Organizers of the two-kilometre-long celebration in front of the German capital’s icon Brandenburg Gate said they had broken the million mark of revelers. Entrances to the party zone in Berlin’s centre were closed hours before the turn of the year due to the huge turnout.
Drawn by a 15-minute fireworks display with more than 6,000 rockets at midnight, visitors also came to see an international lineup of musical acts including The Pet Shop Boys. The large crowd also hopped to the horsey dance made famous by 2012’s suprise South Korean pop hit “Gangnam Style.”
The police said the gathering remained largely peaceful without major incidents.
Across Germany, revelers gathered to say goodbye to the old year and hello to the new one. From Cologne to Munich, hundreds of thousands watched the sky light up at midnight over the country.
Germans spent an estimated €115 million on fireworks, according to the Der Tagesspiegel newspaper.
DAPD/The Local/mry
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