London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks cancelled for second year due to Covid

Around 100,000 people attend display around Victoria Embankment each year

London’s world-famous New Year’s Eve fireworks display over the Thames has been cancelled for a second year running due to Covid, the city’s mayor has announced.

Despite the lack of any imminent threat of lockdown, the event has been shelved again “due to the uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic”.

A spokesperson for the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “This year, as always, London will be welcoming the new year in a spectacular way.

“Due to the uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, our world-famous New Year’s Eve display will not be held on the banks of the Thames this year.

“Last year’s successful show took place in a slightly different way due to the pandemic, and this year a number of exciting new options are being considered as part of our New Year’s Eve celebrations in London.”

Typically, more than 12,000 fireworks are used for the display, which was also called off last year in light of the strict lockdown measures introduced over the festive period in England.

Alternative plans to celebrate the new year have not yet been disclosed, with the mayor’s office promising to announce further details in due course.

London welcomed in 2021 with a light and fireworks show on the Thames, which included 300 drones drawing images in the sky above the O2 Arena, one of which showed the NHS logo in a heart while a child said: “Thank you NHS heroes.”

Around 100,000 people attend the display around Victoria Embankment each year, which debuted in December 1999, accompanied by a further 12 million watching on television.