AP PICTURES: Then-and-now images show the contrast on New Years Eve
There were countdowns and live performances, but New Year’s Eve celebrations around the world looked radically different this year, as large crowds stayed away from traditional party venues like Times Square in New York City and the Champs Elysees in Paris.
The coronavirus that changed so much in 2020 led to cancellations of most fireworks shows and public events in favor of TV-only moments in cities around the world.
The Associated Press captured then-and-now images of some of these popular locations around the world to illustrate the striking contrast between overcrowded, jubilant crowds in previous years and quiet, empty streets towards 2021.
In South Korea, Seoul City Council canceled the annual New Year’s Eve bells ceremony in Jongno Ward for the first time since the event in 1953, months after the end of the Korean War.
And in Tokyo, the Maiji Jingu Shinto shrine, which traditionally attracts millions of people every year during New Year’s holidays, closed its doors on New Year’s Eve for the first time in 74 years.