About New Year's Day
The New Year countdown to midnight on December 31 is the most-watched countdown on the planet — over a billion people count the final ten seconds together every year. This live New Year's countdown clock shows the days, hours, minutes and seconds remaining until January 1 in your own timezone, so the zero moment lands exactly when your local clock strikes midnight.
Because of timezones, the new year arrives as a 26-hour wave around the globe: the Pacific island nation of Kiribati celebrates first, followed by New Zealand, Australia, Asia and Europe, with the Americas last and uninhabited Baker Island closing the cycle. The famous celebrations — Sydney Harbour fireworks, the Times Square ball drop in New York, London fireworks on the Thames, Tokyo temple bells — each happen on their own local midnight.
New Year's Day, January 1, opens the Gregorian calendar year — a tradition dating back to Roman times when the month of January was named for Janus, the two-faced god looking both backward and forward. It is the world's most universal public holiday, marked by resolutions, fresh starts, and in many cultures special good-luck foods. When midnight passes, this countdown automatically rolls over to next year's celebration.
Upcoming dates
| 2027 | Friday, January 1, 2027next |
| 2028 | Saturday, January 1, 2028 |
| 2029 | Monday, January 1, 2029 |
| 2030 | Tuesday, January 1, 2030 |
| 2031 | Wednesday, January 1, 2031 |
FAQ
How many days until New Year?
The live counter above shows exactly how long is left until midnight on December 31 — New Year's Eve — in your local timezone.
How many days until 2027?
The countdown above ticks down to the very second the year 2027 begins at midnight on January 1, wherever you are in the world.
When does the new year start?
At midnight local time on January 1. Kiribati and New Zealand celebrate first; the last inhabited places are American Samoa and Niue.
Which country celebrates New Year first?
The Pacific nation of Kiribati (Christmas Island) reaches midnight first, about 26 hours before the last places on Earth see in the new year.
What day is January 1, 2027?
New Year's Day 2027 falls on a Friday, giving many people a three-day weekend to start the year.
Why do we count down to midnight?
The public countdown tradition grew from the Times Square ball drop, first held in 1907, and spread worldwide with live television broadcasts.