NEW YEARS EVE 2020 CELEBRATIONS AROUND THE WORLD

(All photo are screen shots from NBC's video below)

Here is a brief sampling of New Years Eve celebrations around the world as showcased by NBC.  

COVID-19 concerns changed how many places handled celebrations this year and some places cancelled them entirely, but some of the ones that did had specatular displays (see short video by NBC at bottom of post).

We watched the ball drop in New York on television and there were some first responders and medical professionals allowed distanced in areas on the street, but for the most part, it was eerily empty when then zoomed out to show the empty streets nearby. 

Pyongyang, North Korea

Athens, Greece

Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

Berlin, Germany

Dubai, UAE

Bangkok, Thailand

Taipei, Taiwan

And a few other major cities cancelled due to restrictions:

• Hong Kong
• Paris, France
  
• London, England

How did you celebrate New Year's Eve this year?

Hong Kong

 

VIRTUAL TIMES SQUARE ON NEW YEAR'S EVE

You Can Explore Times Square (Virtually) on New Year's Eve https://t.co/0nI64OyAT0

— Kathryn Sprowl (@KMOM14) December 31, 2020

On Newsy.com it reported that due to social distancing/COVID for there first time in 113 years there will not be the standard celebration in Times Square in New York.

Instead, the area will be blocked off and closed to the public and there will be a live ball drop and celebrity performances and there is an official virtual Times Square so you can visit virtually.

The article indicates:

"Justis Kao, chief communications officer at Loop: "You'll see other people running around. You can wave to them. There's a lot of sponsors involved, so there's a lot of digital billboards, built-in teleportation into the different lounges. … We were fortunate enough to be able to partner with a great company, Ultimate Gamer and Jamestown Productions — which puts on, traditionally, the ball drop — and be part of the first virtual experience."