New Year's Eve in London

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London's New Year's Eve Fireworks
2015 display
GenreNew Year's Eve event
Date(s)31 December/1 January
Begins8:00 PM (GMT)
Ends12:45 AM (GMT)
FrequencyAnnually
Location(s)Victoria Embankment, South Bank, River Thames and the London Eye
Years active2000–present
Inaugurated2000
FounderMayor of London
Most recent2023–24 (2024)
Previous event2022–23 (2023)
Next event2024–25 (2025)
Attendance>100,000 (2023–24)[1]
Budget£4.5 million (2022–23)
Websitehttps://www.london.gov.uk/nye

The New Year's Eve festivities in London, England, have regularly consisted of a midnight fireworks 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, and produced by Ten Alps on behalf of the Greater London Authority. Due to disputes with the city, the New Year's fireworks shows were not held again regularly until New Year's Eve 2004, where Jack Morton Worldwide began to organise the show on behalf of the Greater London Authority.

Public New Year's Eve festivities in London were suspended in 2021 and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, being replaced by broadcast-only events due to restrictions or uncertainties surrounding public gatherings. These presentations for New Year's Eve included a fireworks and drone show, held at different London landmarks rather than the South Bank. The event returned to the South Bank for 2023, with events firm Identity assuming production duties on behalf of the Greater London Authority.

History[edit]

2000–05[edit]

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.[2][3] It was announced that the show would feature an effect at midnight consisting of 200 feet (61 m)-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.[4][3] Geldof believed that the event was successful, and hoped that it would become an annual tradition.[3] In the aftermath of the events, there were reports of overcrowding on the London Underground, and the Metropolitan Police had to pay £3 million in overtime.[2]

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 Syd Howard—the Australian producer of Sydney New Year's Eve and fireworks during the 2000 Summer Olympics. 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.[2] Approximately 80,000 revellers gathered around Trafalgar Square to celebrate the New Year, as had been a tradition for many years.[5]

A fireworks show returned for 2003–04 event, with Jack Morton Worldwide becoming producer.[6][7] 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 New York City—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 moment of silence for victims of the tragedy.[8][9][10]

2011–2020[edit]

Year Title Description
2011‍–‍12 "Olympic Celebration"[11] Themed around London's hosting of the 2012 Summer Olympics. In a one-off event, fireworks were fired outwards from the top of the Elizabeth Tower.[12] Fireworks were launched in the shape and colour of the Olympic flag, in a display that lasted approximately eleven minutes compared to being reduced to eight minutes in 2010.[12]
2012‍–‍13 "Best Of 2012"[13] The fireworks were themed around events that occurred in the United Kingdom in 2012, including achievements by Great Britain during the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, and the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II.[14]
2013‍–‍14 "Firsts"[15] The theme of the show were the many "firsts" that have come from the United Kingdom and London; the event was promoted as the first "multi-sensory" fireworks display (with sponsorship from Vodafone), with fruit-scented mists and edible flavoured foam sprayed throughout the performance in coordination with the visuals.[16][17][18]
2014‍–‍15 "World Class City"[19] The designer of the display stated that the fireworks would focus on how London could maintain its reputation as a "world-class city".[19] Controversially, a £10 charge was introduced by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, for tickets to the official viewing areas.[20]
2015‍–‍16 "Happy Blue Year"[21] Mayor Boris Johnson announced a partnership with UNICEF's New Year's Resolution for Children campaign to support children affected by the Syrian civil war. Multiple London and Edinburgh landmarks were illuminated with blue lights on New Year's Eve in support of the appeal.[22][23]
2016‍–‍17 "Reflections"[citation needed] The display focused on reflections of the past year, with themes focusing on Great Britain's achievements at the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro. The display also paid homage to Prince, David Bowie and Ronnie Corbett, who all died in 2016.
2017‍–‍18 "Women 100"[24] The display honoured the then-upcoming centennial of women's suffrage in the United Kingdom.[25][26] A series of 23 red fireworks set to Ariana Grande's "One Last Time" were launched in remembrance of the 23 people who died in the Manchester Arena bombing.[27][28]
2018‍–‍19 "London Is Open"[29] The theme of the show was London's "relationship with Europe"; it opened with the phrase "London is open" spoken in multiple languages, and featured a sequence in which the London Eye was lit in the colours of the flag of Europe. The theme was also reflected in some of the featured songs, such as "Don't Leave Me Alone", "Stay", and "We Are Your Friends". The show was criticised by supporters of Brexit for containing political gestures.[30][31]
2019‍–‍20 "British New Decade"[32] The display featured music and soundbites relating to the then-upcoming UEFA Euro 2020,[33] during which London would host seven matches, including the final.[34][35]

2020–present[edit]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in England, the fireworks were not held as a public event for 2020–21 due to public health orders;[36][37] due to the Tier 4 restrictions in effect across the majority of England by 31 December,[37] all gatherings were prohibited and everyone was prohibited from leaving their place of residence without "reasonable excuse".[38] The fireworks were reformatted as a broadcast-only presentation featuring fireworks and drone shows at various locations across London. To discourage public viewing, the locations were not announced in advance.[39][40][37]

The same format of a "live broadcast spectacular" was used for 2021–22; Mayor Sadiq Khan cited COVID-19 "uncertainties" (including what restrictions on events and gatherings, if any, would be in effect by New Year's Eve) and the possible financial impact of cancellation as factors. Khan did announce plans for a ticketed food and entertainment at Trafalgar Square, at which the "live broadcast spectacular" would also be screened.[41] On 20 December 2021, the Trafalgar Square event was cancelled by Mayor Khan due to concerns regarding Omicron variant, and the fireworks were thus held behind closed doors for the second year in a row.[42][39]

On 14 October 2022, Mayor Khan announced that the New Year's Eve fireworks would return to being a public event on the South Bank for 2022–23, promoting plans for them to be "the best ever".[43] Drone shows were also incorporated into the public event, this time over Horse Guards Parade.[44][45] The London-based event agency Identity took over production of the event on behalf of the Greater London Authority.[46]

Year Title Description
2020‍–‍21 The Power of Hope The display was a broadcast-only fireworks, light, and drone show featuring various locations in London, including The Shard, The O2, Tower Bridge, and Wembley Stadium. The show featured tributes to Captain Tom's charity walk, the National Health Service (NHS), remote teleconferencing, and the Black Lives Matter 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.[40][37][47]
2021‍–‍22 Resilience of the Nation The display was a broadcast-only fireworks, light, and drone show featuring various locations in London, including Royal Naval College, Greenwich, The Shard, and the Millennium Bridge (where Giles Terera delivered a poem by Tomfoolery), and featured the "biggest ever drone display in the UK". The event featured tributes to Great Britain's achievements at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Emma Raducanu's victory at the US Open tennis tournament, and Elton John. The West End Musical Choir performed an ABBA medley at Shakespeare's Globe as a tribute to the theatre industry, and closed the show by performing "Auld Lang Syne".[39][48]
2022‍–‍23 "With Love from London"[49] The display featured a theme of "love and unity"; it featured segments acknowledging the death of Elizabeth II (which included audio of the Queen, a message from Judi Dench, and an environmental appeal by Charles III), the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and commemorations of England's victory in UEFA Women's Euro 2022, and the 50th anniversary of Pride in London (including a message from Peter Tatchell). The display featured drone sequences over Horse Guards Parade, including the message "2023 with love from London", and renditions of Elizabeth II and her royal cypher.[44][45]
2023‍–‍24 "London: A Place for Everyone"[50] The display featured segments celebrating the coronation of Charles III and Camilla (accompanied with a message from actress Helen Mirren, who has portrayed Elizabeth I and II in film), the 75th anniversary of the NHS (accompanied with a message from Stephen Fry), the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the Empire Windrush (with Charles III and Floella Benjamin reciting Benjamin Zephaniah's poem "In This World"), and the 10th anniversary of recognition of same-sex marriage in England and Wales (accompanied by a message from Mayor Sadiq Khan).[51][50]

Broadcast[edit]

The fireworks are primarily broadcast by BBC One as part of their annual New Year's Eve programme.[52][53] The BBC also streams the event internationally on YouTube; the 2018–2019 show was filmed and streamed in 360-degree video.[54]

The fireworks are broadcast by other networks as well, including ITV (which presents them during the special bulletin ITV News Including New Year Bongs) and Sky News.[55]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "London rings in 2024 with Mayor's biggest ever fireworks, lights and drone show over the River Thames | London City Hall". Greater London Authority. 31 December 2023. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "London New Year's party cancelled". BBC News Online. 20 November 2000. Archived from the original on 11 August 2003. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  3. ^ a b c "River of fire' dubbed a flop". BBC News. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  4. ^ "River of fire that fizzled out". the Guardian. 3 January 2000. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  5. ^ "A damp squib: the Mayor's plans for New Year's Eve" (PDF). London Assembly. 1 December 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 October 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2014. Report of the Culture, Sport and Tourism Committee – December 2002
  6. ^ "Fireworks to mark London New Year". BBC News. 21 November 2005. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  7. ^ Barnett, Lauren (3 January 2019). "Jack Morton successfully delivers "European friendships" NYE fireworks". Stand Out Magazine. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  8. ^ "Revellers shun 'rip off' New Year". BBC News. 30 December 2004. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  9. ^ "Silence before midnight for dead". 31 December 2004. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  10. ^ "London New Year plans criticised". 14 December 2004. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  11. ^ Mirror.co.uk (1 January 2012). "New Year 2012: Watch London's dazzling fireworks display as 250,000 line the streets to welcome new year". The Mirror. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  12. ^ a b "London gets ready for New Year's Eve's firework display". BBC News Online. 30 December 2011. Archived from the original on 9 February 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  13. ^ team, London SE1 website. "Mayor confirms 2013 New Year fireworks at the London Eye". London SE1. Retrieved 24 December 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ "London enjoys new year fireworks display". BBC News Online. 1 January 2013. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  15. ^ "Sweet Smelling success at NYE London fireworks | Aromaco". 2 January 2014. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  16. ^ "Multisensory Fireworks". Bompas & Parr. 19 December 2013. Archived from the original on 4 January 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  17. ^ Cavaliere, Victoria; Johnson, Eric M. (1 January 2014). "Revellers usher in 2014 with fireworks and fruit mist". Reuters. Archived from the original on 4 January 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  18. ^ "Vodafone joins forces with Mayor for world's first multi-sensory fireworks display". Greater London Authority. 9 December 2013. Archived from the original on 28 May 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  19. ^ a b "Designing London's New Year's Eve fireworks – Design Week". DesignWeek.co.uk. 19 December 2014. Archived from the original on 31 December 2014. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  20. ^ Quinn, Ben (31 December 2014). "New Year's Eve revellers without tickets warned away from London fireworks". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 1 January 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  21. ^ "London's New Year's Eve Fireworks with Unicef Create a Moment for Good | LBBOnline". lbbonline.com. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  22. ^ "Mayor's New Year's Eve fireworks display with Unicef". Archived from the original on 29 December 2016.
  23. ^ Macdonald, Nicola (4 January 2016). "Mayor of London's Office partners with Unicef for spectacular NYE display". Access All Areas. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
  24. ^ "Fantastic fireworks in London and Edinburgh as 2018 arrives in UK". Sky News. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  25. ^ "Girl power to rock the show at London's New Year's Eve firework display". BT.com. Archived from the original on 29 December 2017. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  26. ^ "Security for New Year's Eve celebrations reviewed, Met Police says". Sky News. 28 December 2017. Archived from the original on 28 December 2017. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  27. ^ "Ariana Grande leads the London New Year's Eve fireworks soundtrack". NME. 1 January 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  28. ^ Stinson, Nicole (1 January 2018). "Happy New Year! Stunning London Eye fireworks welcome Britain into 2018". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  29. ^ "London celebrates European ties with spectacular New Year fireworks display as world welcomes 2019". The Independent. 1 January 2019. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  30. ^ Walker, Peter (1 January 2019). "Sadiq Khan angers Brexiters with pro-EU fireworks display". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  31. ^ "New Year's Eve fireworks in London will celebrate city's 'relationship with Europe', says Sadiq Khan". The Independent. 31 December 2018. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  32. ^ "London's New Year's Eve fireworks celebrates UEFA EURO 2020 | London City Hall". www.london.gov.uk. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  33. ^ UEFA.com (17 March 2020). "UEFA postpones EURO 2020 by 12 months | Inside UEFA". UEFA.com. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  34. ^ "New Year's Eve: Police warning as UK prepares for 2020". 31 December 2019. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  35. ^ "London's New Year fireworks display to look ahead to Euro 2020". ITV News. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  36. ^ "Coronavirus: London's New Year's Eve fireworks cancelled". BBC News. 18 September 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  37. ^ a b c d "New Year's Eve: UK sees in 2021 with fireworks and light show". BBC News. 1 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  38. ^ SI 1611 (2020), Reg 2(13)).
  39. ^ a b c Salisbury, Josh; Howie, Michael (1 January 2022). "London welcomes in 2022 with fireworks and spectacular light show". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  40. ^ a b "Khan defends New Year light show tribute to NHS, Captain Tom and Black Lives Matter". The Independent. 1 January 2021. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  41. ^ Janes, William (19 November 2021). "Trafalgar Square event to replace London's New Year fireworks". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  42. ^ "New Year's Eve live news: London welcomes 2022 with 'spectacular' fireworks display but people told 'don't go'". Sky News. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  43. ^ "London New Year fireworks open to the public for first time in two years". BBC News. 14 October 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  44. ^ a b "London's New Year fireworks display includes tribute to the Queen and show of support for Ukraine". Sky News. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  45. ^ a b "London pays tribute to the Queen and Ukraine in spectacular New Year's Eve fireworks display". London Evening Standard. 1 January 2023. Retrieved 13 July 2023 – via Yahoo! Finance.
  46. ^ Gallop, Joe (9 January 2023). "Identity produces NYE fireworks show for Greater London Authority". Access All Areas. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
  47. ^ "Fireworks, lighting and drones help London welcome 2021". London City Hall. 1 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  48. ^ "London rings in New Year with spectacular show". London City Hall. 1 January 2022. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  49. ^ "London's New Year fireworks display includes tribute to the Queen and show of support for Ukraine". Sky News. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  50. ^ a b Vickers-Price, Rachel (1 January 2024). "Thousands ring in 2024 as London declares itself 'A Place for Everyone'". Evening Standard. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  51. ^ "New year: Fireworks and street parties ring in 2024 across UK". BBC News. 1 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  52. ^ "New Year Live". New Year Live. London. 31 December 2008 – 31 December 2012. BBC. BBC One. Archived from the original on 7 January 2013. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  53. ^ "New Year Live". New Year Live. London. 31 December 2013 – 31 December 2014. BBC. BBC One. Archived from the original on 5 January 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  54. ^ "How to watch London's fireworks like you're there, but without the queues". The Independent. 31 December 2016. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  55. ^ "What's on TV for New Year's Eve 2018? How to watch the fireworks, live music and countdown to 2019". Radio Times. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
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