New Year’s Eve LIVE: Sydney welcomes 2024 with spectacular display as millions to watch London fireworks

More pictures have emerged of celebrations in Thailand and Japan, with Buddhist ceremonies and parades taking place to start the New Year.

The short answer, yes. If you fancy watching the UK’s biggest firework display from the comfort of your own home, BBC One will be live broadcasting the show.

From 11.30pm onwards, BBC will be airing Rick Astley Rocks New Year’s Eve from the Camden Roundhouse, before cutting to the display shortly before the countdown starts.

More than 100,000 people are expected to watch in person next to the River Thames, with millions more tuning in online or watching on the television.

Last year, 400 drones were used to create a shape of a crown in the sky in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, before transforming into the familiar image of the late monarch’s face on a huge coin.

While Japan, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea have welcomed in the New Year, there are still plenty of countries with several hours left of 2023.

Among those next to be celebrating is China, who will mark midnight at 4pm GMT, followed by Indonesia an hour later. While the eastern parts of Russia have moved into 2024, Moscow will not ring in the New Year until 9pm GMT.

After the UK and several European countries, several countries in south America, including Brazil, will celebrate at 3am GMT, followed by the US East Coast at 5am GMT.

Last to welcome 2024 will be Baker Island in the central Pacific Ocean at 12pm GMT.

In the last few minutes, several other countries have begun to celebrate the start of 2024 with fireworks and parades.

Ringing in the New Year at 3pm GMT was Japan, South Korea, North Korea,Timor-Leste and Palau.

In Seoul, a bell tolling and countdown ceremony has taken place in Bosingak Pavilion while crowds have gathered at a temple in central Tokyo to watch a traditional bell-ringing ceremony.

Tens of thousands of Hogmanay revellers are expected in Edinburgh to see in the New Year – with organisers of the Scottish capital’s famous street party confirming the event has now sold out.

Unique Assembly said all tickets had been sold for both that event and the Concert in the Gardens, which will be headlined by Britpop stars Pulp.

The band’s set will be punctuated by fireworks from Edinburgh Castle at midnight, marking the start of 2024.

Al Thomson co-director of Unique Assembly – which organises Edinburgh’s four-day Hogmanay celebrations on behalf of the city council – said: “We’re in for one hell of a party now!

“Fifty thousand people in the streets of Edinburgh enjoying good music, good company and one of the best fireworks displays in the world – there’s no better way to start the New Year.”

A French family are among those queuing at St Pancras International in the hope of getting tickets for a train home to Paris for New Year’s Eve so they can “party with friends”.

Emilio Fernandez, 22, is with his parents Catherine and Manuel Fernandez, 58 and 59, his sister Luna, 31, and four-year-old nephew Amani.

He said: “We were supposed to leave late (on Saturday) but it was cancelled in the afternoon. We were very worried because first it’s important to come back to our country to celebrate New Year’s Eve there, so we are very worried still because we are not sure that we will be able to leave.”

His mother said: “It’s very expensive to stay in London, even for a few days.”