01/01/2023 06:57 (act. 01/01/2023 11:26)
New Year’s Eve has been celebrated extensively across the world. ©AP, Portal, APA/AFP
After the subdued New Year celebrations of the past two years, people in many countries around the world have welcomed the year 2023 with huge public celebrations.
Sydney, Australia was one of the first major cities to ring in the new year with massive fireworks. In Berlin, Paris and London, crowds once again celebrated in the streets. In Paris, about a million people filled the Champs-Élysées.
party in paris
French authorities spoke of a “normal” race, comparable to 2018 or 2019. Ilyes Hachelev, 19, was with a group of friends on the Parisian avenue for the first time on New Year’s Eve. “We’re here for the environment, to have fun and to be together,” he said. “And it’s beautiful.”
New Year Celebrations in Paris
fireworks in sydney
After missing out on New Year’s Eve celebrations for the past two years due to the coronavirus, Sydney regained its self-imposed title as the “New Year’s Capital of the World” this year and kicked off a massive fireworks display on the famous Harbor Bridge.
New Year’s Eve fireworks in Sydney
Crowds of people marveled at the approximately 100,000 rockets that drew pictures in the sky above the city. Organizers expected a good million spectators at the venue and another half a million in front of the television. “It’s been a really good year for us, it’s great to have gotten through the Corona crisis,” said David Hugh-Paterson, 52, who took his seat outside the Sydney Opera House.
London
In London, spectators were admitted to the official fireworks display for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
Fireworks and Party in Lindon
Madrid
In Madrid, thousands of people gathered in the Puerta del Sol square to hear the twelve strokes that traditionally ring in the New Year.
dubai
In Dubai, 2023 was greeted with fireworks atop the world’s tallest building, the 830-metre Burj Khalifa. A laser show added to the spectacle, throwing messages like “Embrace it again” at the milestone – a reference to the restrictions during the last few years of the pandemic.
New Year Celebrations at the Burj Khalifa in Dubai
Berlin
In Germany, for the first time in two years, rockets and fireworks were allowed to be set off on New Year’s Eve this year. A huge New Year’s Eve party with an audience took place at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate – albeit on a smaller scale than usual.
berlin new year celebrations at the brandenburg gate
Berlin organizers voluntarily decided against traditional high-altitude fireworks. Berlin police announced that the return of pyrotechnics had led to significantly more operations in the city than in previous years.
New York
Of course there was a big party again in New York at Timesquare.
New Year Celebration at Timesquare in New York