AFP published this article:

The world's eight billion people on Saturday prepared to usher in 2023 and farewell a turbulent 12 months marked by war in Europe, stinging price rises and Lionel Messi's world cup glory. 

After a few pandemic-dampened years, many will be looking to cut loose this New Year's Eve -- setting aside pinched budgets and a virus that is increasingly forgotten, but not gone.

Sydney will be among the first major cities to ring in 2023, restaking its claim to be the "New Year's Eve capital of the world" after two years of lockdown and Omicron-muted festivities. 

Australia's borders have now reopened, and more than one million people are expected to line Sydney's sparkling harbour to watch 100,000 pyrotechnics illuminate the southern sky. 

By lunch, hundreds of eager revellers had already claimed the best vantage points to welcome 2023 with a bang.

"It's been a fairly good year for us; getting past Covid of course is great," David Hugh-Paterson told AFP, as he waited near the Sydney Opera House in a growing crowd, many sheltering under umbrellas from the summer sun.

"Looking forward to the future as well," the 52-year-old said.

Sydney authorities expect almost half a billion more people will see the festivities online or on TV. 

"If we can bring everyone together in celebration and looking to the year ahead with renewed optimism and joy, then we'll see that as a job well done," said fireworks organiser Fortunato Foti. 

For some, 2022 was a year of Wordles, the Great Resignation, a new Taylor Swift album, an Oscar slap and billionaire meltdowns. 

It also saw the deaths of Queen Elizabeth II, Brazilian football icon Pele, Mikhail Gorbachev, Jiang Zemin and Shinzo Abe. 

But 2022 is most likely to be remembered for armed conflict returning to Europe -- a continent that was the crucible of two world wars.