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CNN Live Event/Special

The World Welcomes 2026. Aired 2-2:30p ET

Aired December 31, 2025 - 14:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:00:30]

BECKY ANDERSON, MANAGING EDITOR, CNN ABU DHABI & ANCHOR: What?

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: All right, welcome back to all of our viewers in the United States and all around the world. CNN is circling the globe to ring in 2026. I'm John Berman in Abu Dhabi.

We're just getting suited up, right? We're getting suited up?

ANDERSON: Yes.

BERMAN: Thank you.

ANDERSON: From me to you, John.

BERMAN: We are getting bedazzled here for this final hour before we ring in 2026 here in Abu Dhabi. We've got some amazing fireworks ahead.

ANDERSON: That's right. The party to usher in the New Year, of course, has begun elsewhere. This was the scene in Harbin in China where millions flocked to see what was a magical display of light. It's billed as the world's largest ice and snow sculpture festival, apparently, and crowds gathering across Singapore as well for the New Year countdown with fireworks and festive tea.

BERMAN: A similar display of lights and fireworks in Taipei. I was in Taipei just a month ago. Beautiful city, amazing sights there, and the party is just going on.

ANDERSON: It is, and we at CNN are stationed around the world.

Max Foster is in Edinburgh in Scotland. Julia Vargas-Jones is in Rio de Janeiro. Lynda Kinkade is in Nashville in Tennessee. How do you say that in the Nashville, Tennessee accent?

BERMAN: Lynda Kinkade, I'm sure, speaks perfect Nashville. I can tell just by looking at her. Did you know, because I speak Scottish. Hogmanay is the Scottish word for the last day of the year.

ANDERSON: It certainly is.

BERMAN: So Happy Hogmanay, right? ANDERSON: It's also the name of the festival to bring in the New Year in Edinburgh over the last 32 years. It's become one of the best New Year's outdoor festivals in the world, they tell us. Max Foster has been at what has, as I understand it, Max, been a multi-day party. I know you love a party. He joins us now from there. What have you been up to, mate?

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: I do not know how they do it. I do not know how they do it. They've been at it since Monday all night, all day, party after party, and finally we get to the big day, and they've still got a load of events organized for tomorrow as well.

It's a bit of a quiet moment, a calm before the storm. There's a big road behind Will, the cameraman. It's currently empty, but there will be 50,000 people there. And then we will have the firework display from the castle up behind me. The first firework display was in the 1500s. They own New Year here.

I'm pretty sure of saying that, I think. They have the longest party, it's been going on for the longest, and they own Auld Lang Syne. It was Robert Burns who sort of wrote it. We had a bit of a debate about this, didn't we? I'm joined by Rebecca from VisitScotland, because Robert Burns is attributed with Auld Lang Syne, but actually heard it in a pub, I was told, by your poet laureate.

But it is the soundtrack of New Year, right?

REBECCA EDSER, HEAD OF EVENTSCOTLAND, VISITSCOTLAND: Oh, absolutely. It's the soundtrack to New Year's around the world, and particularly here in Edinburgh and Scotland, and as we were discussing, the end of every good family wedding as well.

FOSTER: So John Berman, who has Scottish ancestry, thinks he knows the meaning of Hogmanay. I haven't found anyone that knows what the name actually means. It's a bit of a mystery, isn't it?

EDSER: Oh, I'm sure it just means a warm welcome and celebration.

FOSTER: It can be whatever you want it to be. OK, so we're going to have 50,000 people. The crowds are going to be pretty crazy later on. I have to warn everyone. I've seen people with axes and swords, Vikings coming down from Shetland, they've gone back. But it's not raining, crucially. It is bitterly cold, but that's good weather for New Year, right?

EDSER: Absolutely, and as they say, there's no such thing as bad weather, just poor clothing. So I think if you just come out wrapped up, you'll have a fantastic time here this evening.

FOSTER: Tell us what we're going to see at the castle behind me.

EDSER: I think at midnight, you'll see some spectacular fireworks that go off, and then the streets will erupt into Auld Lang Syne, as you say, and that's a really special moment for everyone who's visiting, but also for the locals here as well. FOSTER: It's interesting, because as I've been going around the streets, I've heard as many American accents, I think, as Scottish at points. It's a truly international event, isn't it? We saw a couple from Texas who were saying this has been their dream coming here, and now they want to come every year. It's built every year.

EDSER: Yeah, absolutely. It's been going for over 30 years. Over three million people have come here to celebrate Hogmanay with us, and it truly is one of the world's bucket list events now.

[14:05:00]

It's a four-day celebration. There's tradition, there's contemporary music, there's comedy, and it really is a must-do for anyone.

FOSTER: And it's really free. People -- I know you've got the barriers up. I'm sure you're very concerned about security, as every event organizer is. But actually, it's quite a free event, isn't it? And it flows along as well.

EDSER: Yeah, absolutely. We want to welcome, as you said, almost 50,000 people here.

FOSTER: Yeah.

EDSER: As well as 15,000 people who walked the streets of Edinburgh during our torchlight procession on the 29th. But tomorrow as well, the first, it's a really important day for the Scots, and there's a lot of free events all over the city taking place for visitors and locals alike.

FOSTER: And will you be giving someone a lump of coal on New Year's Day?

EDSER: Well, I'm actually hosting this year, but I have given my neighbors a lump of coal to bring --

FOSTER: You better explain that one. I was being a bit cryptic.

EDSER: So, first footing is a tradition here in Scotland whereby at midnight, your neighbors would come, knock on the door and bring a coal, and that would be then first footing. And our celebrations tomorrow are all called the first footing celebrations.

FOSTER: The pubs are basically all open, aren't they?

EDSER: Yeah, absolutely. The pubs will be open probably till two, three, if not later this morning, and absolutely full, which is fantastic.

FOSTER: They seem to turn to whisky whenever things get cold or a bit boring here. It hasn't been boring for a moment, but there's been a lot of whisky drunk. It keeps people very warm, as we know, Becky.

ANDERSON: Well, I hope you're keeping your cameramen and engineering staff warm there with a Wee Dram, as they say in Scotland. I've got Scottish accent.

BERMAN: I have to say, it's been a party in Scotland for like the last two months since you made the World Cup, since Scotland made the World Cup. This has been the best year ever for Scotland. It's the first time they made the World Cup in, what, how many years? And then the team did it in dramatic fashion.

The party hasn't stopped for a second since then, Max.

FOSTER: Absolutely. When was the last time Scotland won the football, or was in the football?

EDSER: I think that was when I was -- it was when I was a much younger person, so it was in the '90s. But we're thrilled to be going back over to America this year.

FOSTER: Yes. Straight to Boston, first of all I think.

EDSER: Straight to Boston. And as the Tartan Army would say, no Scotland, no party.

FOSTER: Yeah. Your loyalties are divided, John. If you've got your Scottish ancestry, you've got Team USA in the first match, don't know what you're going to do.

BERMAN: It's going to be a non-stop Hogmanay during the World Cup. I'm sure that's an appropriate use of the word, right?

ANDERSON: I love you, Max. It's that football. Clearly, it's not yours --

FOSTER: That football, isn't it?

ANDERSON: That football. They've been in that football.

FOSTER: Becky is the football person, isn't it?

ANDERSON: Yeah, exactly. And the Scot. Great having Scotland back in the World Cup. Absolutely. Can't wait to see that in 2026. Good luck to you tonight. It's less than one hour left until Abu Dhabi rings in the New Year. It's not anything like as cold as it is in Scotland. It is rather chilly, though, here in Abu Dhabi tonight. Unusually so.

BERMAN: We would take some of Max's whiskey. Just saying.

ANDERSON: Absolutely. We are ringing in the New Year, I won't say moments for now, but stick with us because it's at the top of this next hour.

BERMAN: And Lynda Kinkade is having a great time in Music City which, of course, is Nashville, Tennessee.

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR & CORRESPONDENT: Out of Nashville City, the countdown is on and the party is just getting started.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [14:12:40]

ANDERSON: Welcome back. We are gearing up to ring in the New Year here in Abu Dhabi. Festivals underway, a drone show happening. And in less than an hour, they're going to try to set the record for the longest fireworks show ever. Something you will not want to miss.

BERMAN: Yeah, not just the longest fireworks show ever, like the most of every possible different kind of fireworks that you can imagine.

ANDERSON: Absolutely.

BERMAN: Waterfall fireworks. I didn't even know there was such a thing. OK, now we've got a bit more star power to help our New Year's Eve celebrations. Let's go to CNN's Lynda Kinkade, who is in Nashville, Tennessee. Lynda?

KINKADE: Howdy, John and Becky. Great to be with you. I am, of course, in Music City as it is known around the world. The energy is building here. You can see the band starting to play. The crowds are rolling in. The celebration is just getting started. I want to send a special hello to everyone watching in Colorado. That is where actress Kate Hudson is spending the holidays, and she's in great company.

Her neighbor there is Neil Diamond. And this season, she's starring in a film alongside fellow Aussie, Hugh Jackman. The film is "Song Sung Blue." It's a story inspired by Neil Diamond music. It's about love. It's about second chances, dreaming big. And as we ring in the New Year, it feels like a perfect way to welcome in 2026.

Now, I caught up with Hugh and Kate in New York a short time ago. Here's a little bit of that interview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Congratulations --

KATE HUDSON, CLAIRE/THUNDER IN "SONG SUNG BLUE": Thank you.

KINKADE: -- on your nomination for the Golden Globe.

HUDSON: Thank you very much.

KINKADE: Why do you think this was a bit of a breakout for you in terms of showcasing all of your talents?

HUDSON: Well, I don't think these roles come around very often. There's musicals and there's, you know, dramatic stories and things like that. But this kind of walks this line of entertainment and drama and art.

And I loved when I saw you two just pop up at a bar and start singing.

HUGH JACKMAN, ACTOR: It was so great. We went down to Old Mate's, which is an Aussie bar.

HUDSON: Also, what a great bar.

[14:15:00]

JACKMAN: Yeah.

HUDSON: But it's literally like you step into Australia when you're there -- I mean, everyone's Australian.

KINKADE: Where do we turn up to for the next performance?

JACKMAN: Well, we're touring the world.

(LAUGH)

KINKADE: Over the holidays and looking forward to 2026. Wishes and hopes.

HUDSON: I'm going back to Neil Diamond's house.

(LAUGH)

HUDSON: I've decided I'm spending the holidays with the Diamonds.

JACKMAN: Goal is to get invited to Kate Hudson's for Christmas. That's the epic Christmas.

KINKADE: That would be goal. Her family, I just feel like you just want to hug them all.

JACKMAN: It's true.

HUDSON: Well, it depends on if we're playing games. If we're playing games, you won't want to hug us. We get really competitive. My mom leaves the room.

JACKMAN: There's a line in our movie, "dream huge." And I wish that for every single one of you for 2026.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Now that film is already winning over the critics. It's generating early awards buzz. And later tonight, we'll hear from Kate Hudson and Hugh Jackman performing one of Neil Diamond's iconic songs. Back here in Music City, I'll be joined by the one and only Chris Isaak along with John Carter Cash, the son of Johnny Cash and June Carter, music legends.

They'll be performing one of their hit songs here at Anzie Blue. And I'll also be hitting the dance floor for some boot scooting, John and Becky.

BERMAN: It looks so much fun there. I spent the last two -- I spent the last two-fourths of July in Nashville or Fourth of July's Independence Day in the United States of America. It is such a fun place for a big party and it's kind of always a big party there, right? ANDERSON: So, I've never been to Nashville. It looks amazing. Everybody I know who comes back puts on a Nashville accent. So, Lynda, you're not from Nashville, obviously. You're from Australia. But come on, give us your best shot.

KINKADE: Howdy from Nashville, Tennessee. I'll work on that.

BERMAN: I thought it was fantastic. You did a great job. Seven out of ten for that one.

(CROSSTALK)

ANDERSON: Lynda Kinkade celebrating New Year's with the stars in Nashville. Thank you, Lynda.

BERMAN: All right, we've got fireworks and fresh starts. When we return, how cities across Asia are ringing in 2026 or have rung in 2026, we should say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DA'VINE JOY RANDOLPH, ACTRESS, ETERNITY: Hi, my name is Da'Vine Joy Randolph and a Happy New Year to everyone. I hope you bring in to the New Year with joy, hope and prosperity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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[14:22:32]

ANDERSON: Welcome back to Yas Bay in Abu Dhabi. We're on the terrace here at The Hilton. And down below, you see the scenes, people moving around. So many people out here enjoying the restaurants, a walk. The fresh, I will call it, fresh breeze this evening as we get ready to usher in 2026.

It's busy down there. We've had fireworks earlier on this evening here for the youngsters and the families. Those went off at nine. And we are trucking towards midnight at this point.

BERMAN: Just a few minutes ago now, you can feel the excitement building here where it's almost 2026. Of course, it's already 2026 across much of Asia. And they've been partying for hours and hours and hours. So here are just some of the sights and sounds so far.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Happy New Year!

[Foreign Language]

BERMAN: Hong Kong ringing in the New Year in style. There was a spectacular show in Tokyo, which really brought in 2026 with a bang.

ANDERSON: Well, the skies of Seoul lit up with a burst of bright colors. Quiet a night in Bangkok as well, the New Year off to a rousing start. BERMAN: And an incredible show in Singapore where the festivities will keep on going well into 2026. On the subject of a party, let's go to Brazil, right, where there's always a party in Rio de Janeiro. That's where Julia Vargas Jones has been pulling a tough, tough hardship assignment.

(LAUGH)

BERMAN: Julia, what are you seeing now?

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Listen, I'm never going to complain if I'll be in Rio de Janeiro. Guys, this is a beach day today. It was supposed to storm. It was supposed to hail. There was some divine intervention, and the sun is shining, and people are on the beach.

We are in Copacabana. Behind me, all the way behind me, there will be those fireworks. There will be shows. There will be thousands, actually 2.5 million people expected to come to this beach to ring in the New Year together. It is such a special experience. And in part, it's because everybody is wearing white.

As you can see, I also did a little wardrobe change in the spirit of this tradition.

[14:25:00]

And what we learned in the few days, the past few days that we've been here, John and Becky, is that each color has a different meaning. And if you wear them, that color at midnight, when the year turns to 2026, your luck could be different, depending on what you want. Take a look.

SABRINA MIRANDA, SALESPERSON, FARM RIO: This one, the white means like peace, so it means like renovation for the next year. So when you finish one cycle, you can choose the white one to be prepared to the New Year. But you have more colors to use. For example, the blue one. The blue means like more calm, and especially it's the perfect match with the sky and the sea.

VARGAS JONES: What about green?

MIRANDA: The green one is really good because it means like the nature. So for us, the nature is so important, so it's a good color too.

If you are a passionate person or if you want to find love or if you are in a relationship --

VARGAS JONES: OK.

MIRANDA: You can use the red one. And if you want to, like we can say, like more money for the next year, you can choose the yellow one. It's a good option if you are manifesting a new job or a promotion job next year. It's a good color to use.

VARGAS JONES: That's amazing. So I should probably stick with yellow. MIRANDA: If you want to be together with these colors, you can choose a print like me, so you have all of these colors with you.

VARGAS JONES: Oh, so you can mix and match?

MIRANDA: Yes, I have the white one, I have the green, the red one together, so I mix all of these intentions for my next year.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VARGAS JONES: As you can see, guys, I decided to go with the classic look. We're looking for peace. We're looking for a calmer 2026 than 2025, and that's where we're already starting to see some people around here arriving in their white.

Now, my question for you guys is what are you wearing? What is your wish for 2026? We've got money, connection with nature, calm, passion. I want to hear from both of you.

ANDERSON: Well, John has green, blue, and orange beads. What are you wishing for, John, with those beads?

BERMAN: All of the above. I'm taking all of the above right there. I can't imagine there will be much calm, though.

(CROSSTALK)

ANDERSON: I am wearing silver. I look like a space rocket, so I don't know whether I'm going to have an explosive start to 2026. Talking about explosive moments, Julia, thank you. Julia Vargas Jones is on the beach.

BERMAN: Can I just say how amazing it is, by the way? I was just having this moment, this CNN moment, where we're here in Abu Dhabi with the skyline, the music, and we're talking to Julia Vargas Jones, who's literally on the Copa in Rio de Janeiro. It's just amazing to see.

ANDERSON: There's going to be 2.5 million people, she said, on that beach.

BERMAN: That's amazing.

ANDERSON: -- come New Year's Eve.

BERMAN: That's amazing.

ANDERSON: Where are they all going to go? Actually, I know. They're going to the sea. I remember from last year.

We're talking about explosive moments. Earlier on the show -- go on.

VARGAS JONES: Sorry. It is the largest celebration of New Year's. The Guinness Book of Records just recognized that two days ago. We saw the mayor of Rio holding the certificate saying that it is now the largest. So move over Times Square. This is the place to be. This is where we should be having our main show next year, don't you think?

(LAUGH)

ANDERSON: Oh, we're in. I'm all in.

BERMAN: Yeah, we're in. Don't tell Andy and Anderson. Don't tell those guys. They can get us. They get the A-team here.

(LAUGH)

ANDERSON: Brilliant. Thank you, Julia. Enjoy. And Julia will be back over the coming hours. She gets set to ring in New Year there in Brazil.

BERMAN: So you were talking about explosive moments before I stepped all over it. And look, we've been doing some amazing things here. We showed you some of the adventures we've been having. We have a little bit of a longer cut of the version of the racetrack. We had a race at the Yas Marina Circuit, the site of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. And it was something to see.

ANDERSON: Have a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Here we go.

ANDERSON: I've got butterflies in my stomach.

BERMAN: I'm looking up there. Everything's looking good.

ANDERSON: Good to go.

BERMAN: We're feeling good. This isn't a Formula One car, but it's a lot faster than I'm used to. I'll tell you that.

(CROSSTALK)

ANDERSON: This guy is in front of me. Brakes. Down? Stay in the same gear? Gas? Keep going? Gas?

BERMAN: Oh, it's a turn --