Sydney to Wellington: 7 cities that ring in New Year first

Sydney to Wellington, 7 cities herald the New Year first, from Kiritimati to Nuku'alofa, setting the global tone for celebrations

Kiritimati is an atoll in the Pacific Ocean and part of the island nation of Kiribati. It is one of the first places to welcome the New Year

Apia is the capital of Samoa, and Samoa is one of the first countries to enter the New Year. Samoa changed its time zone in 2011, moving west of the International Date Line

Nuku'alofa is the capital of Tonga, another Pacific island nation. It is located just west of the International Date Line

Fiji is an island nation in the South Pacific, and its capital, Suva, is among the first to welcome the New Year

Wellington, capital city of New Zealand. New Zealand is one of the first countries to celebrate the New Year, and Wellington is often one of the earliest major cities to do so

Sydney is one of the major cities in Australia, and Australia is one of the first countries to celebrate the New Year

Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is among the cities that celebrate the New Year early due to Japan being in a time zone ahead of many other countries