New Year's Eve celebrations scaled back, scrapped amid pandemic

New Year's Eve Ball in Times Square
(Image credit: Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)

The world is ready to finally bid adieu to 2020 on a very different-looking New Year's Eve.

New Year's Eve celebrations have been largely scaled back or scrapped this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Numerous public fireworks celebrations were canceled, including in Hong Kong, Melbourne, and at the River Thames in London, NBC News reports. Various countries have implemented lockdown measures, and the sale of fireworks was also banned in Germany.

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.