When the clock hits midnight on Jan. 1, 2020, a new decade begins. As New Yorkers prepare for the ball to drop in Times Square and folks across the U.S. are going about their Tuesday activities, other cities worldwide are already celebrating New Year’s Eve.
In Australia, revelers celebrated the moment with fireworks by the Sydney Opera House and above Melbourne’s skyline. Many in Seoul saw paper lanterns. Singapore’s luxurious Marina Bay celebrated with fireworks. In Hong Kong, pro-democracy protests continued.
Here, see how different cities around the world marked New Year’s 2020.
Sydney, Australia
Sixteen hours ahead of New York, the clock struck midnight and a new decade began in Australia at 8 a.m. EST. Fireworks lit up the sky behind the Sydney Opera House.
Hanna Lassen—Getty ImagesFireworks explode over the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House during the midnight display during New Year’s Eve celebrations on January 01, 2020 in Sydney, Australia.
Melbourne, Australia
Southwest of Sydney, the city of Melbourne lit up for 2020 at midnight, too.
Asanka Ratnayake—Getty ImagesFireworks erupt over the Melbourne central business district during New Year’s Eve celebrations on January 01, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia.
Tokyo, Japan
The decade began in Japan at 10 a.m. EST The new year is special in Japanese culture as it is considered a time to pray for one’s family.
Kazuhiro Nogi—AFP/Getty ImagesJapanese priestess prepare for New Year prayers at Kanda Myojin Shrine in Tokyo on December 31, 2019. Millions of Japanese people will visit shrines and temples across the country during the first three days of the new year to pray for the well-being of their families.
Seoul, South Korea
Lanterns were lit up in Seoul to mark the new decade at 10 a.m. EST.
Chung Sung-Jun—Getty ImagesPeople gather to celebrate New Years on December 31, 2019 in Seoul, South Korea.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protest movement didn’t slow down for New Year’s Eve, where the new year began at 11 a.m. EST.
Justin Chin—BloombergRiot police ride an escalator as they patrol the Harbour City shopping mall in the Tsim Sha Tsui district of Hong Kong, China, on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019.
Singapore
Fireworks at Marina Bay drew huge crowds in Singapore, when the day changed at 11 a.m. EST.
Suhaimi Abdullah—Getty ImagesSingapore awaits 2020 with curtain-raiser fireworks by Star Island as revellers join in the biggest countdown celebration at Marina Bay on December 31, 2019 in Singapore.
Bangkok, Thailand
12 hours ahead of New York, the new year was counted down in Bangkok outside of a shopping mall at 12 p.m. EST.
Mladen Antonov—AFP/Getty ImagesRevelers arrive early to watch the New Year countdown outside a shopping mall in downtown Bangkok on December 31, 2019.
Moscow, Russia
Celebratory fireworks went off in Moscow at 4 p.m. EST.
Dimitar Dilkoff—AFP/Getty ImagesFireworks explode over the Kremlin in Moscow during New Year celebrations, on January 1, 2020.
Istanbul, Turkey
The July 15 Martyrs’ Bridge lit up in red and blue as fireworks soared high above for the new year at 4 p.m. EST.
Arif Hudaverdi Yaman—Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesFireworks go off in front of July 15 Martyrs’ Bridge within the new year celebrations in Istanbul, Turkey on January 01, 2020.
Taipei, Taiwan
Taiwan’s capital city celebrated the new year at 11 a.m. EST, 13 hours ahead of New York.
Gene Wang—Getty ImagesFireworks light up the Taiwan skyline and Taipei 101 during New Years Eve celebrations on January 01, 2020 in Taipei, Taiwan.
