Google has designed itself with the New Year’s Eve 2025 Doodle. This Google Doodle celebrates the New Year 2026 in a party style.
The usual Google logo is written in glittery gold letters. In the middle, shiny silver balloon numbers spell out 2025. They change to 2026 when you hover your mouse on it. The number sits over the logo like big helium balloons.
At the bottom center, two gold-and-white striped party poppers burst open with purple and gold streamers. It also has tiny stars and confetti flying out.
The entire design evokes a midnight celebration, complete with balloons, sparkle, and flying decorations, as Google welcomes the start of 2026.
“This annual Doodle celebrates New Year’s Eve across the world, when billions of people gather with friends and family to reflect on the past year and welcome the new one. Soon, the clock will strike midnight to officially mark the start of 2026!” According to the official description of Google Doodle.
Google Doodles: History
Google’s first Doodle was created in 1998 as a simple out-of-office message. It showed that the founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, were attending the Burning Man festival.
In the 25 years since then, Doodles have evolved into a global art form that celebrates important people, cultures, history and events. Google has now created more than 5,000 Doodles.
The earliest Doodle series told a fun story about aliens who removed the Google logo and took it to Mars. In 2000, Google released its first international Doodle for Bastille Day in France.
Today, different Doodles appear simultaneously across the world. Each of them reflects the culture and festivals of that region.
In 2000 itself, the Halloween Doodle introduced animation for the first time. The two O’s became Jack-o-lanterns with flashing lights and a small spider. This sets the stage for future animated Doodles.
In 2011, Doodles evolved further with full live-action videos. The first one honored Charlie Chaplin on his 122nd birthday and featured the entire Doodle team.
In 2018, Doodles entered the VR world with a 360-degree video, celebrating filmmaker Georges Melies. A year later, in 2019, Google released its first AI-powered Doodle for composer Johann Sebastian Bach. It allowed users to create melodies that were automatically harmonized in Bach’s style.
Major Google Doodles in 2025
Google Doodles in 2025 combined interactive games, cultural moments and major global celebrations. A key highlight was “Rise of the Half Moon,” a monthly browser game tied to the lunar calendar. Players used strategy cards to compete with an AI moon. Google also updated its Halloween PAC-MAN Doodle and introduced the new AI Mode “Super G” logo on 1 July.
Festive Doodles marked events such as Lunar New Year (29 January), Earth Day (22 April), and India’s Independence Day (15 August). December featured inclusive seasonal holiday designs.
Google also celebrated its 27th birthday on 27 September. It revived the Doodle for Google contest.
Google concluded the year with its 2025 Year in Search video on December 8. The Doodle was released in the UK and the United States only.
The video showcased Google Searches on Lady Gaga’s world tour, Labubu craze, League of Kingdoms Arena (LOKA) trading, Carlos Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner tennis encounters, Indian women’s World Cup win and many more.
