World Welcomes New Year amidst fireworks, New Zealand enters 2019 first

Wellington: Bidding adieu to 2018 amid fireworks and much pomp and gaiety world welcomed the New Year 2019 today in a grand manner.

All the major cities in the world including in Dubai, Sydney, Auckland and Hong Kong witnessed festive lights bringing night skies alive soon after the mid-night celebration of December 31.

New Zealand’s Auckland was the first major city in the world to enter the new year,  celebrating it with lit up Sky Tower and the Harbour Bridge. Similarly, the famous Wondergarden music festival was being held at Silo Park on the waterfront.

Australia was next to celebrate the New Year with thousands turning up at the Harbour Foreshore of Sydney to witness the best visual of the fireworks and take part in the live music and entertainment show.

Japan was the third country to welcome the New Year, where locals flocked to temples to ring 2019 after US boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather came out of retirement to beat Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in a multi-million-dollar “exhibition” bout outside Tokyo. The  competition grabbed the attention of the local population much.