While many cities around the world hold New Year's Eve festivities, several celebrations are watched such as those in global cities including New York, London, Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong.

Here's a peek at what to expect for their New Year's Eve bash.

New York

The most anticipated event in New York is the drop of the crystal sphere a few seconds before midnight. This year's ball has 288 new Waterford crystals. The event is held at Times Square which is expected to be jampacked with about one million revelers.

This was what happened last year.

For this year, there will be messages written on confetti and the big ball drop, the New York Daily News reported. The messages were written by visitors and dropped off at the Times Square visitors' centre such as wishes for better health, happiness and good performance at school and work.

New Yorkers and tourists will likely be dancing the Gangnam Style since South Korean You Tube mega sensation Psy, who broke records and exceeded 1 billion views on Dec 21, will be one of the performers. The others include Taylor Swift, Carly Rae Jepsen, Flo Rida, Pitbull and Neon Trees. MCs are Ryan Seacrest, Carson Daly and Anderson Cooper.

To watch this year's ball drop, Apple and Android mobile phone owners can use the app from http://timessquareball.net/app/. The app allows the user a six-hour advertising-free mobile stream hosted by Allison Hagendorf and performances by artists.

London

London's centre of New Year celebration is the iconic Big Ben clock. Here is a video clip from last year's celebration.

However, Nick Grahame, chief forecaster at Britain's Met Office, has a damper for London residents because the city is expected to have a bit of rain at about midnight, although it should be dry for other parts of UK such as Edinburgh and other favourite New Year's Eve locations including Nottingham and Looe.

Because of the forecast, about four million Brits have booked winter holidays abroad such as New York, Bangkok, Cape Town and Lagos, according to the Association of British Travel Agents.

For those who want to brave the weather conditions, the most frequented spot for view the New Year festivities is along the Thames River banks where about 250,000 are expected. The London Insider recommends other bridges as good spots to watch the fireworks at the change of the year. These are the Waterloo Bridge, Westminster Bridge and Hungerford Bridge and the Victoria Enbankment just across Thames for a great view of the city's fireworks display.

This year's pyrotechnics display will be by the London Eye on South Bank. London Mayor Boris Johnson said the celebration will cap a triumphant year for the city with milestone events such as the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and its hosting of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

"As we go into 2013 with a spectacular fireworks display I hope we can build on that energy and enthusiasm to make ours the best big city in the world," the mayor said in a statement.

Alternative locations in case of bad weather are tall buildings such as the OXO Tower, Heron Tower, Altitude 360 and Paramount at Centrepoint, but will charge visitors a fee for entering or require them to dine.

Paris

Of course, when in France, the centre of New Year's Eve celebration is Eiffel Tower in Paris where the traditional uncorking of champagnes and toasts take place.

Here is a video clip of how Parisians celebrated last year.

Aside from the night festivities, one New Year tradition that Paris residents and visitors may not want to miss is the third annual Polar Plunge at 1:13 p.m. to coincide with the date 1-1-13. For an entrance fee of $5 to $10, which includes a doughnut and hot beverage, they can join or watch participants plunge in the chilly lake water of Lake Placid.

Here's a peek at the 2012 Polar Plunge.

Tokyo

At midnight, Buddhist temples ring a bell 108 times, simultaneous with fireworks display at public areas such as this one at Zojoji Temple.

Japanese families also place a Kagamimochi display at their house entrances to symbolise good fortune. The display is made up of a stack of two pounded rice cakes topped by an orange.

The display is an indicator of the importance of food in Japanese New Year's celebrations such as fish cakes, sweetened black soy beans and simmered burrock root, as well as noodles which are served at 11 p.m.

Hong Kong

The best place to view fireworks in Hong Kong is the Victoria Harbour as seen in this video.

Besides Victoria Harbour, the pyrotechnic show will be launched simultaneously at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) and various buildings in Wan Chai, which highlights the depth and rippling layers of the city's night vistas, according to a statement from the Hong Kong Tourism Board.

The Wan Chai site involves six buildings - the HKCEC, Harbour Centre, Immigration Tower, Revenue Tower, Hopewell Centre and Harcourt House.

To accompany the firework display show is a tailor-made theme music produced by Chiu Tsang Hei, a renowned Chinese music producer and composer. By 11 p.m., revelers could make a wish on a shooting star in the form of a pyrotechnic display launched every 15 minutes and come in four colours to symbolise good wishes in four areas: silver for career, green for health, gold for fortune and red for love.

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