UK prepares to usher in New Year as crowds brave cold to gather in London
As the UK prepares to kick off 2026, thousands of people braved the cold to ring in the new year at a fireworks display in London.
Large crowds gathered on the banks of the River Thames before the fireworks display near the London Eye at midnight, even though the temperature was around zero degrees.
Tickets to see the exhibition up close attracted great interest and were completely sold out. Areas around the exhibition, including the Embankment and parts of Lambeth, began to close to the public as early as 2pm to prepare for the show.
However, this year people cannot use Primrose Hill’s viewpoint. The green space in Camden offers panoramic views of the capital and an estimated 30,000 revelers celebrated the start of the year at the park in 2024, but this year the park is closed and the gates will not reopen until 6am on New Year’s morning.
Royal Parks, the charity that runs the site, says this is partly due to the Met’s decision to disband the Royal Parks police earlier this year.
New Year’s fireworks displays are held in a number of other UK cities; Edinburgh’s Hogmanay returns with more than 40,000 attendees after being canceled last year due to weather conditions.
Thousands of people began gathering in central Edinburgh before 10pm, with the night’s entertainment including a pipe band, drummers, a DJ set from Belgian duo 2manydjs and a silent disco in preparation for the city’s famous Hogmanay celebrations on Princes Street.
Among those attending was a primary school teacher from New Zealand who said she came to Edinburgh because “it’s the place to be for New Year’s”.
Ann Bracefield, 55, said: “I have a teacher friend who tried to come from New Zealand last year but missed it because it was cancelled.
“So it was like ‘alright, I’ll try it.’ So, according to Scott from Bangkok, I actually did it.”
Asked to describe the atmosphere on Princes Street as the street party gets underway, he said: “It’s nice, it’s a bit quiet at the moment but I think it’s going to get really busy.”
Additionally, as part of preparations for the main event, a “promotional” fireworks display will be held every hour over Edinburgh Castle, with the first explosion starting at 21:00.
Meanwhile, the Gardens Concert begins at Princes Street Gardens West, led by the band Wet Leg.
Organizers said more than 40,000 tickets were sold for the event, which was canceled last year due to weather conditions.
Manchester’s official exhibition will take place in St Peter’s Square in the city centre, while Newcastle upon Tyne’s Quayside will host a “Howaymanay” in the new year.
Geordie’s take on the Scottish tradition will be a festival in itself, boasting a massive fireworks display of course.
As 2026 begins in other time zones, New Year’s Eve fireworks and celebrations are already taking place around the world.
Kiritimati island was the first place in the world where 2026 was celebrated. It is part of the Pacific Ocean nation of Kiribati, located south of Hawaii and northeast of Australia. It consists of several atolls of ring-shaped coral reefs and stretches approximately 2,500 miles from east to west.
Australia welcomed 2026 with a spectacular fireworks display at the Sydney Opera House, as well as a moment of silence to remember the victims of the Bondi Beach attack.
40,000 fireworks spread more than four miles across buildings and barges throughout the harbor.
An hour before midnight, the victims of the country’s deadliest terror attack, which left 15 people dead and 40 injured, were remembered with a moment of reflection as images of the menorah were projected onto the Sydney Harbor Bridge. The crowd was invited to show their solidarity with Australia’s Jewish community by shining telephone flashlights along the harbour.
Japan and South Korea celebrated the New Year with a traditional bell ceremony around 3 p.m. Tens of thousands of people gathered at the Bosingak Pavilion in central Seoul for the countdown.
At midnight local time, a bronze bell was struck 33 times, a tradition that comes from Buddhist cosmology and symbolizes the 33 heavens.
Lanterns are lit to mark the occasion as the sounds are believed to banish misfortune and bring peace and prosperity for the coming year.
Fireworks also lit up the sky above Seoul’s Lotte World Tower, South Korea’s tallest building, before a spectacular display was staged over Marina Bay in Singapore.
Fireworks in the UK will set off ahead of New York at 5am (GMT) on New Year’s morning, with performances from Diana Ross and Ciara joining the celebrations. People lined up around 6th Street hours in advance.
