Major events at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, Paris’ Champs-Elysées and Tokyo’s Shibuya have been cancelled
Oliver Radcliffe Live News Reporter and Tannur Anders
04:06, 30 Dec 2025Updated 04:06, 30 Dec 2025
The 9pm fireworks are seen during New Year’s Eve celebrations in Sydney, Australia, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. (Bianca De Marchi/AAP Image via AP)(Image: AP)
New Year’s Eve festivities are being called off worldwide due to escalating fears of potential terror attacks and worries over crowd control.
Major cities around the world, including Sydney, Paris, and Tokyo, have decided to cancel public gatherings, fireworks displays, and parties in the days leading up to December 31, , reports Birmingham Live.
The wave of cancellations began after the FBI thwarted a planned bomb attack in Los Angeles on New Year’s Eve. Four individuals were apprehended in relation to the plot during a scheduled rehearsal just outside the city.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli presented drone-captured surveillance footage at a press conference earlier this month. The video depicted the suspects attempting to construct a bomb in a desert location.
The four suspects, all hailing from the Los Angeles area, have been identified. Despite the looming terror threat, Los Angeles has yet to officially call off any of its New Year’s Eve events, as reported by The Mirror US.
However, other locations are not taking any chances with their events.
Australia’s current National Terrorism Threat Level stands at probable, with warnings that a small number of individuals both within Australia and abroad harbour intentions to harm the country, according to The Express.
In the wake of an assault on members of the Jewish community at Bondi Beach earlier this month, which resulted in 15 fatalities and left 40 others injured, Sydney, Australia’s largest city, has decided to cancel its famed fireworks display at the popular beach. This spectacle typically draws crowds exceeding 15,000 people – the world-famous display by Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House will be going ahead as planned.
A couple hold one another as they stand in silence at the flower memorial beside Bondi Pavilion(Image: Getty Images)
“Due to the current situation on the ground, Waverley Council has decided to cancel New Year’s Eve events at Bondi Beach, including elrow XXL Bondi and Local’s Lawn,” representatives from Waverley Council informed Sky News.
Officials stated the choice was taken with “compassion and care for Sydney’s Jewish community”.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns indicated that members of the Jewish community continue to face safety concerns owing to the persistent threat of antisemitism.
Paris music event cancelled.
The French capital’s renowned musical celebration along the Champs-Elysées has been called off following police concerns, according to Parisian publication sortiraparis.
Authorities pressed Mayor Anne Hidalgo to axe the concert, which typically draws tens of thousands, citing worries about potential crushing incidents from the substantial crowds.
The capital’s principal fireworks spectacle will proceed as planned despite the musical event’s cancellation.
Tokyo countdown cancelled.
The Japanese capital has been compelled to scrap one of its most significant New Year’s celebrations, abandoning the countdown outside the city’s landmark Shibuya Station over concerns regarding potential stampedes from the thousands expected to attend.
Reports indicate that Shibuya Mayor Ken Hasebe additionally cancelled the gathering due to apprehensions surrounding public alcohol consumption.
AloJapan.com