they stood in line to strike a big bell, and a pipe-organ concert was held before a majestic altar.