Worldwide party kicks off as UK sees in New Year with stunning London Eye display
The UK has welcomed in 2019 with a spectacular fireworks display in central London and one of the world's biggest street parties at Edinburgh's Hogmanay.
Some 100,000 people gathered around the London Eye to watch the capital's extravaganza which included 12,000 fireworks, 2,000 lighting cues and 30 tonnes of equipment atop three barges floating on the Thames.
The display kicked off to the chiming of Big Ben, which although it is under renovation, saw a computer system activate its ringing.
Edinburgh welcomes in New Year with one of world's biggest street parties
Away from London, thousands of people attended Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations at one of the world's biggest street parties.
Organisers said this year's events celebrate the ties between Scotland and Europe as the UK prepares to leave the EU in 2019.
Bands, DJs, street performers, dancers, acrobats and fire eaters from Scotland and mainland Europe performed, with Franz Ferdinand among the headline acts.
On Sunday, tens of thousands of people kicked off the celebrations with a torchlight procession through Edinburgh.
The UK's celebrations came as people across the world celebrated the New Year with fascinating displays of light and colour.
New Zealand, 13 hours ahead of the UK, was one of the first to welcome in 2019 with an impressive fireworks display in Auckland, before standout displays in Sydney, Hong Kong, Taipai and Dubai.
Meanwhile, boxer Floyd Mayweather delivered some fireworks in the ring in a shamefully one-sided contest in Japan.
French celebrate at Champs-Elysees in Paris
Thousands of people in France welcomed the New Year with a laser show and fireworks on the Champs-Elysees in Paris.
French president Emmanuel Macron had earlier addressed the people following a mixed year in which there were mass protests but in a year that will be remembered for the country’s World Cup victory in Russia.
Dubai's New Year firework show lights up Burj Khalifa
Fireworks crackled at Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, as hundreds of thousands of spectators gathered downtown to watch the spectacular display.
A countdown preceded the dramatic pyrotechnics, and there were cheers from the crowd as fireworks illuminated the iconic building and shot into the night sky.
The fireworks replace last year's somewhat anticlimactic LED lightshow that ran down the facade of the 828-metre-tall (2,716-foot) tower.
Taiwanese keep their eyes on the little green man
Taiwanese crowds kept their eye on a little green man in the capital as the 101-storey skyscraper the Taipei 101 illuminated a countdown.
People huddled under umbrellas on a foggy night as fireworks snaked down the sides of the 508m tall building.
China swaps fireworks for dancing bears in Beijing
Beijing welcomed in the New Year with a celebration in front of the Water Cube, the nautical stadium of 2008 summer Olympics and one of the venues of 2020 winter Olympics.
A dazzling performance on stage included giant dancing polar bears and pandas alongside dancers in costumes - however typical New Year fireworks were not present.
New Year's Eve isn't celebrated very widely in mainland China, where the lunar New Year in February is a more important holiday, but countdown events were being held in major cities and some of the faithful headed to Buddhist temples for bell-ringing and prayers.
Japanese see in the New Year with Floyd Mayweather
Japanese usually welcome the new year with a visit to a nearby temple or shrine, but some 30,000 people at Saitama Super Arena did it with Floyd Mayweather.
The American boxing legend soundly defeated his opponent, Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa, in the first round of what was billed as three rounds of entertainment with no official record, meaning both fighters still retain their undefeated tallies.
“I told Tenshin to hold your head up high,” Mayweather said of his advice after the bout.
Nasukawa was floored three times in the first round, and although he kept getting up, teetering, his father in the corner threw in the towel.
Seoul rocks out to the sound of Queen
South Koreans counted down in the capital Seoul in front of huge electronic screens.
The new year fireworks sparked to the sounds of a tried-and-tested rock anthem as We Are The Champions by Queen blasted out.
Sydney delivers after early bird show for the kids
A thunderstorm drenched tens of thousands of people as they gathered for Sydney’s traditional spectacular fireworks display, creating a show of its own with dozens of lightning strikes.
A mini firework display at 9pm local time kicked off celebrations a little early with youngsters in mind, before the proper midnight display.
Police estimated that more than a million people would crowd Sydney Harbour to view the glittering fireworks.
People began gathering early in the day at popular vantage points, including the Opera House and the ends of the Harbour Bridge.
And they were delighted by the fiery countdown on the iconic bridge as a myriad colours lit up the sky and water.
Auckland's Sky Tower starts the celebrations
Tens of thousands gathered around Sky Tower in Auckland, New Zealand’s biggest city, as fireworks exploded from the top of the 1,076ft structure.
Across the southern hemisphere nation, thousands took to beaches and streets, becoming among the first in the world to usher in 2019.
Fireworks boomed and crackled above city centres and harbours.
Snoop Dogg and Sting to wow New York's Times Square
Snoop Dogg, Sting and Christina Aguilera will be among the performers at a packed Times Square in New York City.
Revellers from around the world are set to come and see the traditional crystal ball drop in the Big Apple.
Last year's event was one of the coldest on record at -12C. Forecasters say Monday's party will take place amid mild temperatures, but did warn of rain.
Bastille and New Kids On The Block will perform medleys of their hit songs on Dick Clark’s New Year's Rockin' Eve, and singer songwriter Bebe Rexha will perform John Lennon’s Imagine before the 60-second countdown to the midnight ball drop.
While many celebrate New Year's Eve with fireworks, hundreds of Thais travelled to Takien Temple in a suburb of Bangkok to lie inside coffins for traditional funeral rituals.
Participants believe the ceremony — symbolising death and rebirth — helps rid them of bad luck and allows them to be born again for a fresh start in the new year.
Participants held flowers and incense in their hands as monks covered them with pink sheets and chanted prayers for the dead.