An Extraordinary Eve: Scientology Celebrates a Year of Monumental Advancement--Ringing in an Expansive 2026 and Beyond

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Thousands gather in Los Angeles for a Scientology New Year's Celebration, honoring a year of remarkable achievement and ushering in an unstoppable 2026.

"Auld Lang Syne" has echoed through New Year's festivities for over a century, symbolizing the bridge between where we've been and where we're going. But on this night inside the Shrine Auditorium, that timeless sentiment took on a whole new dimension.

From the outset, the evening embodied the hallmarks of a Scientology New Year's Celebration—elegance, anticipation and a sense of purpose. Dressed in formal evening wear, more than 6,500 guests filled the historic hall to honor the momentous feats of 2025, their gaze cast upon a boundless horizon unfolding before them.

"For most of the world, New Year's is something they wait for. They count down seconds, watching the clock, as if time is the one telling them when life begins again," said Mr. David Miscavige, ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion. "But we've never lived time that way. So while the rest of the planet may still be winding down its clocks—we're here for something else entirely: to see what happens when a full year of Scientology accomplishments is unleashed all at once."

And with that, Mr. Miscavige set the stage for a night showcasing a series of highlights from a year of endless expansion. Among those achievements, the numbers tuning in to Scientology Network continue to grow, drawing 11 times the viewership since network launch, while earning more than 170 awards for creative and technical excellence. And those viewers become doers, as over a million students have now enrolled in online courses—another record-breaking milestone.

The year was further defined by a panorama of Grand Openings illuminating the globe. Beginning with the ribbon-cutting for the newest Ideal Org half a world away in South Africa's Eastern Cape—a landmark 10-story masterpiece now rising into the Nelson Mandela Bay skyline.

The wave of expansion rolled on as L. Ron Hubbard's enduring legacy came vividly to life this past summer with the Grand Opening of three new L. Ron Hubbard (LRH) Landmark Sites—each meticulously restored to its original grandeur in honor of his milestone breakthroughs:

From expansion to empowerment, the night next ascended to a succession of living triumphs—each one illustrating the impact of LRH Technology in action, transforming communities and inspiring lasting change.

Association for Better Living and Education (ABLE), addressing society's most urgent challenges—drug abuse, illiteracy, immorality and crime—through its wide-reaching programs:

World Institute of Scientology Enterprises (WISE), disseminating L. Ron Hubbard's Administrative Technology (Admin Tech) for group survival and prosperity:

International Hubbard Ecclesiastical League of Pastors (I HELP) and Scientology Missions International (SMI) provide Dianetics and Scientology introductory services in communities planetwide:

The evening's celebration soared on with the superlative results from Ideal Organizations helmed by executive teams just graduated from Golden Age of Administration training—immediately demonstrating explosive advances. Mr. Miscavige led the audience on a global tour, beginning in the US with stops at Churches in New York; Washington, DC; and Twin Cities—then to Europe for Milan and Stuttgart, and in the Far East from Tokyo and Kaohsiung, culminating in the newest Ideal Org in Eastern Cape in South Africa. Perfectly primed with the most important training in Scientology history, this new breed of executive has fueled double-digit growth in Churches around the world—propelling individuals toward total spiritual freedom.

"There is one last story still waiting to rise," Mr. Miscavige continued, before the Shrine erupted in a crescendo of celebration as he unveiled the forthcoming Ideal Org in Puerto Rico. Salsa music next lifted the night, as a cinematic preview of the dazzling new building in the heart of San Juan sparked a wave of Puerto Rican flags across the auditorium. The historic ribbon-cutting, heralding the first Ideal Org for the Caribbean, is set to take place in the coming weeks.

The celebration swelled once again, with anticipation filling the air as over 240 Scientologists were honored as Power Field Staff Members (FSMs) for having helped at least 100 individuals onto and up the Bridge to Total Freedom in 2025. Even more remarkable, an astonishing 12 Scientologists were awarded as Elite FSMs, having helped 1,000 or more individuals up the Bridge in just the past year.

The final dramatic revelation came as Mr. Miscavige announced the newest broadcast message for the curious—an anthem for the indomitable human spirit and the soul of humanity. Set to premiere during Super Bowl LX and the World Cup in 2026, the message will reach more people in more nations than ever before.

With that look toward tomorrow, the evening drew to its close. And just as "Auld Lang Syne" marks the promise of a new year, it is a time-honored Scientology tradition that Mr. Miscavige sets the course for limitless horizons that lie ahead.

"And so, as we stand at the threshold of a new year, you have just seen what happens when LRH Technology meets the real world," Mr. Miscavige said. "But the truth is, everything you saw tonight now turns to you."

"Because if every Scientologist here tonight moves forward with the certainty of LRH, if every Scientologist here tonight takes the next step and helps another take theirs, then there is no distance we cannot close, no barrier we cannot break and no future beyond our reach."

SOURCE Church of Scientology International