Sydney began 2026 with a fireworks display held under an enhanced police presence, weeks after terrorists killed 15 people at a Hanukkah celebration at the city’s Bondi Beach.

Sydney’s annual New Year’s Eve celebrations are known globally for their spectacular fireworks, with 40,000 pyrotechnic effects stretching seven kilometers (four miles) across buildings and barges along its harbor, including the city’s iconic Harbour Bridge and Opera House.

At this year’s ceremony, organizers held a minute of silence for the victims of the attack at 11 p.m. local time (2 p.m. Israel time), with the Harbour Bridge lit up in white and a menorah projected onto its pylons.

“Right now, the joy that we usually feel at the start of a new year is tempered by the sadness of the old,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a video message.

Sydney’s Lord Mayor Clover Moore said ahead of the event: “After a tragic end to the year for our city, we hope that New Year’s Eve will provide an opportunity to come together and look with hope for a peaceful and happy 2026.”

Traditional Christmas celebrations at Bondi were likewise muted this year, and several New Year’s events planned there were canceled.

Around 3,000 police, some carrying long arms, were deployed in the city during the main New Year’s celebrations, which typically attract over a million revelers.

“We have to show defiance in the face........

© The Times of Israel