The first country to officially welcome 2026 is the Pacific island nation of Kiribati. Specifically, its Line Islands are the first populated place on Earth to strike midnight, kicking off a wave of global celebrations that will circle the planet over the next 24 hours.
The sequence of celebrations follows this quiet beginning, rolling across the globe in a predictable pattern: first through Oceania, with New Zealand and Australia following Kiribati. The wave continues through East Asia, South and Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and finally, the Americas.