New Year’s Eve - live: LA and US west coast ring in 2023 as celebrations continue

Billions of people around the world have been welcoming in 2023 with new year’s celebrations.

Los Angeles and the west coast of the US greeted the new year with dazzling light shows and fireworks displays.

On the east coast, the ball dropped on New York City’s iconic Times Square as huge crowds counted down the seconds into 2023.

The celebrations will continue into Sunday as other nations await the new year, including Honolulu, American Samoa and French Polynesia.

Last night, partygoers in the UK defied wet weather to welcome in 2023 after the Met Office issued yellow warnings for rain in England’s South West and southern Wales, and warnings for ice and snow across the Scottish Highlands.

For many, this is the first New Year’s Eve in three years where parties and festivities are fully free from Covid restrictions.

In London, more than 100,000 people lined the Thames to watch 12,000 fireworks as a moving tribute was paid to the late Queen.

Baker Island will be among the last places to arrive in 2023, at around midday GMT.

Key Points

• Los Angeles and US west coast greet 2023

• UK welcomes New Year

• Watch: How New Year's Eve is celebrated across the world

• Australians celebrate the new year

• China welcomes 2023 as Covid levels spike

• Taiwan and Philippines say goodbye to 2022

Los Angeles welcomes 2023

08:16 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Los Angeles and the west coast of America has just welcomed the new year with light shows and dazzling fireworks displays.

Brazil president to be sworn in on New Year’s Day

08:03 , Matt Mathers

Brazil’s President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will be sworn in on Sunday in the capital of Brasilia and assume office for the third time.

It marks the culmination of a political comeback sure to thrill supporters and enrage opponents in a fiercely polarised nation.

But Mr Lula’s presidency is unlikely to be like his previous two mandates, coming after the tightest presidential race in more than three decades in Brazil and resistance to his taking office by some of his opponents, political analysts say.

The leftist defeated far-right President Jair Bolsonaro in the October 30 vote by less than two percentage points.

For months, Mr Bolsonaro had sown doubts about the reliability of Brazil’s electronic vote and his loyal supporters were reluctant to accept the loss.

Many have gathered outside military barracks since, questioning results and pleading with the armed forces to prevent Mr Lula from taking office.

Mr Bolsonaro’s most die-hard backers resorted to what some authorities and incoming members of Mr Lula’s administration labelled acts of "terrorism" - something the country had not seen since the early 1980s, and which have prompted growing security concerns about inauguration day events.

Mr Lula has made it his mission to heal the divided nation.

But he will have to do so while navigating more challenging economic conditions than he enjoyed in his first two terms, when the global commodities boom was a windfall for Brazil.

Brazil president to be sworn in on New Year’s Day

08:03 , Matt Mathers

Brazil’s President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will be sworn in on Sunday in the capital of Brasilia and assume office for the third time.

It marks the culmination of a political comeback sure to thrill supporters and enrage opponents in a fiercely polarised nation.

But Mr Lula’s presidency is unlikely to be like his previous two mandates, coming after the tightest presidential race in more than three decades in Brazil and resistance to his taking office by some of his opponents, political analysts say.

The leftist defeated far-right President Jair Bolsonaro in the October 30 vote by less than two percentage points.

For months, Mr Bolsonaro had sown doubts about the reliability of Brazil’s electronic vote and his loyal supporters were reluctant to accept the loss.

Many have gathered outside military barracks since, questioning results and pleading with the armed forces to prevent Mr Lula from taking office.

Mr Bolsonaro’s most die-hard backers resorted to what some authorities and incoming members of Mr Lula’s administration labelled acts of "terrorism" - something the country had not seen since the early 1980s, and which have prompted growing security concerns about inauguration day events.

Mr Lula has made it his mission to heal the divided nation.

But he will have to do so while navigating more challenging economic conditions than he enjoyed in his first two terms, when the global commodities boom was a windfall for Brazil.

New year sweeps in across the globe

07:55 , Matt Mathers

New Year’s celebrations swept across the globe, ushering in 2023 with countdowns and fireworks — and marking an end to a year that brought war in Europe, a new chapter in the British monarchy and global worries over inflation.

The new year began in the tiny atoll nation of Kiribati in the central Pacific, then moved across Russia and New Zealand before heading deeper, time zone by time zone, through Asia and Europe and into the Americas.

The ball dropped on New York City’s iconic Times Square as huge crowds counted down the seconds into 2023, culminating in raucous cheers and a deluge of confetti glittering amid jumbo screens, neon, pulsing lights and soggy streets.

A man wielding a machete attacked three police officers near the celebration, authorities said, striking two of them in the head before an officer shot the man in the shoulder about eight blocks from Times Square, just outside the high-security zone. The two officers were hospitalized, one with a fractured skull and the other with a bad cut, but expected to recover. The 19-year-old suspect was also expected to recover.

Across the world, at least for a day, thoughts focused on possibilities, even elusive ones like world peace, and mustering — finally — a resolve to keep the next array of resolutions.

In a sign of that hope, children met St. Nicholas in a crowded metro station in Kharkiv, Ukraine.

Yet Russian attacks continued New Year’s Eve. At midnight, the streets of the capital, Kyiv, were desolate. The only sign of a new year came from local residents shouting from their balconies, "Happy New Year!" and "Glory to Ukraine!" And only half an hour into 2023, air raid sirens rang across Ukraine’s capital, followed by the sound of explosions.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported an explosion in Holosiivskyi district, and authorities reported that fragments of a missile that had been shot down had damaged a car in a central district.

In Paris, thousands celebrated on the Champs Elysees, while French President Emmanuel Macron pledged continuing support for Ukraine in a televised New Year’s address. "During the coming year, we will be unfailingly at your side," Macron said. "We will help you until victory and we will be together to build a just and lasting peace. Count on France and count on Europe."

Big Ben chimed as more than 100,000 revelers gathered along the River Thames to watch a spectacular fireworks show around the London Eye. The display featured a drone light display of a crown and Queen Elizabeth II’s portrait on a coin hovering in the sky, paying tribute to Britain’s longest-serving monarch who died in September.

Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana beach welcomed a small crowd of a few thousand for a short fireworks display, and several Brazilian cities canceled celebrations this year due to concern about the coronavirus. The Brazilian capital’s New Year’s bash usually drew more than 2 million people to Copacabana before the pandemic.

Turkey’s most populous city, Istanbul, brought in 2023 with street festivities and fireworks. At St. Antuan Catholic Church, dozens of Christians prayed for the new year and marked former Pope Benedict XVI’s passing. The Vatican announced Benedict died Saturday at age 95.

In New York, rain that was fierce at times did not deter the crowd at a dazzling Saturday night spectacle kicking off celebrations across the United States. The Times Square party culminated with the descent from One Times Square of a glowing sphere 12 feet (3.6 meters) in diameter and comprised of nearly 2,700 Waterford crystals.

"I just wish everyone a lot of prosperity peace and love," reveler Tina Wright, who was visiting from the Phoenix area, said after the countdown. "And let’s just get things moving in the world right now."

Last year, a scaled-back crowd of about 15,000 in-person mask-wearing spectators watched the ball descend while basking in the lights and hoopla. Because of pandemic rules, it was far fewer than the tens of thousands of revelers who usually descend on the world-famous square.

Before the ball dropped, there were heavy thoughts about the past year and the new one to come.

"2023 is about resurgence — resurgence of the world after COVID-19 and after the war in Ukraine. We want it to end," said Arjun Singh as he took in the scene at Times Square.

In Australia, more than 1 million people crowded along Sydney’s waterfront for a multi-million dollar celebration based around the themes of diversity and inclusion. More than 7,000 fireworks were launched from the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and another 2,000 from the nearby Opera House.

"We have had a couple of fairly difficult years; we’re absolutely delighted this year to be able to welcome people back to the foreshores of Sydney Harbor for Sydney’s world-famous New Year’s Eve celebrations," Stephen Gilby, the city’s producer of major events and festivals, told The Sydney Morning Herald.

In Auckland, New Zealand, large crowds gathered below the Sky Tower, where a 10-second countdown to midnight preceded fireworks. The celebrations in New Zealand’s largest city returned after COVID-19 forced them to be canceled a year ago.

Chinese cautiously looked forward to 2023 after a recent easing of pandemic restrictions unleashed the virus but also signaled a return to normal life. Like many, salesperson Hong Xinyu stayed close to home over the past year in part because of curbs on travel.

"As the new year begins, we seem to see the light," he said at a countdown show that lit up the towering structures of a former steel mill in Beijing. "We are hopeful that there will be more freedom in the future."

Concerns about the Ukraine war and the economic shocks it has spawned across the globe were felt in Tokyo, where Shigeki Kawamura has seen better times but said he needed a free, hot meal this New Year’s.

"I hope the war will be over in Ukraine so prices will stabilize," he said.

Pet Shop Boys see in New Year at Hogmanay

07:36 , Sam Rkaina

North of the border, people in Edinburgh enjoyed what First Minister Nicola Sturgeon called the “first full Hogmanay celebrations in three years”.

“Thinking back to Hogmanay last year and indeed the year before that, we’re reminded of just how far we have come from the very darkest days of the pandemic,” she said in a New Year’s Eve message on Twitter.

People queued in the rain to enter the party in Princes Street.

Fireworks lit up the sky behind the city’s castle.

The 80s duo The Pet Shop Boys sang the city into 2023.

More artists rang in the new year with song as Eurovision star Sam Ryder performed hits on BBC One.

Scarborough fireworks display cancelled

07:34 , Sam Rkaina

Thousands of Metropolitan Police officers were on duty across the capital, with the force later saying eight people were arrested for offences including assault on police, drunk and disorderly, and possession of an offensive weapon.

Officers have worked with charity Safer Spaces to build a place in Duncannon Street, central London, for women and girls to go should they feel unsafe.

While other parts of England also celebrated with fireworks, the North Yorkshire seaside town of Scarborough did not.

An Arctic walrus, believed to be “Thor” – who was spotted on the Hampshire coastline earlier this month, arrived in the harbour earlier in the day.

Scarborough Borough Council cancelled the fireworks display on the advice of British Divers Marine Life Rescue after the organisation expressed concerns that it could cause “distress” to the mammal.

In a village further down the coast in East Yorkshire, re-enactors took part in the Flamborough Fire Festival in a Viking-themed parade.

London welcomes 2023 with firework tribute to the Queen

07:28 , Sam Rkaina

The UK has ushered in 2023 with revellers across the country celebrating New Year’s Eve.

Partygoers defied wet weather to welcome in 2023 after the Met Office issued yellow warnings for rain in England’s South West and southern Wales, and warnings for ice and snow across the Scottish Highlands.

Big Ben bonged in England’s capital as a crowd of more than 100,000 people gathered along the Thames Embankment in central London to watch 12,000 fireworks streak across the sky.

The sold-out show was designed to send a message of “love and unity”, as it highlighted the Lionesses’ history-making Euro win at Wembley, marked 50 years of London’s Pride with a message from Peter Tatchell from the Gay Liberation Front, and sent a message of support to Ukraine.

The display also paid tribute to the late Queen, featuring a voice recording from her and words from Dame Judi Dench, before honouring the King, together with a message from Charles about the need to preserve our planet’s future.

Drones spelled out a positive message during the show, welcoming in “2023 with love from London” as fireworks exploded behind them.

Complete with music that included Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline, Ukrainian Eurovision winner Kalush Orchestra, and hits from Stormzy, Dua Lipa, Cher, Dave, Rihanna and Calvin Harris, the show concluded with the traditional Auld Lang Syne.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he was “delighted” that Londoners and visitors could once again join together on the banks of the River Thames to ring in the new year.

03:30 , Natalie Crockett

Jubilant crowds welcomed the new year with the biggest celebrations Britain has seen since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Thousands of people stood together without restrictions to watch spectacular fireworks displays in capital cities across the country.

In London, the chimes of Big Ben rang to signal the start of the new year, as a crowd of more than 100,000 stood along the Thames to watch an iconic fireworks display.

Read more from Maryam Zakir-Hussain here:

Crowds celebrate new year restriction-free for first time since pandemic

Wandering walrus puts spanner in works of new year celebrations in Scarborough

03:00 , Natalie Crockett

An Arctic walrus, called “Thor” - who was spotted on the Hampshire coastline earlier this month, arrived in the harbour earlier on New Year’s Eve bringing a halt to some celebrations.

Scarborough Borough Council cancelled the fireworks display on the advice of British Divers Marine Life Rescue after the organisation expressed concerns that it could cause “distress” to the mammal.

02:30 , Natalie Crockett

Thousands of people gathered hours before celebrations began in New York’s Time Square.

Celebrations ‘a reminder of how we have come from the very darkest days of the pandemic'

02:00 , Natalie Crockett

In Edinburgh, crowds enjoyed what First Minister Nicola Sturgeon called the “first full Hogmanay celebrations in three years”.

“Thinking back to Hogmanay last year and indeed the year before that, we’re reminded of just how far we have come from the very darkest days of the pandemic,” she said in a New Year’s Eve message on Twitter.

People queued in the rain to enter the party in Princes Street as fireworks lit up the sky behind the city’s castle.

London’s New Year show pays tribute to Queen and gave nod to Ukraine

01:30 , Natalie Crockett

London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display paid tribute to the late Queen, featuring a voice recording from her and words from Dame Judi Dench, before honouring the King, together with a message from Charles about the need to preserve our planet’s future.

Complete with music that included Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline, Ukrainian Eurovision winner Kalush Orchestra, and hits from Stormzy, Dua Lipa, Cher, Dave, Rihanna and Calvin Harris, the show concluded with the traditional Auld Lang Syne.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he was “delighted” that Londoners and visitors could once again join together on the banks of the River Thames to ring in the new year.

100,000 people gather along the Thames in London for The sold-out show of ‘love and unity’

01:00 , Natalie Crockett

Partygoers defied the wet weather to welcome in 2023.

Big Ben chimed in London as a crowd of more than 100,000 people gathered along the Thames Embankment in central London to watch 12,000 fireworks streak across the sky.

The sold-out show was designed to send a message of “love and unity”, as it highlighted the Lionesses’ history-making Euro win at Wembley, marked 50 years of London’s Pride with a message from Peter Tatchell from the Gay Liberation Front, and sent a message of support to Ukraine.

UK welcomes new year with iconic fireworks display which pays tribute to the late Queen

00:09 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Countdown for New Year in London begins

Saturday 31 December 2022 23:58 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

People gather on the Embankment opposite the London Eye in central London as minutes remain on 2022.

Fireworks light up the sky to welcome the new year in Uganda

Saturday 31 December 2022 23:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Fireworks light up the sky as people react while they celebrate after counting down to the new year at Miracle Center Cathedral in Kampala, Uganda.

Paris and Berlin welcome 2023

Saturday 31 December 2022 23:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Spectacular scenes are coming through from Paris and Berlin as the new year begins incities across Europe.

Germany welcomes new year with stunning display over Berlin skyline

Saturday 31 December 2022 23:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The new year has started in Germany as the country put on a dazzling display of fireworks above Berlin’s skyline.

Watch here:

Crowds gather in Times Square for the first NYE event since the pandemic

Saturday 31 December 2022 22:58 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

People gather in Times Square for New Year celebrations during the first New Year's Eve event without restrictions since the pandemic began.

New Year’s Eve parties underway across the world following Covid hiatus

Saturday 31 December 2022 22:16 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Party-goers in major city centres across the world are ushering in 2023 with countdowns and fireworks.

The events come as many cities around the globe celebrate New Year‘s Eve without restrictions for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Firework explosions welcome arrival of 2023 in Iraq

Saturday 31 December 2022 21:33 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Mosul and Baghdad saw spectacular firework displays to welcome the arrival of 2023.

UAE attempts to break two Guinness Records with lavish fireworks display

Saturday 31 December 2022 20:47 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The UAE attempted to break two Guinness World Records by featuring 452 pyro drones and 15,000 nano lights, colours and shapes in their fireworks display in Abu Dhabi.

Fireworks explode from the Burj Khalifa

Saturday 31 December 2022 20:27 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The UAE has brought in the new year with spectacular scenes.

Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, saw a stunning fireworks display to welcome 2023.

Crowds in Wuhan hold balloons as they celebrate the start of a new year

Saturday 31 December 2022 19:52 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Crowds in Wuhan, China held balloons as they gathered to celebrate the start of a new year.

Zelenksy and First Lady of Ukraine say 2023 will be the ‘year of our victory'

Saturday 31 December 2022 19:38 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine’s president Volodymr Zelensky and his wife the First Lady of Ukraine posted a new year’s message as they called 2023 the “year of our victory”.

People in Moscow mark muted New Year without fireworks as they hope for peace

Saturday 31 December 2022 19:11 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

People in the centre of Moscow prepared late on Saturday to mark a somewhat muted New Year‘s Eve without the usual fireworks and celebrations on Red Square, with many saying they wanted peace in 2023.

Authorities closed off the famous cobbled square in the heart of Moscow, citing restrictions to fight COVID-19, and increased the number of police in nearby side streets.

New Year‘s Day is Russia’s main seasonal holiday, while Orthodox believers also celebrate Christmas on January 7.

“We hope that there will be a predictable year, we hope there will be world peace, as strange as it may sound in such a situation,” said Moscow resident Alexander Tsvetov.

“We hope that people will be happy, on each side of this conflict, and there will be peace,” he continued, in a reference to what President Vladimir Putin calls the 10-month “special military operation” in Ukraine.

Deprived of the chance to gather on Red Square and watch a traditional New Year‘s Eve firework display, people walked along the wet streets, looking at Christmas markets, brightly lit storefront displays and trees set up with baubles.

New laws adopted in March prescribe fines and jail terms for discrediting or spreading “deliberately false information” about the armed forces.

“I am sure that those very - to put it mildly - unexpected, harsh, aggressive events, will surely moderate. Next year there will be a turn for the better, for sure,” predicted 68-year-old Yelena Popova.

The canceled fireworks display, she said, was an act of solidarity with what was happening in Ukraine.

“One should not pretend that nothing is happening - our people are dying there. A holiday is being celebrated, but there must be limits,” she said.

Tatyana, a woman who did not give her full name, said she hoped for “world peace, clear skies, happiness and health for everyone.” Russian troops were undoubtedly having a hard time “so spiritually we are supporting them”, she said.

India says hello to 2023

Saturday 31 December 2022 18:41 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

New year’s celebrations are in full swing in New Delhi, India where crowds welcome 2023.

Malaysia welcomes the new year as joyful crowd celebrates

Saturday 31 December 2022 18:18 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

New year revellers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia brought in 2023 with smiles all around.

Fireworks light up the sky in Singapore as new year begins

Saturday 31 December 2022 17:51 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Singapore welcomes the new year with a dazzling firework display outside the iconic Marina Bay Hotel.

Watch: Cities around the world bring in the New Year

Saturday 31 December 2022 17:35 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Thailand joins the 2023 crew

Saturday 31 December 2022 17:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

An extraordinary display of fireworks lit up the sky in Bangkok, Thailand to greet the fresh new year.

Taiwan and Philippines say goodbye to 2022

Saturday 31 December 2022 17:06 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

New Year’s celebrations are in full swing across Taiwan and the Philippines where 2022 is now but a distant memory.

Families celebrated together in Manila while fireworks illuminated the sky in Taipei.

Fireworks dazzle over Victoria Harbour

Saturday 31 December 2022 16:38 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Fireworks exploded over the Victoria Harbour in China to celebrate 2023.

China welcomes 2023 as Covid levels spike

Saturday 31 December 2022 16:01 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

China welcomes the new year as crowds gather in Beijing to celebrate, despite the spike in Covid-19 cases over the last month.

The country lifted strict Covid restrictions in recent weeks, but throngs of revellers gathered on the streets of the capital to watch fireworks.

Celebrations are being held at the Great Wall in Beijing, while in Shanghai authorities said traffic will be stopped along the waterfront Bund to allow pedestrians to gather on New Year‘s Eve. Shanghai Disneyland will also hold a special fireworks show to welcome 2023.

Crowds pray, release balloons and shine light into the sky in Tokyo and Seoul

Saturday 31 December 2022 15:27 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

In Tokyo, crowds released a flurry of balloons into the night sky as they welcomed the new year.

In Seoul, some lit up their phones while others prayed as they bid farewell to 2022- a year which saw tragedy in the capital just two months ago.

Balinese dancers perform in a parade to bring in the New Year

Saturday 31 December 2022 15:20 , Holly Bancroft

Here’s a quick look at the parade of dancers that are helping to bring in the New Year in Bali.

Japan and South Korea welcome 2023

Saturday 31 December 2022 15:16 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Japan and South Korea celebrate the new year as midnight strikes in the countries.

UK New Year’s celebrations look to be impacted by rail strikes

Saturday 31 December 2022 14:47 , Holly Bancroft

New Year’s Eve celebrations in the UK look like they could be hit by the impact of the rail strikes and the rising cost of living as trade bodies warn that bookings are down.

The Night Time Industries Association said that there is a “huge” concern that train strikes will impact New Year bookings and cause the knock-on effect of job losses in January.

One in three reservations were cancelled in December, UK Hospitality has said.

Paul Kohler, owner of a bar in London’s West End called CellarDoor, told the BBC that New Year bookings were down.

“We are hoping it will be good but people are losing faith in the transport system, they are worried about getting home at night,” he said.

Kiwis bring in 2023

Saturday 31 December 2022 14:33 , Holly Bancroft

Auckland in New Zealand became the first major city to start welcoming in 2023. Fireworks were launched from the city’s Sky Tower at 11:00 GMT, just an hour after the Pacific island of Kiribati became the first to see in 2023 at 10:00 GMT.

Australians celebrate the New Year

Saturday 31 December 2022 14:27 , Holly Bancroft

Sydney has marked the start of 2023 with its annual fireworks display. Around 7,000 fireworks lit up Sydney Harbour, the highest number ever used.

In Melbourne, 20 tonnes of fireworks were launched around the city from 30 different rooftops.

Here are some photos from the celebrations in Sydney:

Watch: How New Year's Eve is celebrated across the world

Saturday 31 December 2022 14:21 , Holly Bancroft

Saturday 31 December 2022 14:20 , Holly Bancroft

Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of New Year’s Eve. We will be bringing you the best photos and reaction from across the world as different nations ring in 2023.