
Millions across the globe saw their capital cities transform into a dazzling spectacle of light to mark the beginning of 2019.

Festive lights were seen engulfing the night sky of Downtown Dubai as the city held an extravagant celebration to make sure the New Year arrived with a bang.

The skyline was filled with an array of colour and smoke as a spellbinding fireworks display flew across the Burj Khalifa tower.

Tens of thousands stood on Paris's Champs Elysees as they watched the Arc de Triomphe lit up in a magical array of colours.

Festive lights also decorated the cities of Hong Kong, Sydney and Auckland as the countries welcomed in the start of 2019.

In Hong Kong, the city's iconic skyscrapers provided the backdrop for a fireworks, music and light show over Victoria Harbor where some 300,000 people had gathered on New Year's Eve.

In Thailand, fireworks were seen illuminating the night sky over the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok as hundreds of spectators gathered to welcome in the New Year while in Singapore crowds of people were greeted by a futuristic fireworks display at Marina Bay.

As the earth turned and midnight swept across the globe from East to West, huge firework displays burst over London, then New York, before exploding over Rio and finally Los Angeles.

Earlier today, thousands filled a main square in Pyongyang, North Korea, where dictator Kim Jong-un appears to have spared no expense to ring in the new year as footage shows fireworks in the shape of digits being launched into the sky to count down to midnight.

The party atmosphere swept onwards across major cities in Asia, Europe, Africa and finally the Americas as the world celebrated a new year and the passing of a tumultuous 2018.

DUBAI: Hundreds of spectators gathered around the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, during New Year's 2019 celebrations

DUBAI: The fascinating spectacle at the world's tallest building featured colourful fireworks and beams of light

DUBAI: Hundreds of spectactors gathered outside the Burj Khalifa to watch a fascinating spectacle of colour and light

DUBAI: Fireworks illuminate the night sky around Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, during the New Year's celebration in the United Arab Emirates

AL-DHAFRA: Fireworks exploded in region of Al-Dhafra, near Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, as the country welcomed in the New Year

GREECE: Spectators watched fireworks explode over the ancient Parthenon temple atop the Acropolis hill in the nation's capital as the country brought in the new year

GREECE: The city of Athens welcomed in the New Year with a spectacle of lights in the county's capital

HONG KONG: The Chinese autonomous territory held a fireworks and light show above the Victoria Harbor

HONG KONG: New Year's Eve is not celebrated that widely in mainland China but in many major cities, including Hong Kong, it is a major event

HONG KONG: Fireworks explode over the Victoria Harbor during New Year's Eve to celebrate the start of year 2019

The North Korean dictator is expected to give his annual address tot he nation later on New Year's Day, during which he is set to lay out the country's priorities for the year ahead.

The speech is often the best gauge of what the North Korean leadership is focused on and what tone it will take in its dealings with the outside world.

In his New Year's speech this past year, Kim proposed talks with South Korea to reduce tensions and said the North would be willing to participate in South Korea's Winter Olympics, setting off a series of summits with the South and the U.S.

LONDON: As the clock struck midnight in London fireworks were seen exploding over the London Eye on the South Bank

LONDON: Brightly lit colours filled the night sky over the River Thames as the city welcomed the beginning of 2019

LONDON: During the fireworks spectacle, red flames lit up the London Eye in central London as the celebrations commenced

SINGAPORE: Fireworks explode over the Marina Bay at the stroke of midnight in Singapore

SINGAPORE: This year, Singapore will celebrate the 2nd centenary of its founding by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819

SINGAPORE: The island city-state off southern Malaysia celebrated well and proper when the clock struck 12

KUALA LUMPUR: Fireworks illuminate the night sky over the Petronas Towers landmark in the Malaysian capital

KUALA LUMPUR: The sky above Kuala Lumpur is turned red with sparks from a spectacular midnight display

KUALA LUMPUR: As the city ushered in the new year the Petronas Twin Towers were engulfed in colour and smoke

PYONGYANG: Fireworks go off above the main square in the city of Pyongyang in North Korea

PYONGYANG: The fireworks display put on by dictator Kim Jong-un's regime featured a countdown in the sky, using Arabic numerals rather than Korean

PYONGYANG: Video footage shows a huge crowd having gathered in a square in the centre of the North Korean capital

GANGNEUNG: Fireworks illuminate the sky over the Jeongdongjin beach in Gangneung, Ganwon-province, South Korea, during an event to celebrate the New Year

A few hours earlier, midnight struck in Sydney, Australia, which was celebrated with a firework show above its famous harbour featuring a record-breaking 100,000 pyrotechnic effects.

The incredible spectacle culminated at midnight with the late Aretha Franklin's '(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman' being played out over the harbour.

People had begun gathering early in the day at popular vantage points, including the Opera House and the ends of the Harbor Bridge, and tens of thousands ended up drenched in a thunderstorm in the early evening.

The rain had dried up by 9pm local time, when Sydney's traditional family-friendly fireworks spectacle turned the city's gloomy skies into a kaleidoscope of colour.

SYDNEY: Fireworks explode over the Sydney Harbour during New Year's Eve celebrations to welcome 2019

SYDNEY: People began gathering early in the day at popular vantage points, including the Opera House and the ends of the Harbor Bridge

SYDNEY: The sky above Australia's most populated city was lit up by fireworks in all the colours of the rainbow

SYDNEY: The Sydney fireworks show featured more than 100,000 pyrotechnic effects accompanied by music

In Melbourne, 14 tons of fireworks deployed on the ground and on roofs of 22 buildings produced special effects including flying dragons.

In Brisbane, an estimated 85,000 people watched as fireworks exploded from five barges moored on the Brisbane River.

In Britain, London ushered in the New Year by celebrating its relationship with Europe amid turmoil over Brexit with the fireworks display at the London Eye to featuring music from the continent's artists and a greeting in multiple languages.

A strong police presence has become a key element of the festivities, to protect crowds that could be targeted in terror and vehicle attacks.

SYDNEY: As the clock struck midnight in the Australian city, locals and visitors alike were treated to a spectacular display

SYDNEY: The fireworks display culminated at midnight with '(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman' being played

SYDNEY: Some revellers in central Sydney barely made it into 2019 before it was time to go home

Fireworks were launched from the tops of 22 buildings in Melbourne's CBD as part of the city's New Year's Eve celebrations

About 350,000 descended on Melbourne's CBD to witness the Victorian city's fireworks spectacle

Here are some of the plans for city's around the world:

Hong Kong: Glittering fireworks were sent skyward from five barges floating in Victoria Harbour in a 10-minute display watched by 300,000 people on the shore.

Jakarta: Hundreds of couples tied the knot in a free mass wedding, as those in the tsunami-hit Banten province, where affected towns were popular holiday destinations, were told to cancel party plans to show respect for the victims.

Tokyo: Japanese partygoers flocked to temples to ring in the New Year, while US boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr made short work of local kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in an exhibition bout staged outside Tokyo which he won in two minutes.

Moscow: Concerts and light held across the city's parks drew thousands of spectators and more than 1,000 ice rinks were opened for merrymakers.

Paris: A fireworks display and sound and light show under the theme 'fraternity' lit up the Champs-Elysees despite plans for further 'yellow vest' anti-government protests at the famed avenue.

Berlin: Music lovers partied at a concert at the Brandenburg Gate, but a popular German tradition of setting off fireworks to mark the occasion was banned in some other cities over safety concerns.

London: Britain's capital ushered in the New Year by celebrating its relationship with Europe amid turmoil over the Brexit referendum vote to leave the EU, with the fireworks display at the London Eye featuring music from the continent's artists after a multi-lingual opener.

Edinburgh: The Scottish capital's traditional Hogmanay celebrations took a distinctly pro-European theme ahead of the year in which Britain is due to exit the union.

New York: Times Square erupted with fireworks and cheers at the stroke of midnight on Tuesday as thousands of hardy merrymakers braved pouring rain and watched the glowing New Year’s Eve ball complete its midnight descent to mark the start of 2019.

A drenching rain didn't stop revelers from packing Times Square, with much of the crowd determined to have a good time as they waited hours Monday night for performers including Christina Aguilera, Sting and Snoop Dogg.

Los Angeles: 50,000 people packed Grand Park in LA to see in the New Year in celebrations which included a laser show and fireworks

AUCKLAND: The New Zealand harbour town was the first major city in the world to see in 2019

AUCKLAND: Fireworks explode from the Sky Tower during New Year's Eve celebrations in New Zealand's largest city

AUCKLAND: New Zealand has celebrated the New Year with thousands watching a spectacular firework display in Auckland

AUCKLAND: The sky was lit up with colour as the clock struck midnight in New Zealand. The party atmosphere is now set to sweep across major cities in Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas

As the world parties, many will also look forward to 2019 and wonder whether the turmoil witnessed during the previous year will spill over into the next.

The political wrangling in Westminster over Brexit was one of the key stories of this year, with a resolution yet to be reached ahead of the scheduled March 29 departure.

US President Donald Trump dominated headlines in 2018 as he ramped up his trade war with China, quit the Iran nuclear deal, moved the American embassy to Jerusalem and met his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong Un in Singapore for a historic summit.

RUSSIA: Russia's President Vladimir Putin greeted the nation in central Moscow during his annual New Year address

RUSSIA: The city of Moscow brought in 2019 with an extravagant fireworks display as crowds of spectators watched on in Moscow's Red Square

RUSSIA: Hundreds took to the streets to welcome in the New Year as the city of Moscow put on a spectacular fireworks display

MOSCOW: Revellers light sparklers as they enjoy New Year's day celebrations in Moscow's Red Square

LONDON: The British capital will usher in 2019 by celebrating its relationship with Europe amid turmoil over Brexit, with the display at the London Eye to feature music from the continent's artists. This was the spectacular display in London last year

North Korea's commitment to denuclearisation will remain a major political and security issue into next year, as will Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's reassertion of control after Trump's shock military withdrawal announcement.

The war in Yemen, which started in 2014 and has already killed about 10,000 people and left some 20 million at risk of starvation, could take a crucial turn after a ceasefire went into effect in mid-December.

Numerous countries go to the polls in 2019, with key elections in India, Afghanistan, Indonesia, South Africa, Argentina and Australia.

Major sporting events on the calendar include the Rugby World Cup in Japan, the cricket one-day international World Cup in England and the athletics World Championships in Qatar.

Fireworks and lights were seen illuminating the night sky at Taipie 101 skyscraper in Taiwan as spectators welcomed in the New Year

Hundreds of spectators were seen getting out their mobile phones to take a picture of the colourful fireworks display in Taiwan

A spectrum of colours filled the night sky as fireworks erupted from the Taipei 101 skyscraper during the New Year's celebrations in Taiwan

An art installation with 2019 illuminated balloons was seen in front of the Presidential Office Building in Taipei, Taiwan to welcome in the New Year

In Thailand fireworks were seen erupting over Chao Phraya River during the annual New Year celebrations in Bangkok

Fireworks illuminated the night sky in Bangkok, Thailand, as the country celebrated the start of the New Year

Pope Francis celebrated First Vespers and a 'Te Deum' prayer during the rite of thanksgiving for the end of the year, in Saint Peter's Basilica, Vatican City

Pope Francis was seen arriving to visit a nativity scene after celebrating a New Year's eve vespers Mass in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican

After the First Vespers and 'Te Deum' prayer Pope Francis met with crowds of people in Vatican City and welcomed in the New Year

Pope Francis prayed in front of the nativity scene at St Peter's Basilica as he greeted in the new year following a New Year's eve vespers Mass

INDONESIA: An explosion of fireworks illuminate the sky in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, as crowds of people welcome in the New Year

INDONESIA: The city's skyline is filled with colour as crowds of people celebrate the new year in the city of Yogyakarta

MYANMAR: Fireworks filled the city's skyline with colour as the country celebrated the start of 2019 in style

PHILIPPINES: Confetti and smoke engulf Eastwood Shopping Mall as spectators welcome the New Year in the suburban Quezon city northeast of Manila

PHILIPPINES: A spectator wears glasses shaped as the year 2019 during the New Year's Eve celebration in Quezon City, Manila

SINGAPORE: As the clock struck midnight spectators were greeted with a spectrum of lights. The show was choreographed by experts from Japan

SINGAPORE: Hundreds gathered near the Marina Bay in Singapore to count down the new year and watch a futuristic fireworks display

SINGAPORE: Revellers watched from the bay area as fireworks erupted into the night sky. The show included music and live performances

GERMANY: In the city of Oldenburg four people painted the year 2019 with lights in front of the city's famous palace

PARIS: In the French capital workers were seen boarding up the front of shops along the Champs-Elysees as the country geared up for the New Year

FRANCE: French President Emmanuel Macron delivered his traditional New Year's speech at the Elysee Palace, in Paris

FRANCE: Hundreds of spectators gather on the Champs Elysees, near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, to celebrate the New Year

FRANCE: In Paris a group of 'Yellow Vests' protesters gathered on the Champs Elysees with a poster reading 'The People Demand Justice'

PARIS: The streets were filled with noise and colour as fireworks illuminated the sky over the Arc de Triomphe during the New Year's Day celebrations on the Champs Elysees

PARIS: Hundreds of spectators tried to capture the spectacle on their phones as they welcomed in the start of the year

PARIS: The words 'Paris' were projected on the Arc de Triomphe during the New Year's Day celebrations on the Champs Elysees

MALAYSIA: Fireworks lit up the sky outside Malaysia's Palace of Justice in the city of Putrajaya as crowds of people welcomed the New Year

MALAYSIA: Outside Malaysia's Palace of Justice spectators took photos of the projection lighting up the building's walls

LONDON: Armed police patrol the streets near The Mall as crowds of spectators arrive to celebrate the start of 2019 in central London

INDIA: A young woman takes a selfie of herself as she celebrates the new year in Mumbai, India

INDIA: Hundreds of spectators gathered at Marine Drive in Mumbai to welcome in the new year

SYRIA: Crowds of spectators were greeted by people dressed in Santa Claus outfits in Syria's second city of Aleppo on December 31

SYRIA: Syrians dressed as Santa Claus greeted people on the streets as the country welcomed in the New Year celebrations

SYRIA: A stall owner sells candy floss to crowds of people as Syrians arrive on the streets to celebrate the New Year

GERMANY: Fireworks illuminated the sky above Marienplatz in Bavaria, Munich, as the country celebrated the New Year

GERMANY: Crowds of spectators were seen standing in front of a stage near Berlin's Brandenburg Gate, during a New Year's party on December 31

EDINBURGH: In Scotland's capital, the Compagnie Transe Express performed in front of some of the 75,000 people lining the city streets

EDINBURGH: Performers from the Compagnie Transe Express put on a show for crowds of people gathered in the city

EDINBURGH: Around 75,000 people arrived on the streets to celebrate the start of the New Year in the Scottish capital

EDINBURGH: Annie Crawley, 29, from Australia, joined thousands during Edinburgh's street party to bring in the New Year

EDINBURGH: As the festive celebrations continued police officers stood guard on Princess Street during the Hogmanay New Year celebrations

AZERBAIJAN: Fireworks lit up the sky in Baku as the celebrated the start of 2019 in the country's capital

AZERBAIJAN: Spectators gathered in the country's capital to celebrate the New Year and watch the colourful fireworks display

BELARUS: In Minsk crowds of revellers took to the streets with sparklers to bring in the New Year

BELARUS: Revellers cheerfully poured each other a glass of alcohol to toast the New Year in the country's capital

SPAIN: At the Puerta del Sol in Madrid, hundreds lined the streets to enjoy the New Year's day celebrations

SPAIN: Hundreds of spectators gathered at the Puerta del Sol in Madrid to welcome the start of 2019 in style

New York’s Times Square erupted with fireworks and cheers at the stroke of midnight on Tuesday as thousands of hardy merrymakers braved pouring rain and watched the glowing New Year’s Eve ball complete its midnight descent to mark the start of 2019.

A drenching rain didn't stop revelers from packing Times Square, with much of the crowd determined to have a good time as they waited hours Monday night for performers including Christina Aguilera, Sting and Snoop Dogg.

For the multitudes who gathered in the famed midtown Manhattan crossroads, the thrilling moment was reward for enduring hours of standing in a steady downpour during the waning hours of 2018.

The final 60-second countdown happened as a geodesic sphere - 12f (3.5m) in diameter, covered with 2,688 Waterford crystal triangles and lit by 32,256 LEDs - dropped down a pole. The numerals "2019" lit up at midnight accompanied by pyrotechnics and the release of 3,000lb (1,360kg) of confetti.

The ball drops on Tuesday, January 1, marking the new year in New York's Times Square

Fireworks explode at the stroke of midnight on Tuesday in New York's Times Square as revelers ring in the new year

The Boston skyline is lit up by fireworks on Monday as Bostonians celebrate First Night 2019

Visitors to Times Square brave the heavy rain and cheer during the New Year's Eve celebration late Monday night

New Kids On The Block is an American boy band from Boston, Massachusetts. It enjoyed commercial success in the 1980s and 90s before disbanding

Television host Ryan Seacrest (center) and pop star Christina Aguilera (right) count down until the ball drop in Times Square on Monday night

She opened with her debut single Genie in a Bottle before moving on to Come on Over, Can’t Hold Us Down, Ain’t No Other Man, and Fighter

Rapper Snoop Dogg was also one of the headline acts at Times Square during the New Year's Eve celebrations

Many donned plastic rain ponchos and sported colorful, oversized top hats handed out by organizers

Three hours later on the West Coast of the United States, 50,000 in Grand Park in LA watched illustrations illuminations projected by lasers, cheering down the seconds until their - much drier - New Year arrived.

And in Las Vegas Lady Gaga, Celine Dion and Gwen Stefani all rocked crowds outside casinos as firworks erupted over the Strip in an eight-minute spectacular.

After patiently enduring their three-hour wait as midnight spun from New York towards the Pacific coast revellers in LA's Grand Park were treated to a laser show projected onto the town hall

The skies over Los Angeles remained clear as party-goers counted down the seconds to the beginning of 2019