(AP) — There were countdowns and live performances, but New Year’s Eve celebrations across the globe looked radically different this year as large crowds stayed away from traditional party spots like New York City’s Times Square and the Champs Elysees in Paris.
The coronavirus that changed so much in 2020 led to cancellations of most fireworks displays and public events in favor of made-for-TV-only moments in cities around the world.
In this combo of images, a few people, on the top image, stand in the plaza in front of the Ottoman-era Mecidiye mosque in Ortakoy square under the “July 15th Martyrs’ bridge, formerly known as Bosporus Bridge, over the Bosporus Strait, separating Europe and Asia, in Istanbul, late Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020, where in the bottom image people celebrate the new year at the same spot, early Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. As the world says goodbye to 2020, there will be countdowns and live performances, but no massed jubilant crowds in traditional gathering spots like the Champs Elysees in Paris and New York City’s Times Square this New Year’s Eve. The virus that ruined 2020 has led to cancelations of most fireworks displays and public events in favor of made-for-TV-only moments in party spots like London and Rio de Janeiro. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) 
In this combo of image which shows at top, an ambulance and press photographers waiting on the otherwise empty street opposite the London Eye Ferris wheel in London, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020, and in the bottom photo taken in the same place, people waiting to take photos of fireworks over the London Eye Ferris wheel, as midnight approaches, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019 .(AP Photo/Matt Dunham) 
A combo of images that shows an empty historic center in Brussels on Thursday Dec. 31, 2020 and the same location full of revelers celebrating the New Year early on Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017. As the world says goodbye to 2020, there will be countdowns and live performances, but no massed jubilant crowds in traditional gathering spots like the Champs Elysees in Paris and New York City’s Times Square this New Year’s Eve. The virus that ruined 2020 has led to cancelations of most fireworks displays and public events in favor of made-for-TV-only moments in party spots like London and Rio de Janeiro. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco and Geert Vanden Wijngaert) 
A combo image showing a general view of the Champs Elysees avenue in Paris very early on New Year’s Day Friday, Jan. 1, 2021, and the bottom one the same location packed with revelers early on Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2020. As the world says goodbye to 2020, there will be countdowns and live performances, but no massed jubilant crowds in traditional gathering spots like the Champs Elysees in Paris and New York City’s Times Square this New Year’s Eve. The virus that ruined 2020 has led to cancelations of most fireworks displays and public events in favor of made-for-TV-only moments in party spots like London and Rio de Janeiro. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, Christophe Ena) 
This combo of images shows at top, a few people walking along Nevsky prospect, central avenue, during New Year celebration in downtown St. Petersburg, Russia, Friday, Jan. 1, 2021, and below, a file photo of the same location packed with people on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. As the world says goodbye to 2020, there will be countdowns and live performances, but no massed jubilant crowds in traditional gathering spots like the Champs Elysees in Paris and New York City’s Times Square this New Year’s Eve. The virus that ruined 2020 has led to cancelations of most fireworks displays and public events in favor of made-for-TV-only moments in party spots like London and Rio de Janeiro. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky) 
This combination image of photos shows people, top, on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020, visiting to pray at Sensoji temple in Tokyo a few hours before New Year and the same location, bottom, filled with people waiting in line to pray on Jan. 1 last year. As the world says goodbye to 2020, there will be countdowns and live performances, but no massed jubilant crowds in traditional gathering spots like the Champs Elysees in Paris and New York City’s Times Square this New Year’s Eve. The virus that ruined 2020 has led to cancelations of most fireworks displays and public events in favor of made-for-TV-only moments in party spots like London and Rio de Janeiro. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, Hiro Komae) 
A combo of images shows an almost empty Times Square, top, in the early hours of Friday, Jan. 1, 2021 in New York and the same location taken on Jan. 1, 2020 packed with revelers celebrating the New Year. As the world says goodbye to 2020, there will be countdowns and live performances, but no massed jubilant crowds in traditional gathering spots like the Champs Elysees in Paris and New York City’s Times Square this New Year’s Eve. The virus that ruined 2020 has led to cancelations of most fireworks displays and public events in favor of made-for-TV-only moments in party spots like London and Rio de Janeiro. (AP Photo/Craig Rutte, Ben Hider) 
A combo of images shows a couple kissing, top, as they celebrate New Year’s Eve along the Las Vegas Strip late on Thursday, Dec 31, 2020, in Las Vegas and bottom, revelers celebrate during a New Year’s party in downtown Las Vegas in the first moments on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. As the world says goodbye to 2020, there will be countdowns and live performances, but no massed jubilant crowds in traditional gathering spots like the Champs Elysees in Paris and New York City’s Times Square this New Year’s Eve. The virus that ruined 2020 has led to cancelations of most fireworks displays and public events in favor of made-for-TV-only moments in party spots like London and Rio de Janeiro. (AP Photo/David Becker and Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP) 
A combo of images shows fireworks in the first minutes of the New Year on Jan. 1, 2020, bottom, and an image taken from the same location in Dresden, Germany early on Jan. 1, 2021 without fireworks. As the world says goodbye to 2020, there will be countdowns and live performances, but no massed jubilant crowds in traditional gathering spots like the Champs Elysees in Paris and New York City’s Times Square this New Year’s Eve. The virus that ruined 2020 has led to cancelations of most fireworks displays and public events in favor of made-for-TV-only moments in party spots like London and Rio de Janeiro. (Sebastian Kahnert/DPA via AP) 
An image combo showing Fireworks exploding over the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge during New Year celebrations in Sydney, Australia, the top photo taken on Friday, Jan. 1, 2021 and the bottom one on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015. From a distance things looked the same, but one million people would usually crowd the Sydney Harbor to watch the annual fireworks that center on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. But this year authorities advised revelers to watch the fireworks on television as the two most populous states, New South Wales and Victoria battle to curb new COVID-19 outbreaks. (AP Photo/Mark Baker, Rob Griffith) 
This combo image shows Hotel Indonesia Roundabout in Jakarta, a popular spot for New Year’s Eve celebration, taken on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020, top photo, and Saturday, Dec. 31, 2016, bottom photo. As the world says goodbye to 2020, there will be countdowns and live performances, but no massed jubilant crowds in traditional gathering spots like the Champs Elysees in Paris and New York City’s Times Square this New Year’s Eve. The virus that ruined 2020 has led to cancelations of most fireworks displays and public events in favor of made-for-TV-only moments in party spots like London and Rio de Janeiro. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara, Tatan Syuflana) 
This combo image shows the Hotel Indonesia Roundabout in Jakarta, a popular spot for New Year’s Eve celebration, taken on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020, top photo, and Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, bottom photo. As the world says goodbye to 2020, there will be countdowns and live performances, but no massed jubilant crowds in traditional gathering spots like the Champs Elysees in Paris and New York City’s Times Square this New Year’s Eve. The virus that ruined 2020 has led to cancelations of most fireworks displays and public events in favor of made-for-TV-only moments in party spots like London and Rio de Janeiro. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara, Tatan Syuflana) 
A combo image showing Bosingak pavilion where the place for the annual New Year’s Eve bell-ringing ceremony, the top photo taken on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020 and the bottom one on Friday, Jan. 1, 2018. In South Korea, Seoul’s city government canceled its annual New Year’s Eve bell-ringing ceremony in the Jongno neighborhood for the first time since the event was first held in 1953, months after the end of the Korean War. The ceremony, in which citizens ring a large bell in a traditional pavilion when the clock strikes midnight, normally draws an estimated 100,000 people and is broadcast live. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, Ahn Young-joon) 
A combo image showing a general view of the Victoria Harbor at the New Year’s Eve of year 2021 in Hong Kong, the top photo taken on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020, and the bottom one on Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019, fireworks explode over the Victoria Harbor during New Year’s Eve to celebrate the start of year 2019 in Hong Kong. As the world says goodbye to 2020, there will be countdowns and live performances, but no massed jubilant crowds in traditional gathering spots like the Champs Elysees in Paris and New York City’s Times Square this New Year’s Eve. The virus that ruined 2020 has led to cancelations of most fireworks displays and public events in favor of made-for-TV-only moments in party spots like London and Rio de Janeiro. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) 
This combo image shows at top, police direct visitors around Shibuya crossing, a popular location for New Year’s Eve gathering, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020, in Tokyo, and below, people gather to welcome the arrival of the New Year at the crossing in Tokyo Jan. 1, 2020. Tokyo’s downtown Shibuya district has canceled its annual countdown event at a popular “scramble Intersection” area outside of its main train station, and a “countdown vision” screen will be turned off at 11 p.m. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato and Shohei Miyano/Kyodo News via AP, File) . 
This combination image shows at top, a group of visitors take selfies in front of Maiji Jingu Shinto Shrine Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020, in Tokyo, after learning that the shrine which attracts millions of people every year during New Year holidays and is usually open all night on New Year’s Eve was closed its doors at 4 p.m. on Dec. 31 this year, and below, a Jan. 1, 2020 file photo showing people celebrating the arrival of the year 2020 while waiting for their turn to offer prayers at the Shinto shrine in Tokyo. This was the first time the popular shrine closed its door on New Year’s Eve night in 74 years. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato) 
This combo image shows Colle Oppio hill overlooking Rome’s Colosseum, a popular spot for New Year’s Eve celebrations, as seen in the first minutes of Friday, Jan. 1, 2021, top photo, and Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2018, bottom photo. As the world says goodbye to 2020, there will be countdowns and live performances, but no massed jubilant crowds in traditional gathering spots like the Champs Elysees in Paris and New York City’s Times Square this New Year’s Eve. The virus that ruined 2020 has led to cancelations of most fireworks displays and public events in favor of made-for-TV-only moments in party spots like London and Rio de Janeiro (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini) 
This combo of two photos shows an empty Copacabana Beach amid the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020, top, contrasted with one year prior, on Jan. 1, 2020, when a crowd watched fireworks on New Year’s at the same location. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado) 
This combo image shows at top that in stark contrast to previous years only a few people braved chilly temperatures to take the traditional New Year’s dip in the North Sea, in Scheveningen, on Friday, Jan. 1, 2021, and below, a file photo taken from the same angle as hundreds of people ran into the sea during New Year’s celebrations in 2012. Coronavirus restrictions canceled celebrations and gatherings throughout The Netherlands. As the world said goodbye to 2020, a year ruined by the coronavirus, there were countdowns and live performances, but no massed jubilant crowds in traditional gathering spots. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong) 
This combo image shows at top fireworks exploding over the Kremlin and the Spasskaya Tower in an almost empty Red Square during New Year’s celebrations in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020 and below, a file photo taken from the same angle during New Year’s celebrations on Dec. 31, 2019. As the world says goodbye to 2020, there will be countdowns and live performances, but no massed jubilant crowds in traditional gathering spots like the Champs Elysees in Paris and New York City’s Times Square this New Year’s Eve. The virus that ruined 2020 has led to cancelations of most fireworks displays and public events in favor of made-for-TV-only moments in party spots like London and Rio de Janeiro. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, Denis Tyrin) 
This combo image shows at top fireworks exploding over the Kremlin and the Spasskaya Tower with St. Basil’s Cathedral at left in an almost empty Red Square during New Year’s celebrations in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020 and below, a file photo taken from the same angle during New Year’s celebrations on Dec. 31, 2019. As the world says goodbye to 2020, there will be countdowns and live performances, but no massed jubilant crowds in traditional gathering spots like the Champs Elysees in Paris and New York City’s Times Square this New Year’s Eve. The virus that ruined 2020 has led to cancelations of most fireworks displays and public events in favor of made-for-TV-only moments in party spots like London and Rio de Janeiro. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, Denis Tyrin)
The Associated Press captured then-and-now images of some of these popular locations around the globe to illustrate the striking contrast between packed, jubilant crowds in previous years and quiet, empty streets heading into 2021.
In South Korea, Seoul’s city government canceled its annual New Year’s Eve bell-ringing ceremony in the Jongno neighborhood for the first time since the event was first held in 1953, months after the end of the Korean War.
And in Tokyo, the Maiji Jingu Shinto shrine, which traditionally attracts millions of people every year during New Year holidays, closed its doors on New Year’s Eve night for the first time in 74 years.
