Hong Kong will welcome 2026 without its traditional New Year’s Eve fireworks over Victoria Harbour, which have been cancelled following the Tai Po fire tragedy in late November. In place of the harbour display, alternative celebrations have been arranged, with a reworked New Year Countdown in Central set to become the city’s main public moment to mark the arrival of the new year.
Air Supply to headline celebrations in Central
The flagship New Year Countdown will take place at the Chater Road Pedestrian Precinct in Central, starting at 11:30pm on 31 December. Live performances will lead into the midnight countdown. The area is already lit for the festive season, with a golden light canopy along Chater Road, illuminated trees and pedestrian bridges, and glowing figures above Chater House.
International soft rock group Air Supply will headline the evening with a special performance of their classic hits. They will be joined by local artists Jay Fung and Cloud Wan, alongside the Hong Kong Police Band and a children’s choir. The programme is designed as a continuous live set, moving seamlessly from music into the countdown moment.
NYE countdowns in Hong Kong
In Central, the midnight countdown will be paired with a three-minute Immersive Light Show, which forms part of Winter Wonderland, the city’s ongoing festive programme. On New Year’s Eve, the light projections will display a giant countdown clock, followed by a short sequence themed “New Hope, New Beginnings”.
In Wan Chai, the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre will also feature a large countdown clock visible to the public, providing another focal point as the year turns.
Two additional standalone countdown celebrations will take place elsewhere in Hong Kong: The West Kowloon Cultural District will host its own New Year Countdown along the harbourfront, while Disneyland will stage a separate New Year’s Eve Countdown Party within the resort.
Together, these four locations form Hong Kong’s official countdown moments for the night, offering multiple ways for residents and visitors to welcome 2026.
Header Image Credit: Rolemodel Entertainment Group & Hong Kong Tourism Board