King’s Square was filled with music this evening as crowds of revellers gathered to ring in 2026 at the annual Onion Drop.

The longstanding St George’s tradition, organised by the Corporation of St George, featured performances by DIA, Demara Maybury, Olivia Hamilton, Kase, DJ Iceman and DJ Kaos.

The entertainment built towards the annual Onion Drop outside of town hall and a drone show by Navigate Drone Light Shows.

Rian Matthews said that he had heard about the Onion Drop before travelling to the island, and decided to make it

Mr Matthews said: “I saw it when I was googling what was going on in Bermuda on new years and it became one of those things where I had to tell everyone, which meant it was on the must list for this trip.

“The town is just gorgeous and I am digging the music so far. I like that it’s not just a bunch of tourists everywhere so we can sit and meet some locals and get some good recommendations about what to do while we are here.”

Donna Kline said she wanted to take her daughter, Riley, to the event so that she could enjoy a bit of the New Year’s spirit.

Ms Kine, however, said that they would likely be home long before the Onion Drop.

“She was never going to make it all the way to midnight, but we wanted to do something where we could get out of the house,” she said.

She added: “It can be tricky when you have young children, so it’s great to have somewhere you take them to play with friends and burn off some energy on the bouncy castle and feel like you have done something.”

Rickeisha Burgess of Duch Pops Bermuda said she was excited to bring her wares to the Onion Drop for the first time.

“The atmosphere is amazing,” she said. “It is very lively. This is our first time doing it, but we are glad to be here.

“This is the last day of the year to make some money, so it means a lot to have events like this before we transition into our slow period. We have to try to make the most out of it.”

Kevon Whitter said it was the prospect of live music and good company that brought him out to the annual New Year’s Eve event.

He said: “It’s always a good vibe. People are friendly. A lot of folks from the community come out.

“It was a long year, but hopefully we have some good things coming.”

He said that he was worried that the event would be called off after heavy rains earlier in the day, but the skies cleared before festivities kicked off.

Geza Wolf, co-owner of Wahoos, said the celebration offered a boost in business for restaurants and bars in the town.

“The Corporation of St George puts on a nice show every year,” he said. “It is usually a little slow at the start, but we had a good lunch and at 8pm, everybody comes. We had lots of reservations for 8pm.

“I would like to see it start a little earlier and have a little more for families, but that is the way things go in Bermuda. People like to start a little bit later, but it would have been nice seeing more people come in at 6pm or 7pm.”