The peaceful islands of Tonga, Samoa and Kiribati welcomed the first year and the new decade. Shortly thereafter, 2020 knocked on Australia.

As the tradition demands, at midnight, the spectacle of world-famous fireworks exploded in the sky as it is considered one of the most fantastic. However, Australia has been overwhelmed by fires that are not being controlled and as a result, many people thought that bypassing the fireworks display would have been a better choice. The City of Sydney had to obtain a permit to be exempt from the prohibition of lighting any fire intended to illuminate the sky with pyrotechnic display.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he supports the decision and that the fireworks highlight the strength of the country.

Other supporters recalled that fireworks bring a lot of profits to the Australian economy, but thousands more disagree. In Australia, there are fires every year, but the situation has never been as alarming as in 2019. More than 275,000 people signed a petition for the cancellation of the fireworks display as Sydney no longer needs smoke in the air.

The petition required that the budget allocated to the fireworks be used to service firefighters who have been battling for weeks with unmanaged blazes that have destroyed over a thousand homes, forests and koala habitat.

However, the show was held. Find photos below.