New Year's Eve in London
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London's New Year's Eve festivities have regularly consisted of a midnight
fireworks Fireworks are a class of low explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a large number of devices ...
show; the focal point of the festivities are the South Bank, where the chimes of Big Ben at midnight signify the arrival of the new year, and pyrotechnics are launched from barges along the River Thames and from the London Eye observation wheel. New Year's Eve celebrations were first held in an organised fashion in 1999 to celebrate the arrival of the year 2000. Due to disputes with the city, the New Year's fireworks shows were not held again regularly until New Year's Eve 2004, where
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began to organise the show on behalf of the city of London. Titanium Fireworks are responsible for the pyrotechnics. Public New Year's Eve festivities in London were suspended during
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, being replaced by television-only events due to restrictions or uncertainties surrounding public gatherings. These presentations for New Year's Eve 2021 and 2022 included a fireworks and drone show, held at different London landmarks rather than the South Bank. To discourage public viewing, the locations of the shows were not announced in advance.


History


2000–05

A 20-minute New Year's fireworks display was organised by the Greater London Authority for the first time to celebrate the year 2000. It was produced by Bob Geldof's Ten Alps, and estimated to have been seen in-person by three million people. It was announced that the show would feature an effect at midnight consisting of -tall flames in an "advancing river of fire going upstream at 650 mph" down the Thames (representing the speed of the Earth's rotation), although the "river of fire" effect was panned by critics and spectators who believed that the result did not resemble what was suggested by the organisers. Geldof believed that the event was successful, and hoped that it would become an annual tradition. In the aftermath of the events, there were reports of overcrowding on the
London Underground The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or by its nickname the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire in England. The ...
, and the Metropolitan Police had to pay £3 million in
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. The GLA planned to host a second event for New Year's Eve 2001, which would also be organised by Ten Alps, and co-produced by Australian Syd Howard (who worked
Sydney New Year's Eve Sydney New Year's Eve is an annual New Year's Eve fireworks event in Sydney, Australia. The event currently consists of two fireworks shows, with an evening display known as the "Family Fireworks" held at 9:00 p.m. AEST, and the main "Midnight ...
and the
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). Unlike 2000, the main fireworks display would have instead taken place earlier in the evening at 7 p.m., with a smaller display at midnight. However, in November 2000, it was announced that the event had been cancelled due to safety concerns raised by the Underground and London police. Approximately 80,000 revellers gathered around
Trafalgar Square Trafalgar Square ( ) is a public square in the City of Westminster, Central London, laid out in the early 19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. At its centre is a high column bearing a statue of Admiral Nelson comm ...
to celebrate the New Year, as had been a tradition for many years. A fireworks show returned for 2003–04 event, with
Jack Morton Worldwide Jack Morton Worldwide is an American multinational brand experience agency. It is a subsidiary of The Interpublic Group of Companies (IPG). The company's current chairman and CEO is Josh McCall. Conference & Incentive Travel Magazine ranked Ja ...
becoming producer. Ahead of the 2004–05 event, London Assembly member Bob Neill argued that London's New Year's Eve festivities were not as good as those of Paris or
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—two of its competitors in bids for the 2012 Summer Olympics—stating that "If we are to be a serious contender for the Olympics we want to be able to show that London can put on a decent show." Out of respect for the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, a planned light show approaching the fireworks was cancelled and replaced by a
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for victims of the tragedy.


2011–2020


2020–21

On 18 September 2020, Mayor of London
Sadiq Khan Sadiq Aman Khan (; born 8 October 1970) is a British politician serving as Mayor of London since 2016. He was previously Member of Parliament (MP) for Tooting from 2005 until 2016. A member of the Labour Party, Khan is on the party's sof ...
told
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that the 2020–21 fireworks at the London Eye had been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in England, as it would encourage public gatherings discouraged under public health orders and guidance at the time. Khan, as well as the office of the Mayor, stated that an alternative event would be announced. The alternate event was announced as being a television presentation on
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
, which would feature "highlights" of the past year Due to '' Tier 4'' restrictions in London and the majority of England, all gatherings were prohibited and everyone was legally obliged to remain in their homes unless they had a "reasonable excuse". The event was ultimately a fireworks, light, and drone show featuring various locations in London, including
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,
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,
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, and
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. The show featured tributes to
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's charity walk, the
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(NHS), remote
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, and the
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movement. The finale of the show included an environmental appeal narrated by David Attenborough, while the city also promoted the event as being London's most "environmentally-friendly" New Year's Eve event.


2021–22

In October 2021, Mayor Khan announced that the city would return to hosting an in-person New Year's Eve event for 2022, but that it would be an unspecified event at Trafalgar Square rather than fireworks. Khan cited COVID-19 "uncertainties" as a factor in the decision; a city spokesperson stated that London could not organise the fireworks due to the amount of advance preparation they require, being unable to anticipate what restrictions on events and gatherings (if any) would be in effect by New Year's Eve, and the costs that would be sustained by the city and taxpayers if the event had to be cancelled. Health Secretary
Sajid Javid Sajid Javid (; born 5 December 1969) is a British politician who served as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care from June 2021 to July 2022, having previously served as Home Secretary from 2018 to 2019 and Chancellor of the Exchequer ...
criticised the decision in an interview with LBC, stating that the fireworks helped to provide publicity to the city, and that, "I think there’s a perfectly safe way that it can take place, so I really don’t understand that decision. But that’s not a decision for the Government. It’s the Mayor's firework display, so I hope he can reconsider it." Details surrounding the ticketed event were revealed in November, including plans for food and live entertainment in
Trafalgar Square Trafalgar Square ( ) is a public square in the City of Westminster, Central London, laid out in the early 19th century around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. At its centre is a high column bearing a statue of Admiral Nelson comm ...
, and a "live broadcast spectacular" on
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
which would be simulcast on screens in the Square. However on 20 December 2021, Khan announced that the public event had been cancelled due to the threat of
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, and a second crowdless fireworks show was held. The show used locations such as
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,
The Shard The Shard, also referred to as the Shard of Glass, Shard London Bridge, and formerly London Bridge Tower, is a 72-storey skyscraper, designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano, in Southwark, London, that forms part of The Shard Quarter dev ...
, the
Millennium Bridge Several bridges are known as the Millennium Bridge: * in the United Kingdom **Gateshead Millennium Bridge ** Lune Millennium Bridge, Lancaster ** Millennium Bridge, Glasgow ** Millennium Bridge, London ** Millennium Bridge (Salford Quays) ** Teesqua ...
(where
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delivered a poem by Tomfoolery), and
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(where the West End Musical Choir performed songs in a tribute to the theatre industry), and featured the "biggest ever
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display in the UK".


2022–23

On 14 October 2022, Mayor Khan announced that the New Year's Eve fireworks will return to being a public event at the London Eye for the first time in three years, promoting plans for them to be "the best ever". He hinted that the display would feature "three massive surprises" The theme for the display was "With Love from London" and featured drones at
Horse Guards Parade Horse Guards Parade is a large parade ground off Whitehall in central London (at grid reference ). It is the site of the annual ceremonies of Trooping the Colour, which commemorates the monarch's official birthday, and the Beating Retreat. H ...
for the countdown and sections of the display. The display featured moments from England's Women's Euro 2022 victory, London standing with Ukraine as a result of the Russian invasion of the country, celebrating 50 years of
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and commemorated Queen Elizabeth II who died in 2022 and the Coronation of King Charles III in 2023.


Broadcast

The fireworks are primarily broadcast by
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
as part of their annual New Year's Eve programme. The BBC also streams the event internationally on
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; the 2018-2019 show was filmed and streamed in
360-degree video 360-degree videos, also known as surround video, or immersive videos or spherical videos, are video recordings where a view in every direction is recorded at the same time, shot using an omnidirectional camera or a collection of cameras. During pl ...
. The fireworks are broadcast by other networks as well, including
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
(which presents them during the special bulletin '' ITV News Including New Year Bongs'') and Sky News.


See also

* BBC's New Year's Eve * London's New Year's Day Parade *
Edinburgh's Hogmanay Edinburgh's Hogmanay is the observance of Hogmanay—the Scottish celebration of the New Year—held in Edinburgh, Scotland. History The annual Hogmanay celebration was originally an informal street party focused on the Tron Kirk in the High ...
* America's Party on
The Las Vegas Strip The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard South in Clark County, Nevada, that is known for its concentration of resort hotels and casinos. The Strip, as it is known, is about long, and is immediately south of the Las Vegas city ...
* New Year's Eve in Copacabana *
Sydney New Year's Eve Sydney New Year's Eve is an annual New Year's Eve fireworks event in Sydney, Australia. The event currently consists of two fireworks shows, with an evening display known as the "Family Fireworks" held at 9:00 p.m. AEST, and the main "Midnight ...
* New Year's Eve in Times Square


References

{{New Year New Year celebrations Culture in London Observances in the United Kingdom Annual events in London