Wikipedia

New Year's Eve in London

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 90.253.79.186 (talk) at 12:25, 29 October 2021 (→2021–22). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

London's New Year's Eve festivities have regularly consisted of a midnight fireworks show; the focal point of the festivities are the South Bank, where pyrotechnics are launched from barges along the River Thames and the London Eye observation wheel.

London's New Year's Eve Fireworks
Fireworks over London Eye as part of the multi-sensory New Year's 2013–2014 display
GenreNew Year's Eve event
Date(s)31 December/1 January
Begins20:00 (GMT)
Ends00:45 (GMT)
FrequencyAnnually
Location(s)Victoria Embankment, South Bank and River Thames
Inaugurated2000
FounderMayor of London
Most recent2020–21 (2021)
Next eventN/A
AttendanceNil (2020–21)
Budget£1.5 million (2020–21)
Websitehttps://www.london.gov.uk/nye

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 Jack Morton Worldwide began to organise the show on behalf of the city of London.[1] Titanium Fireworks are responsible for the pyrotechnics.[2]

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the festivities since 2020; the 2020–21 show was produced as a broadcast-only event at alternate locations, featuring fireworks, light shows, and drone displays. In October 2021, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan stated that the now-traditional event at the South Bank would not be held due to COVID-19 "uncertainties", but that there were plans for alternative festivities to be held at Trafalgar Square.

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, which was produced by Bob Geldof's Ten Alps, and estimated to have been seen in-person by three million people.[3][4] 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.[5][4] Geldof believed that the event was successful, and hoped that it would become an annual tradition.[4] In the aftermath of the events, there were reports of overcrowding on the London Underground, and the London Police Service had to pay £3 million in overtime.[3]

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 and 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.[3] Approximately 80,000 revellers gathered around Trafalgar Square to celebrate the New Year, as had been a tradition for many years.[6]

A fireworks show returned for 2003–04 event, with Jack Morton Worldwide becoming producer.[7] Ahead of the 2004–05 event, Assemblyman Bob Neill argued that London's 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 event.[8][9][10]

2011–20

2011–12 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.[11] 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.[11]
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.[12]
2013–14 The theme of the fireworks was "Firsts"; a projection prior to the fireworks featured Mayor of London Boris Johnson talking about the many firsts that have come from the United Kingdom and London itself.[13] He then went on to explain that the 2013–14 fireworks would be the "world first" multi-sensory fireworks display with fruit flavoured sweets and radio controlled LED bracelets being handed out to revellers when entering the viewing areas.[14] These sweets were as stated in the information leaflet to be eaten prior to the display to "prepare" spectators with the flavours that they were going to experience during the evening. Scented mists and edible flavoured foam were also sprayed throughout the performance.[15][16]
2014–15 The designer of the display stated that the fireworks would focus on how London could maintain its reputation as a "world-class city". It was also focused on how the New Year's event in London was special to the public.[vague][17] Controversially, a £10 charge was introduced by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, for tickets to the official viewing areas.[18]
2015–16 The Mayor of London announced a partnership with UNICEF's New Year's Resolution for Children campaign, as part of an appeal to support children affected by the Syrian civil war. Multiple London and Edinburgh landmarks were lit in blue in support of the campaign.[19][20]
2016–17 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 The fireworks display was entitled "Women 100", honouring the then-upcoming centennial of women's suffrage in the United Kingdom.[21][22] 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.[23][24]
2018–19 The fireworks display contained some political imagery reflecting London's "relationship with Europe", opening with the phrase "London is open" (which has been used by Mayor Sadiq Khan, a notable opponent of the UK's exit from the European Union) 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". This attracted criticism from Brexit supporters, who said that this was an unnecessary political gesture for a public event.[25][26]
2019–20 The display theme was 'British New Decade'. The display featured music and soundbites relating to the upcoming UEFA Euro 2020,[27] during which London would host seven games, including the final.[28][29]

2020–21

On 18 September 2020, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan told LBC 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.[30]

The alternate event was announced as being a television presentation on BBC One, which would feature "highlights" of the past year [31] Due to Tier 4 restrictions in London and the majority of England,[32] gatherings were prohibited and all residents were legally obliged to remain in their homes unless they had a "reasonable excuse".[33]

The event was ultimately a 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.[34][32][35]

2021–22

Due to "uncertainties" related to COVID-19, Mayor Khan stated in October 2021 that the fireworks as normal would once again be cancelled. However, he went on to say that the city was organising a "spectacular" New Year's Eve event centred upon Trafalgar Square [36][37] 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.[37] Health Secretary Sajid Javid 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."[37]

It is believed that a broadcast-only, multi-location display will air on the BBC, with fireworks possibly firing from the London Eye.

Broadcast

The fireworks are broadcast on BBC One and BBC News on their annual New Year's Eve programme.[38][39] In addition, the millennium display was broadcast on the BBC's 2000 Today.

Sky One broadcasts the fireworks, shared with Sky News which has its own coverage of the fireworks, including Edinburgh's Hogmanay as well. ITV runs a special programme from ITV News called ITV News Including New Year Bongs.[40] Other international news channels such as CNN broadcast live coverage of the fireworks.

The 2016-17 show was also recorded and streamed in 360-degree video.[41]

See also

References

  1. ^ Barnett, Lauren (3 January 2019). "Jack Morton successfully delivers "European friendships" NYE fireworks". Stand Out Magazine. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  2. ^ "The Mayor of London New Years Eve Celebrations 2018". Titanium Fireworks. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ a b c "River of fire' dubbed a flop". BBC News. Retrieved 16 October 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ "River of fire that fizzled out". the Guardian. 3 January 2000. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  6. ^ "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
  7. ^ "Fireworks to mark London New Year". BBC News. 21 November 2005. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  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. ^ 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.
  12. ^ "London enjoys new year fireworks display". BBC News Online. 1 January 2013. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  13. ^ "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.
  14. ^ "Vodafone Announces 'Vodafone Firsts' New Global Own-Brand Engagement Strategy". Vodafone UK. 9 December 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  15. ^ "Multisensory Fireworks". Bompas & Parr. 19 December 2013. Archived from the original on 4 January 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  16. ^ 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.
  17. ^ "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.
  18. ^ 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.
  19. ^ "Mayor's New Year's Eve fireworks display with Unicef". Archived from the original on 29 December 2016.
  20. ^ Macdonald, Nicola (4 January 2016). "Mayor of London's Office partners with Unicef for spectacular NYE display". Access All Areas. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
  21. ^ "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.
  22. ^ "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.
  23. ^ "Ariana Grande leads the London New Year's Eve fireworks soundtrack". NME. 1 January 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  24. ^ Stinson, Nicole (1 January 2018). "Happy New Year! Stunning London Eye fireworks welcome Britain into 2018". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  25. ^ Walker, Peter (1 January 2019). "Sadiq Khan angers Brexiters with pro-EU fireworks display". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  26. ^ "New Year's Eve fireworks in London will celebrate city's 'relationship with Europe', says Sadiq Khan". The Independent. 31 December 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  27. ^ UEFA.com (17 March 2020). "UEFA postpones EURO 2020 by 12 months | Inside UEFA". UEFA.com. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  28. ^ "New Year's Eve: Police warning as UK prepares for 2020". 31 December 2019. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  29. ^ "London's New Year fireworks display to look ahead to Euro 2020". ITV News. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  30. ^ "Coronavirus: London's New Year's Eve fireworks cancelled". BBC News. 18 September 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
  31. ^ Lydall, Ross (18 December 2020). "London's NYE fireworks to be replaced by TV show of 2020 highlights". The Evening Standard. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  32. ^ a b "New Year's Eve: UK sees in 2021 with fireworks and light show". BBC News. 1 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  33. ^ SI 1611 (2020), Reg 2(13)).
  34. ^ "Khan defends New Year light show tribute to NHS, Captain Tom and Black Lives Matter". The Independent. 1 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  35. ^ "Fireworks, lighting and drones help London welcome 2021". London City Hall. 1 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  36. ^ "London's New Year fireworks cancelled for a second year". BBC News. 12 October 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  37. ^ a b c Burford, Rachael (14 October 2021). "Javid tells London mayor to reconsider cancellation of NYE fireworks". www.standard.co.uk. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  38. ^ "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.
  39. ^ "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.
  40. ^ "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.
  41. ^ "London New Year's Eve Fireworks 2016". Archived from the original on 29 December 2016.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=New_Year%27s_Eve_in_London&oldid=1052486122"