20 Major Events Around the World Happening Before 2027

Since 1907, crowds have gathered at One Times Square to watch the illuminated time ball descend sixty seconds before midnight. A ton of confetti showers Broadway as a million voices sing Auld Lang Syne to start 2027.

As one of the first major world cities to welcome the new year, Sydney launches over eight tons of pyrotechnics from the Harbour Bridge, Opera House, and offshore barges. Over one million revelers crowd waterfront parks.

From Madrid's Puerta del Sol where crowds swallow twelve lucky grapes to illuminated fireworks along the Las Vegas Strip, people gather at midnight to farewell 2026 and welcome 2027 with music and toasts.

Created by activist Maulana Karenga in 1966, Kwanzaa runs from December 26 through January 1. Families gather around the seven-branch kinara to discuss values such as self-determination, collective responsibility, and faith.

Named for the historical practice of wealthy households giving gift boxes to servants on December 26, the holiday now anchors British culture. Fans pack stadiums for Premier League football derbies while shoppers hunt year-end bargains.

Observed on December 25 by billions, the holiday blends Christian celebration of the Nativity with winter traditions like gift-giving and festive roast dinners. Living rooms fill with wrapped boxes and Christmas morning meals.

Cultures across Europe and Latin America place their main holiday feast on December 24, including the Italian Feast of the Seven Fishes and Polish Wigilia. Worshippers gather for midnight candlelit services while children await morning stockings.

Around December 21, the Earth's axial tilt turns the Northern Hemisphere furthest from the sun. Crowds gather at Stonehenge in England and Newgrange in Ireland to watch dawn sunlight align with prehistoric megalithic passages.

President Calvin Coolidge lit the first 48-foot national fir in 1923 before thousands of spectators. Modern ceremonies feature military band performances, guest vocalists, and small trees representing American states and territories.

Workers first pooled money to buy a Christmas tree on the construction site in 1931 during the Great Depression. Today, an 80-foot Norway spruce adorned with five miles of wire lights up above the skating rink in late November.

Rooted in late-medieval German speaking regions, markets such as Nuremberg's Christkindlesmarkt open every Advent season. Shoppers stroll wooden stalls sipping hot spiced cider and buying handmade wooden nutcrackers beneath historic cathedrals.

Created in New York in 2012 as a charitable counterweight to holiday retail sales, this day mobilizes online gifts for nonprofits. Millions of contributors fund shelter programs, medical research, and neighborhood pantries every December.

Established by the World Health Organization in 1988, December 1 unites health advocates worldwide. People wear red ribbons to raise prevention awareness, honor victims, and support research toward ending HIV transmission.

Celebrated every November 30, the feast honors Scotland's patron saint with ceilidh dancing, pipe bands, and traditional poetry readings. The Scottish Parliament made the date an official public bank holiday in 2006.

Originating in Philadelphia during the 1960s to describe post-Thanksgiving retail foot traffic, the shopping day expanded into an international event. Retailers worldwide roll out seasonal discounts across electronics, clothing, and home goods.

What began in 2005 as an open-air funfair now spans central London with outdoor skating rinks, German craft chalets, and circus performances. Millions of visitors walk through illuminated light tunnels before Christmas arrive.

Originating in 1980 as a regional mountaineering film contest, the event brings thousands of adventurers to the Brewery Arts Centre each November. Premieres, equipment showcases, and high-altitude expedition talks celebrate wilderness exploration.

Founded in 1992 out of the earlier Camden Jazz Week, the festival fills concert halls, church crypts, and neighborhood clubs across London. International legends and emerging instrumentalists perform alongside large public workshops each autumn.

Produced by debris trails left by comet Tempel-Tuttle, the Leonids streak through Earth's upper atmosphere at 71 kilometers per second. Stargazers watch rural horizons every November for bright green trails and occasional historic storm rates.

Since launching as a dedicated telethon in 1980, the appeal has collected over one billion pounds across the United Kingdom. Viewers tune in for comedy sketches, celebrity performances, and school fundraising feats organized around Pudsey Bear.