Culture

 

British Queen celebrates

The remaining tickets to see London’s spectacular New Year’s Eve fireworks celebrations return to the banks of the River Thames will go on sale at noon on Friday 2 December.

Last month the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, announced that more than 100,000 ticket-holders will be able to gather near the lastminute.com London Eye for the first time since 2019 to welcome in the new year.

The first batch of tickets sold out in just over five hours, and the final batch of around 50,000 are also expected to sell out quickly.

Due to the impact of COVID restrictions for the last two years, the capital has welcomed in the new year with a multi-site spectacular show only available to watch on TV.

This year ticket holders will again be able to watch the fireworks in person, while a global television audience tunes in to see the celebrations and hear the traditional sounds of Big Ben’s chimes marking the start of the new year.

Tickets must be bought in advance and cost £15 – with every penny used to pay for the costs associated with the ticketing scheme. This year, there is also the opportunity to donate to London-based rough sleeping charities when buying tickets, with donations going to akt, Centrepoint, Depaul UK, and New Horizon Youth Centre via TAP London.

Those without a ticket are encouraged to watch the display live on BBC One or via BBC iPlayer alongside millions of viewers or to celebrate the new year at the capital’s fantastic range of bars, restaurants, pubs and clubs.

City Hall is working with a wide range of partner agencies including the Met Police, TfL, local authorities and the emergency services to safely deliver the event.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I’m incredibly excited that Londoners and visitors to our capital can once again unite on the banks of the Thames to welcome in the new year by watching our world-famous fireworks. We are building a better London for everyone and New Year’s Eve is one of the biggest nights of the year for our hospitality industry with our fireworks providing an incredible moment to send a message of love and celebration to the world. This year will be our best ever and with the first batch of tickets selling out in just over five hours, I urge anyone wanting to attend to book as early as possible.”

Imran Tauqir, General Manager of The lastminute.com London Eye, said: “We are thrilled to have seen such an overwhelmingly positive response to the news that the world famous New Year’s Eve celebrations are returning to The lastminute.com London Eye. As an established part of the capital’s iconic skyline, we are delighted that once again people are able to come back together and celebrate the start of another year in this amazing city. Working closely with the Mayor of London’s office it’s an honour to once again to play our part in putting on a show for thousands of people here on London’s South Bank and around the world to enjoy.” Photo by SIMarsden, Wikimedia commons.