Watch New Year’s 2011 Celebrations Begin Around The World

The fireworks lit up the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House as Aussies celebrated New Year’s Eve Down Under. An estimated 1.5 million people gathered along Sydney Harbour and in luxury yachts to catch the show–one of the world’s most stunning fireworks displays. The party attracts an estimated billion viewers around the world–as Sydney’s one of the first big cities in the world to hit midnight.

Australia–with balmy weather and clear skies–boasts a laid back New Year’s Eve style (yep, they throw shrimp on the proverbial barbie) but Sydney police were not taking any chances given the massive crowds, putting more than 2,600 officers on the streets to keep things safe and sound.

Watch the Aussie fireworks here, from PBS:

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