2025 New Year Welcomed with Festive Celebrations Worldwide

Residents of Kiribati marked the occasion with fireworks, music, and joyful festivities, creating an atmosphere of excitement as they embraced the first moments of 2025. This event kicks off a 26-hour journey of New Year celebrations worldwide, spanning 39 different time zones.

Shortly after Kiribati, the Chatham Islands of New Zealand joined the festivities 15 minutes later, followed by New Zealand and other Pacific islands, including Tokelau and Tonga. Regions such as Japan, South Korea, Australia, and parts of Russia follow as the time zones progress. 

Sri Lanka, for comparison, will mark the New Year much later, while Hawaii, American Samoa, and US territories will be among the last places to enter 2025.

The order in which countries entered 2025 is as follows:

3:30 PM SLST: Kiribati

Kiritimati Island (Christmas Island) Celebrates the New Year 2025

4:30 PM SLST: New Zealand, Samoa

Samoa Celebrates the New Year 2025

5:30 PM SLST: Fiji, parts of Russia

Fiji Celebrates the New Year 2025

6:30 PM SLST: Most of Australia

Australia, Sydney Celebrates the New Year 2025

8:30 PM SLST: Japan, South Korea

Japan, Tokyo Celebrates the New Year 2025

South Korea, Seoul Celebrates the New Year 2025

9:30 PM SLST: China, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Philippines

The Philippines, Manila Celebrates the New Year 2025

China, Shanghai Celebrates the New Year 2025

Hong Kong Celebrates the New Year 2025

Malaysia Celebrates the New Year 2025

10:30 PM SLST: Indonesia

Indonesia Celebrates the New Year 2025

00:00 AM: Sri Lanka, India (5 hours 30 minutes ahead of GMT)

Sri Lanka, Colombo Celebrates the New Year 2025

Sri Lanka, Colombo Celebrates the New Year 2025

India Celebrates the New Year 2025

00:30 AM SLST: Maldives 

Maldives Celebrates the New Year 2025

1:30 AM SLST: UAE, Oman, Azerbaijan

Oman Celebrates the New Year 2025

Dubai Celebrates the New Year 2025

UAE Celebrates the New Year 2025

3:30 AM SLST: Greece, South Africa, Cyprus, Egypt, Namibia

Egypt, Cairo Celebrates the New Year 2025

South Africa, Cape Town Celebrates the New Year 2025

4:30 AM SLST: Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Morocco, Congo, Malta

Germany, Berlin Celebrates the New Year 2025

France, Paris Celebrates the New Year 2025

Italy Celebrates the New Year 2025

Switzerland Celebrates the New Year 2025

5:30 AM SLST: UK, Ireland, Portugal

Ireland Celebrates the New Year 2025

UK, London Celebrates the New Year 2025

Portugal Celebrates the New Year 2025

8:30 AM SLST: Brazil, Argentina, Chile

Argentina Celebrates the New Year 2025

9:30 AM SLST: Puerto Rico, Bermuda, Venezuela, US Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands

Puerto Rico Celebrates the New Year 2025

10:30 AM SLST: US East Coast (New York, Washington DC,) Peru, Cuba, Bahamas

USA, New York Celebrates the New Year 2025

USA, Washington Celebrates the New Year 2025

Peru Celebrates the New Year 2025

11:30 AM SLST: Mexico, parts of Canada and the US

Mexico Celebrates the New Year 2025

Canada, Ottawa Celebrates the New Year 2025

1:30 PM SLST: US West Coast (Los Angeles, San Francisco)

USA, San Francisco Celebrates the New Year 2025

USA, Los Angeles Celebrates the New Year 2025

3:30 PM SLST: Hawaii, French Polyneisa

USA, Hawaii Celebrates the New Year 2025

4:30 PM SLST: American Samoa

American Samoa Celebrates the New Year 2025

Kiribati’s early celebration has set the tone for a wave of joy that traveled across the globe as each country welcomes the New Year in its own unique way.

American Samoa has become the last inhabited place in the world to enter 2025 as New Year celebrations come full circle.