The UK is pretty low on the list (Picture: Getty Images)
If you can’t wait to see the back of 2023, thankfully the New Year is just around the corner.
Whether you’re going out to see the fireworks, having a quiet one with your family, or spending the countdown on a club dancefloor with your friends, there’s nothing quite like New Year’s Eve celebrations.
As we all prepare to welcome in the New Year around the world today, it’s got us thinking… which country gets to ring in 2024 first?
Read on to see a full list of times for different destinations…
What is the first country in the world to celebrate New Year?
Tonga is one of the first countries to ring in the new year (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
While the UK is one of the last countries to welcome in the New Year, those living on Kiritimati Island – also known as Christmas Island – and a string of 10 other mostly uninhabited islands in the central Pacific Ocean will be the first to ring in 2023 (around 10am UK time).
That’s because these countries will be celebrating the New Year a full 13 hours ahead of the UK.
Then, while we’re all enjoying a mid-morning brunch on New Year’s Eve, people living in Samoa and New Zealand will be enjoying firework displays and feasting with their families, as they welcome 2024 around 11am GMT.
New Zealand is one of the first countries to welcome New Year (Credits: Getty Images)
Neighbouring Australia will see in 2024 around two hours later.
Japan, South and North Korea are next on the list, welcoming it in around 3pm GMT, followed by China, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and the Philippines at 4pm UK time.
Before the UK strikes midnight, countries in Asia, South East Asia, the Middle East and Africa will all have marked the special occasion.
The UK will celebrate the New Year at the same time as Portugal, Ireland, Iceland, Ghana, and an hour later than the majority of Europe, including France, Spain and Greece.
The last countries to see 2024 will be North and South America, with two unoccupied US territories — Baker Island and Howland Island – among the final countries to welcome the New Year, along with American Samoa – which will celebrate 11am GMT on Monday.
What time will countries celebrate New Year (GMT)?
10.15am – New Zealand
12pm – Fiji and Eastern Russia
1pm – Eastern Australia (Melbourne and Sydney)
2pm – Central Australia (Brisbane, Darwin and Adelaide)
3pm – Japan, South Korea and North Korea
3.15pm – Western Australia (Perth and Eucla)
4pm – China, Philippines, Singapore
5pm – Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia
5.30pm – Myanmar and Cocos Islands
6pm – Bangladesh
6.15pm – Nepal
6.30pm – India and Sri Lanka
7pm – Pakistan
8pm – Azerbaijan
8.30pm – Iran
9pm – Turkey, Iraq, Kenya and Western Russia
10pm – Greece, Romania, South Africa, Hungary, and eastern European cities
11pm – Germany, France, Italy, Algeria, Belgium, Spain
Midnight – UK, Ireland, Ghana, Iceland, Portugal
January 1
1am – Cape Verde and the Spanish Isles
2am – Eastern Brazil, South Georgia and Sandwich Islands
3am – Argentina, remaining regions in Brazil, Chile, Paraguay
3.30am – Newfoundland and Labrador/Canada
4am – Eastern Canada, Bolivia, Puerto Rico
5am – Eastern Standard Time in the US – New York, Washington, Detroit and Cuba
6am – Central Standard Time in the US – Chicago
7am – Mountain Standard Time in the US – Colorado, Arizona
8am – Pacific Standard Time in the US – LA, Nevada
9am – Alaska and French Polynesia
10am – Hawaii, Tahiti and Cook Island
11am – American Samoa
12pm – Baker Island, Howland Island
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The US is one of the last.
