The Hong Kong New Year Countdown will Take Place at the Chater Road Pedestrian Precinct in Central Soon!

2025-12-24 10:10 Last Updated At：10:13

The Hong Kong Tourism Board has announced that this year's Hong Kong New Year Countdown will take place at the Chater Road Pedestrian Precinct in Central, with a brand-new format that combines live performances by singers and captivating light shows, sharing positive energy and heartfelt blessings.

Starting from 11:30 p.m. on December 31, the countdown will last until 00:10 a.m. on January 1, 2026. At the site, featured performers include local artists Jay Fung and Cloud Wan, as well as the internationally acclaimed group Air Supply, who will deliver a special performance of their timeless classic hits. The event will also feature a children’s choir and the Hong Kong Police Band, setting the stage for the countdown moment.

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The upcoming 2026 Hong Kong New Year Countdown, Photo source: The Hong Kong Tourism Board

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The upcoming 2026 Hong Kong New Year Countdown, Photo source: The Hong Kong Tourism Board

Additionally, the walls of eight iconic buildings participating in the Immersive Light Show in Central will feature light projections of a giant countdown clock and seasonal patterns. Then, a three-minute light performance themed 'New Hope, New Beginnings' will unfold, sending blessings to on-site and global audiences as we collectively welcome the new year.

The event will be broadcast live across multiple media platforms, allowing global audiences to join in the countdown to share positive energy and goodwill with both residents and visitors as they usher in 2026.

Government waives part of a Biden-era fine against Southwest Airlines

The U.S. Department of Transportation is waiving part of a fine assessed against Southwest Airlines after the company canceled thousands of flights during a winter storm in 2022.

Under a 2023 settlement reached by the Biden administration, Southwest agreed to a $140 million civil penalty. The government said at the time that the penalty was the largest it had ever imposed on an airline for violating consumer protection laws.

Most of the money went toward compensation for travelers. But Southwest agreed to pay $35 million to the U.S. Treasury. Southwest made a $12 million payment in 2024 and a second $12 million payment earlier this year. But the Transportation Department issued an order Friday waiving the final $11 million payment, which was due Jan. 31, 2026.

The department said Southwest should get credit for significantly improving its on-time performance and investing in network operations.

“DOT believes that this approach is in the public interest as it incentivizes airlines to invest in improving their operations and resiliency, which benefits consumers directly,” the department said in a statement. “This credit structure allows for the benefits of the airline’s investment to be realized by the public, rather than resulting in a government monetary penalty.”

The fine stemmed from a winter storm in December 2022 that paralyzed Southwest's operations in Denver and Chicago and then snowballed when a crew-rescheduling system couldn’t keep up with the chaos. Ultimately the airline canceled 17,000 flights and stranded more than 2 million travelers.

The Biden administration determined that Southwest had violated the law by failing to help customers who were stranded in airports and hotels, leaving many of them to scramble for other flights. Many who called the airline’s overwhelmed customer service center got busy signals or were stuck on hold for hours.

Even before the settlement, the nation’s fourth-biggest airline by revenue said the meltdown cost it more than $1.1 billion in refunds and reimbursements, extra costs and lost ticket sales over several months.

In a statement, Southwest said it was grateful to the Department of Transportation and Secretary Sean Duffy for recognizing the investments it has made to modernize its operations.

“During the last two years, Southwest successfully completed an operational turnaround that directly benefits our customers with industry leading on-time performance and percentage of completed flights without cancellations,” the company said.

The Hong Kong New Year Countdown will Take Place at the Chater Road Pedestrian Precinct in Central Soon!

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