Cities around the world welcome 2020

Led by South Pacific nations, then New Zealand and Australia, cities around the world have welcomed 2020 and the start of a new decade with a series of elaborate firework displays.

Commencing with the island nation of Kiribati, New Zealand's major cities greeted then greeted the new year with traditional fireworks. In Auckland, half a ton of fireworks burst from the Sky Tower above the city centre while this year several streets in the downtown area were, for the first time, pedestrianised for party goers, families and visitors to move freely and safely and enjoy the New Year’s Eve festivities.

While Canberra cancelled its New Year’s Eve fireworks, Sydney rang in 2020 with its world-renowned pyrotechnic-based show.

However, with large parts of the country facing an unprecedented wildfire crisis, many had questioned whether fireworks displays should have been held in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.

With the City of Sydney having to get an exemption from the total fire ban to hold the fireworks show, Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he supported the decision to go ahead with the fireworks.

Australasian Leisure Management Publisher, Nigel Benton commented “despite this dreadful wildfire season, cancelling the fireworks would have sent a message that ‘Australia is closed’ that would be a massive deterrent to overseas visitors.”

Across Asia, tens of thousands of revellers in Indonesia's capital of Jakarta were soaked by torrential rain as they waited for New Year's Eve fireworks, while in Hong Kong, pro-democracy protesters held hands and formed human chains across the city. The protesters carried their months-long movement and its demands into 2020 with midnight countdown rallies and a massive march planned for New Year's Day.

In Japan, people flocked to temples and shrines, offering incense with their prayers to celebrate the passing of a year and the first New Year of the Reiwa era. Under Japan's old-style calendar, linked to emperors' rules, Reiwa started in May, after Emperor Akihito stepped down and his son Naruhito became emperor.

Although Reiwa is entering its second year with 2020, 1st January still marks Reiwa's first New Year's event, the most important holiday in Japan.

Dubai welcomed the new year with another of its massive fireworks displays, with a 10 minute show lighting the sky over the Emirate’s Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, as hundreds of thousands gathered downtown to watch the spectacular display.

The New Year's Eve display at the 828 metre high tower was just one of seven different fireworks shows across the Emirate.

To keep the massive crowds safe, police created walkways around the Burj Khalifa tower for male-only groups to separate them from families and women.

Dubai will be hosting Expo 2020 this year, a world fair that brings the most cutting-edge and futuristic technologies.

Images: New Year's Eve fireworks in Dubai (top, courtesy of Visit Dubai) and Auckland (below, courtesy of ATEED).