HONG KONG – In a city accustomed to vibrant fireworks lighting up the sky as the clock strikes midnight, Hong Kong will mark the arrival of 2026 in a noticeably quieter manner. The iconic New Year fireworks display over Victoria Harbor has been canceled following a devastating fire in November that claimed at least 161 lives.

Instead of the traditional pyrotechnics, the Hong Kong Tourism Board will host a musical extravaganza on Wednesday night. The highlight will be a performance by the soft rock duo Air Supply, alongside other artists, in the bustling business district of Central, known for its lively nightlife scene, Lan Kwai Fong. As the countdown to the New Year unfolds, the facades of eight prominent landmarks will transform into large, illuminated clocks, culminating in a spectacular three-minute light show at the stroke of midnight.

Fireworks have long been synonymous with Hong Kong’s major celebrations, including the New Year, Lunar New Year, and National Day. The dazzling displays, set against the backdrop of the city’s renowned skyline, typically attract massive crowds of locals and tourists to the harbor’s promenades.

Recognizing the impact of the absence of fireworks, Rosanna Law, Hong Kong’s Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, expressed concerns that this change might affect businesses in the hospitality sector, particularly hotels and restaurants.

The decision to cancel the fireworks follows the city’s deadliest fire since 1948, which occurred in Wang Fuk Court, located in the northern suburban district of Tai Po. The blaze erupted amidst an extensive renovation project that left the complex shrouded in bamboo scaffolding and green netting, contributing to the tragedy.

The financial hub’s worst blaze since 1948 broke out at Wang Fuk Court, in the northern suburban district of Tai Po, in late November. The apartment complex was undergoing a monthslong renovation project with buildings covered by bamboo scaffolding and green netting.

Authorities have pointed to the substandard netting and foam boards installed on windows as contributing factors in the fire’s rapid spread. Thousands of affected residents have moved to transitional homes, hotels and youth hostels, struggling to recover from the loss of lives and homes that took them years to buy. The casualties pained many residents across the city.

Past tragedies in Hong Kong have forced similar cancellations of fireworks. They include the 2013 National Day festivities following a vessel collision that killed 39 people on Oct. 1, 2012, and the 2018 Lunar New Year celebration after a bus crash that left 19 dead. During the 2019 anti-government protests and the COVID-19 pandemic, multiple displays also were scrapped.

The origin of fireworks is believed to date to China in the second century B.C., when someone discovered bamboo stalks exploded with loud bangs when thrown into fire, creating the first natural “firecrackers,” according to the American Pyrotechnics Association, a U.S. trade group.

The Guinness World Records organization says the first accurately documented firework, the Chinese firecracker, was created by Li Tian, a monk from China’s Tang dynasty dating to around 618 to 907 C.E. Li discovered that putting gunpowder in enclosed hollow bamboo stems created loud explosions and bound crackers together to create the traditional New Year firecrackers to drive out evil spirits, Guinness said.