Officially recognized by Guinness World Records as the largest New Year’s Eve celebration in the world, the party in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, brought together 2.6 million people. The figure surpassed that of the transition to 2025, when the event attracted 2.5 million residents and tourists. When combined with celebrations at other venues organized by the municipality, the total reached 5.1 million people who welcomed the arrival of 2026. In all, 13 stages were set up across the city. The estimates were provided by Rio’s municipal authorities.

The highlight of the celebration was the historic fireworks display in Copacabana, which used 19 barges distributed along the coastline - almost double the number used the previous year - and lit up the city’s sky for 12 minutes. According to the city administration, it was the largest ever held in Rio.

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• Guinness recognizes Rio’s New Year’s Eve as world’s largest.

In Copacabana, the audience was enchanted after midnight by a show that used 1,200 drones, considered the largest such presentation at a large-scale event in Latin America.

Everything unfolded to the sound of DJ Alok, while drones formed images in the sky honoring the city - such as Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf Mountain - synchronized with the fireworks display. One striking moment was the projection of a human face that interacted with the audience through messages displayed in the air.