Public safety concerns lead to cancellation of major New Year's Eve events: What to know

As people around the world look forward to ringing in 2026, some major cities have already called off celebrations or special events.

The mayor of the 8th Arrondissement of Paris, Jeanne d'Hauteserre, told Agence France Press that the cancellation is due to concerns about "unpredictable crowds" and that the areas "are not sized to host this type of event where people are moving."

Fireworks will still take place at the Arc de Triomphe. Instead of a live concert, however, a pre-recorded one will be broadcast.

In Tokyo, the Shibuya Countdown Event has been canceled by the organizing committee, according to a government press release.

"In order to create a safe and secure city, we continue to be vigilant against nuisance behavior arising from drinking on the street, as well as the risk of crowd accidents," wrote Ken Hasebe, Shibuya Ward mayor, in the release.

The city of Belgrade in Serbia also announced that it's canceled its celebrations. "This year there will be no organized New Year's Eve nor Serbian New Year's Eve celebration," wrote Mayor Aleksandar Šapić in a press release.

"New Year's Eve is sort of the Super Bowl for the NYPD … You have to do everything you can to control that, not only for [terror] threats, but just for disorder," said Mauro. 

"You want to ensure that there aren't people throwing bottles at each other and fighting, or somebody lets off firecrackers, or there's a stampede."

There is a ton of work that goes on behind the scenes in Times Square to secure the area, said Mauro.

He referenced planning "for weeks, if not months," for New Year's Eve just ahead of the year 2000. "You wouldn't believe how many windows and rooms were secured by the NYPD, federal agencies and state agencies to make sure that there was a ring around Times Square," he said.

Mauro said today's celebrations have gotten a lot more sophisticated.

For those who plan on being in Times Square on New Year's Eve, Mauro said it's essential to have a contingency plan.

"Celebrating in New York's Times Square is the quintessential way to ring in the New Year, but there are many people who never experience this because they don't want to spend the holiday packed shoulder-to-shoulder with a million other people," said Sparks.

"The popularity of these experiences has increased since 2020, when people still wanted a memorable evening, just not surrounded by a lot of other people," said Sparks. 

"These include members-only clubs, high-end ticketed New Year's Eve celebrations and ultra-private events." 

Dec. 14, 2025: Bondi Beach, Sydney: An ISIS-inspired terror attack left 15 dead and dozens injured during a Hanukkah event in Sydney, Australia. 

Ashley Carnahan of Fox News Digital, as well as other Fox News staff, contributed reporting.