New Year's Eve 2017: Celebrations across the world in pictures

From torchlight processions to watching aerobic plane shows, revellers on all sides of the globe are getting together to celebrate the turn of the new year

Edinburgh's Hogmanay festival opened with an iconic torchlight procession which also marked the start of Scotland's Year of Young People (REUTERS/David Gray)

As the turn of 2018 approaches, celebrations are getting underway across the world to welcome in the new year.

Be it in sunny Sydney or wintry Edinburgh, revellers on all sides of the globe are getting together to celebrate before – and after – the clock strikes midnight.

From aerobatic planes to torchlight processions, here's what has been happening so far.

Sydney, Australia

Crowd's await the fireworks on New Year's Eve on Sydney Harbour, with the summer sun above them.

With temperatures still hitting around 22 degrees at 8pm, Sydney is in for a warm night of late-night partying that will likely see way into 2018.

Brett Hemmings/Getty (Brett Hemmings/Getty)

During the afternoon of New Year's Eve, aerobatic planes flew over the Sydney Harbour Bridge as part of the annual end-of-year celebrations on the harbour.

Reuters (REUTERS/David Gray)

Throughout the afternoon, spectators waited with elation for the annual new year fireworks, many wearing bold foam headgear.

(Reuters (Reuters)

Edinburgh, Scotland

Edinburgh's Hogmanay festival opened with an iconic torchlight procession which also marked the start of Scotland's Year of Young People.

Around 20,000 people, including 17,000 torchbearers, took part in the procession down the Royal Mile, past Holyrood Palace and the Scottish Parliament, with torchbearers spelling out "braw".

Ian Rutherford/Hogmanay Festival/PA (Ian Rutherford/Hogmanay Festival/PA)

Thirty Vikings from Shetland's Up Helly Aa Festival were among those taking part, along with young people performing with the massed pipes and drums and people samba drumming.

PA (PA)

The annual Hogmanay celebration was originally an informal street party focused on the Tron Kirk in the High Street of the Old Town. Since 1993, it has been officially organised with the focus moved to Princes Street.

PA (David Cheskin/PA)

The celebration now covers four days of processions, concerts and fireworks, with the street party beginning on Hogmanay. An estimated 25,000 people watched the procession this year.

Ian Georgeson/The Corner Shop/PA Wire (Ian Georgeson/The Corner Shop/PA Wire)

Madrid, Spain

People gather at Puerta del Sol during the “Preuvas”, a test for New Year's Eve celebrations, in Madrid the night before New Year's Eve.

Victor Lerena (Victor Lerena)

Twelve strokes sounded at midnight to imitate the same that would happen the following night when thousands of people will eat twelve grapes at the time of the bells sound to celebrate new year's arrival.

Victor Lerena (Victor Lerena)

This is in keeping with tradition. Every year tens of thousands of people pack into Madrid’s main plaza, Puerta del Sol, to ring in the New Year