Australians and New Zealanders were among the first nations to ring in 2024 with fireworks in a world troubled by multiple wars and heightened tensions.
Rain in New Zealand’s largest city Auckland eased at midnight when downtown Sky Tower, the country’s tallest structure, erupted with fireworks as the centerpiece of a spectacular annual light show.
Two hours later in neighboring Australia, the Sydney Harbor Bridge became the focal point of a renowned midnight fireworks display and light show viewed annually by around 425 million people worldwide, according to city authorities.
More police than ever were deployed throughout Sydney to ensure safety as more than 1 million people – equivalent to one in five of the city’s population – converged on the harbor waterfront for the best available views, state government authorities said in a statement.
Many revelers have been camping at the best vantage points since Sunday morning.
The waterfront has been the scene of heated pro-Palestinian protests after the sails of the Sydney Opera House were illuminated in the colors of the Israeli flag in response to the Oct. 7 Hamas incursion.
In New York’s Times Square, officials and party organizers say they are prepared to welcome crowds of revelers and ensure their safety.
At a security briefing Friday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said there were "no specific threats" to the annual New Year’s Eve bash, which is expected to draw tens of thousands of people to the heart of midtown Manhattan.
The celebrity-filled event will include live performances from Flo Rida, Megan Thee Stallion and LL Cool J, as well as televised appearances from Cardi B and others. Organizers said in-person attendance is expected to return to pre-COVID levels, even as foot traffic around Times Square remains down slightly since the pandemic.
Amid near-daily protests in New York sparked by the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, police said they would expand the security perimeter around the party, creating a "buffer zone" that will allow them to head off potential demonstrations.
Security will also be heightened across France on Sunday, with 90,000 law enforcement officers set to be deployed, domestic intelligence chief Celine Berthon said Friday.
Of those, 6,000 will be in Paris, where French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said over 1.5 million people are expected to attend celebrations on the Champs-Elysees.
Speaking at a press conference, Darmanin cited a "very high terrorist threat" because, in part, of "what is happening in Israel and Palestine," referring to the Israel-Hamas war.
Darmanin said that police for the first time will be able to use drones as part of security work and that tens of thousands of firefighters and 5,000 soldiers would also be deployed.
In Muslim-majority Pakistan, the government has banned all New Year’s Eve celebrations as an act of solidarity with the Palestinians.
In an overnight televised message, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar urged Pakistanis to "show solidarity with the oppressed people of Gaza" by beginning the new year with simplicity.
Kakar said Muslims across the world were saddened over Israel’s attacks on Gaza that resulted in the killings of thousands of innocent people.