While the Times Square ball drop and Southern-style black-eyed peas might be all-American, the UK has its own quirky traditions. From whacking bread against the wall to inviting a dark-haired man into your home,

Britain rang in 2026 in spectacular style with enormous street celebrations and fireworks displays in London and Edinburgh.

Uninhabited Baker Island is among the last to see the new year, as 2026 takes 26 hours to roll across the globe.

The fireworks in the UK will come before New York, which will join in the celebrations at 5am GMT on New Year’s Day, with performances by Diana Ross and Ciara. People queued around 6th Avenue hours in advance.

The Met Office has issued a weather warning for New Year’s Day, with snow set to hit the UK as 2026 begins.The yellow warning for snow and ice will be in force from 6am on Thursday, 1 January to 11.59pm on Friday,

Idris Elba is now Sir Idris Elba. The actor was knighted in the U.K.’s annual New Year Honors for his ongoing efforts to reduce knife crime amongst British youth and for his work with the Elba Hope Foundation, which he set up alongside his wife Sabrina.

These are the closing times on New Year's Eve for Asda, Tesco, Aldi, Morrisons, M&S, Lidl, Sainsbury's, Iceland, Waitrose, and Co-op.

The supermarket chain will open on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, but with reduced hours, including at 24/7 superstores. Use the store finder to see exact times for your local branch, as they vary across the UK. Stores will be open for New Year’s Eve, though they may close earlier than usual.

Best UK displays to ring in 2026 - Not all cities will host official firework displays this year – here are some of the best

Cities across the world are welcoming 2026 with stunning New Year's Eve fireworks displays and celebrations. In London, 100,000 people watched from the banks of the River Thames as more than 12,000 fireworks lit up the night sky.