New Year's fireworks goers in London have been given a warning as Sydney, Paris and other cities brace for 2026 celebrations.
09:02, Wed, Dec 31, 2025 Updated: 09:02, Wed, Dec 31, 2025
London fireworks at New Year (Image: Getty)
London and cities across the world are preparing to welcome 2026 with stunning fireworks show and celebrations.
In the UK capital, a large number of people are expected to arrive for the show.
As a result, visitors have been told to avoid large parts of Central London due to congestion, including Big Ben, the London Eye, Trafalgar Square, Victoria Embankment, Tower Bridge, London Bridge, Waterloo Bridge and Southwark Bridge.
Paul Martinelli, the chair of the City Bridge Foundation, warned that "significant crowding on the bridges...can present a danger to all bridge users."
Meanwhile, numerous cities around the world have cancelled some events.
Sydney has cancelled a smaller firework show on Bondi Beach, Paris has cancelled a music event on the Champs-Elysées, and Tokyo has called off the countdown outside the city's Shibuya Station due to stampede fears.
The biggest New Year's Eve traditions are things countdowns, fireworks, big dinners, and resolutions, but there are also some more niche cultural rituals. For example:
People in regions of US Minor Outlying Islands won't ring in the new year until the equivalent of midday UK time on January 1, for example Baker Island and Howard Island.
Kiribati and Christmas Island are the first countries to celebrate the new year, with midnight for them falling at 10am UK time.
Kiribati is in the Micronesia sub-region of Oceania in the central Pacific Ocean, and made up of 32 atolls and other islands and one remote raised coral island, Banaba.
Christmas Island is an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean, lying south of Java, Indonesia. Most of the territory is covered by a national park, providing rainforest hikes to wetlands and waterfalls like Hugh's Dale.
Tickets to watch the Mayor of London's New Year's Eve fireworks are sold out unfortunately, but there are still places across the city that will provide good views of the display.
The trick is to go to parks that provide views of London for free, such as:
Parliament Hill/Hampstead Heath Hilly Fields Telegraph Hill Alexandra Palace
Alternatively, coverage of the fireworks will be live on the BBC if you'd prefer to stay at home.
Parts of Central London will be closed tonight due to the fireworks and only people with tickets to the event will be allowed access.
These include: around Big Ben, the London Eye, Trafalgar Square, Victoria Embankment, Tower Bridge, London Bridge, Waterloo Bridge and Southwark Bridge.
The map below shows the areas that will be shut off tonight and at what times.
Parts of London will be closed due to the fireworks. (Image: London Assembly)
People watching the fireworks in London have be urged not to go to certain areas as there's likely to be significant overcrowding.
If you haven't got tickets to the Mayor of London's New Year's Eve Fireworks but still want to find the best spot to view them, avoid some central areas.
Paul Martinelli, the chair of the City Bridge Foundation, said: "Tower Bridge, London Bridge and Southwark Bridge provide a terrible view of the fireworks. The Millennium Bridge will be closed, and Blackfriars Bridge will be off limits to non-ticket holders.
"We still expect to see significant crowding on the bridges, which can present a danger to all bridge users, including pedestrians and drivers who will also be using the bridges."
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