From: APA/sdpa
The people of the South Sea atoll of Kiritimati were the first in the world to welcome the year 2025. Die etwa 7.300 Einwohner starteten 13 Stunden vor Österreich – also bereits um 11.00 Uhr MEZ – ins neue Jahr. Just 15 minutes later, the Chatham Islands, which belong to New Zealand and are about 800 kilometers east of the Pacific state and have their own time zone, followed. Only a few hundred people live here.
An hour after Kiritimati in the island state of Kiribati, New Zealand and the two island states of Samoa and Tonga celebrated the turn of the year. In New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland, the 328-meter-high Sky Tower observation and telecommunications tower was at the center of a huge light show with 500 kilograms of pyrotechnics.
Sydney plans nine tons of pyrotechnics
The world-famous fireworks display starts at 2:00 p.m. MSZ in Sydney, Australia, against the world-famous backdrop of the Harbor Bridge and the Opera House. Wegen eines ursprünglich geplanten Streiks im öffentlichen Nahverkehr stand das Spektakel zeitweise auf der Kippe – die Behörden befürchteten ein Chaos bei der An- und Abreise der Gäste. However, an agreement was reached just in time. There was a smaller fireworks display in Sydney three hours before midnight, intended for families with children.
This time the light show at 12 a.m. will be gigantic: around nine tons of pyrotechnics will light up the sky above the harbor district. The fireworks are set off at 264 different points, significantly more than in previous years.
For the first time there are also launch sites west of the Harbor Bridge. Mittels innovativer Technologie sollen zudem Muster und Formen wie Tiere und das Wort “Sydney” in einem Wasserfalleffekt von der Harbour Bridge herunterfließen.
“No matter where you are in the port, you can expect a great show,” promised the organizers. Around a million onlookers want to watch the spectacle on site. Thousands of people had been looking for the best spots since early in the morning, equipped with camping chairs and picnic blankets. Countless others will follow the show, which also includes drones and innovative lighting effects, in live streams.
Light spectacle in Singapore and Bangkok
Sensational light shows are also planned in many Asian cities. In Bangkok, the mighty Chao Phraya River is once again the focus, where many revelers are traveling on party boats to experience the mega fireworks display up close. Thailand, which follows the Buddhist calendar, starts in the year 2568.
In the glittering city of Singapore, numerous onlookers are expected to watch the fireworks at Marina Bay with a view of the skyline. In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the 452-meter-high Petronas Towers, once the tallest building in the world, are at the center of an impressive light show.
In Griechenland und auf Zypern setzen heuer auf ein “stilles Feuerwerk”. Modern pyrotechnics offer unique rocket magic with all the popular effects, but without noise pollution, said the city administration of the Cypriot port city of Limassol. In Athens, in addition to the silent pyrotechnics, drones are also supposed to paint effects in the sky. The silent fireworks contain less toxic materials and are therefore also more environmentally friendly. Und in Wien findet der Silvesterpfad, der in vergangenen Jahren von jeweils rund 800.000 Feiernden besucht wurde, zum 33. Mal statt – unter hohen Sicherheitsmaßnahmen.
The New Year is celebrated differently in Switzerland. While the toboggan run is being made unsafe in central Switzerland, people in Basel are drinking spiced wine from a fountain. Amerikanisch-Samoa, das nur 220 Kilometer östlich von Samoa auf der anderen Seite der internationalen Datumsgrenze liegt, wird das letzte Land sein, das 2025 einläutet – zwölf Stunden nach Österreich.
