The fireworks in Sydney, the self-proclaimed "New Year's Capital of the World."

Desert Local News wishes You a "Happy New Year 2023."

The corona pandemic put the brakes on the fun for two years, and New Year's Eve has finally been celebrated again worldwide.

The Sky Tower in Auckland on New Year's Eve.

The residents of the South Sea island of Kiritimati were the first in the world to start the new year on Saturday. Only a few thousand people live on the 388 square kilometers of a coral island. Kiritimati belongs to the island state of Kiribati, which has only been welcoming international guests again since August.

The New Year was welcomed in Sydney.

Samoa followed an hour later, at the same time as New Zealand and Tonga. Most events in New Zealand were canceled last year due to Corona. So now firecrackers shot into the sky again. Highlight: the fireworks at the Sky Tower in Auckland.

The Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

Sydney. The Australian metropolis reclaimed its self-imposed title as the 'New Year's Capital of the World' and set off a huge fireworks display at the famous Harbor Bridge. Around 100,000 rockets rose into the sky over the city.

Crowds on the Champs-Élysées 

In Paris, too, the crowds celebrated again on the streets. According to the police, around a million residents and tourists were out and about on the Champs-Élysées. French officials spoke of a "normal" rush, comparable to 2018 or 2019.

Fireworks surround the London Eye.

In London, spectators gathered again for the first time since the pandemic's beginning for the official fireworks display on the London Eye Ferris wheel. More than a hundred thousand people celebrated the turn of the year there. Big Ben struck midnight, ringing in the New Year.

In Madrid, thousands of people celebrated the turn of the year in the Puerta del Sol square.

Thousands of people gathered in Madrid's Puerta del Sol square. There, twelve bells traditionally ring in the new year.

In Dubai, fireworks with a laser show on the Burj Khalifa.

In Dubai, 2023 was greeted with fireworks atop the world's tallest building, the 830-meter Burj Khalifa. There was also a laser show with messages like "Hug again" - an allusion to the corona restrictions.

The fireworks at Copacabana were launched from rafts.

Hundreds of thousands of people in the Brazilian beach metropolis of Rio de Janeiro celebrated the New Year with fireworks and music. A 12-minute fireworks display began at midnight, launched from ten rafts off Copacabana Beach.

The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.

The Times Square New Year's Eve Ball drops during New Year's celebration in Times Square on Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023, in New York.