In with the New Year...
Liffey lights show among globe’s celebrations to toast the arrival of 2019
FIREWORKS, champagne and... er, coffins, all featured in celebrations enjoyed around the world to ring in the New Year.
More than 25,000 people descended on Dublin’s Custom House Quay last night where they celebrated the final moments of 2018 as the Liffey Lights Midnight Moment show lit up the skies of Dublin with revellers saying hello to 2019.
The dazzling spectacle with hundreds of lasers and lights illuminated the midnight sky over the city built to a fabulous crescendo as the clock struck midnight.
Singer Gavin James headlined the 3Countdown Concert at the Custom House last night with special guests Hudson Taylor, Wild Youth and Inhaler.
Dublin Lord Mayor Nial Ring said the event provided ‘an opportunity to showcase our beautiful city on a global stage.’
In Sydney, thousands of people waiting to watch the New Year’s Eve fireworks around Sydney Harbour were battered by torrential rain as a thunderstorm swept the city hours before midnight.
An estimated 1million people crowded at the landmark.
One of the most complex fireworks displays in Australia’s history included gold, purple and silver fireworks pulsating to the tune of (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, made famous by Aretha Franklin, who died in August. The show used 8.5 tons of fireworks and featured more than 100,000 pyrotechnic effects.
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 shot up from five barges moored on the Brisbane River.
In Auckland, New Zealand’s biggest city, tens of thousands gathered around Sky Tower as fireworks exploded from the top of the 328-metre structure.
Meanwhile, amid tight security in New York with party-goers checked for weapons, Snoop Dogg, Sting and Christina Aguilera welcomed 2019 in a packed Times Square along with revellers from around the world who came to see the traditional crystal ball drop.
While many celebrate New Year’s Eve with fireworks, hundreds of Thai people travelled to Takien Temple in a suburb of Bangkok to lie inside coffins for traditional funeral rituals. Those who take part in the tradition believe the ceremony – symbolising death and rebirth – helps rid them of bad luck and allows them to be born again for a fresh start.
Participants held flowers and incense in their hands as monks covered them with pink sheets and chanted prayers for the dead.
‘It is our belief that it will help us get rid of bad luck and bring good fortune to our life,’ said Busaba Yookong, who came to the temple with her family.
Meanwhile, Russians got to enjoy performances from actors and dancers dressed up as characters including Father Frost and the Snow Maiden, as they took part in a countdown to midnight.
‘Showcase for our beautiful city’