North Koreans braved the cold to ring in the new year with a large outdoor concert and fireworks show in downtown Pyongyang on Friday, according to a live broadcast of events carried by state television.

The state-organized event came as New Year’s Eve gatherings were canceled in some major capitals around the world due to fresh outbreaks of COVID-19.

Pyongyang’s event – held as temperatures dropped well below freezing – appeared largely similar to previous years, with top singers belting out praise for DPRK leader Kim Jong Un and a fireworks show for the thousands of Pyongyang residents gathered