The Pacific nation of Kiribati has become the first inhabited place on Earth to celebrate the arrival of 2026.
At midnight on Kiritimati, also called Christmas Island, locals marked the start of a 26-hour global New Year celebration with feasts, dancing, and church services.
The island’s position at the edge of the International Date Line, in the UTC+14 time zone, gives it the honour of welcoming the year first.
Just 15 minutes later, New Zealand’s remote Chatham Islands followed.
Located about 800 kilometres east of the mainland, the islands became the second place to step into 2026.
These early celebrations set off a rolling wave across the Pacific.
In New Zealand, crowds are gathering for fireworks in Auckland and Wellington, while millions in Australia prepare for the iconic Sydney Harbour display.
While most of the world remains in 2025, residents of Kiribati and the Chatham Islands have already entered the new year, leading festivities that will continue until American Samoa rings in 2026 nearly 26 hours later.
