NEW Year is one of the most exciting holidays in the world, as people across the globe reflect on and celebrate the year that just passed.
In London, the arrival of 2026 will be marked by Big Ben’s famous “bongs” at midnight, followed by an the UK’s largest annual fireworks display near the London Eye.
However, not every country celebrates New Year at the same time as the UK. So which countries are the first and last to ring in the new year?
Which country celebrates New Year first?
The UK sits on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) which is used as the internationally standardised time format.
In other words, GMT is the baseline time zone and other time zones are measured by how much they deviate from GMT.
Because of this, while all countries celebrate the arrival of the new year at midnight, it may seem as though they celebrate earlier or later than the UK.
Generally, Britons look to Australia as the first country to see in the New Year but there are several other countries which beat it to the punch.
Kiritimati Island – also known as Christmas Island – and a string of 10 other mostly uninhabited islands in the central Pacific Ocean will have been the first to ring in 2026.
Tonga, New Zealand and Samoa all celebrate the New Year, before Eastern Australia and then Central Australia.
Where will the New Year arrive last?
Generally, countries furthest to the west on a UK map will be the last to ring in the New Year.
Two uninhabited islands named Baker Island and Howland Island, southwest of Hawaii, will be the last to see 2026 in.
The USA is one of the last countries to celebrate the arrival of the new year, with New York and Washington D.C. having to wait until 5am GMT to ring in 2026.
What time does New Year arrive around the world?
New Year traditions vary from country to country.
No matter what time 2026 arrives, countries all over the world will usher in the new year with various traditions and celebrations.
Using GMT, this is when various places across the world will welcome 2026:
December 31
- 10am Christmas Island
- 10:15am Chatham Islands/New Zealand
- 11:00am Mainland New Zealand
- 12:00pm Fiji
- 1pm Much of Australia
- 2pm Queenland, Australia
- 2:30pm Northern Territory Australia
- 3pm Japan, South Korea, North Korea
- 4pm China, Phillipines, Singapore
- 5pm Indonesia, Thailand
- 5:30pm Myanmar and Cocos Islands
- 6pm Bangladesh
- 6:15pm Nepal
- 6:30pm Most of India
- 7pm Pakistan
- 7:30pm Afghanistan
- 8pm Azerbaijan
- 8:30pm Iran
- 9pm Russia, Ukraine, Suadi Arabia, Iraq, Turkey
- 10pm Greece, Israel
- 11pm Germany, France, Spain, Switzerland, Italy
- Midnight UK, Iceland, Portugal
January 1
- 2am Greenland
- 3am Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay
- 4am Parts of Canada, Venezuela, Puerto Rico
- 5am Much of East Coast USA (including New York and Washington DC)
- 6am Mexico
- 8am West Coast USA
- 10am Honolulu
- 12pm Baker Island and Howland Island
