Several major cities across the world have cancelled or scaled back their New Year’s Eve celebrations ahead of 2026 due to growing security and public safety concerns.
Paris has scrapped its traditional live concert on the Champs-Élysées, citing fears over unpredictable crowd movement.
Fireworks will still take place at the Arc de Triomphe, while a pre-recorded concert will be broadcast instead.
Tokyo also cancelled its popular Shibuya Countdown Event, with city officials warning of potential crowd accidents and nuisance behaviour linked to street drinking.
Serbia’s capital, Belgrade, confirmed it would hold no organised New Year’s Eve celebrations this year.
The cancellations follow the FBI’s recent announcement that it foiled an alleged New Year’s Eve bombing plot in Los Angeles, heightening global security alerts.
Despite the concerns, cities such as New York, Sydney and Dubai plan to proceed with celebrations under heavy security and strict safety measures, as authorities urge revellers to remain cautious.
