- Capital set to welcome 2022 with unique live broadcast spectacular on BBC One highlighting the defining moments of 2021 and looking ahead to the new year
- First details of a brand-new celebration event in Trafalgar Square revealed – with live music and performances on stage
- Mayor invites Londoners and visitors from around the world to support the resurgence of capital’s hospitality industry by booking ahead and ringing in the New Year in style at London’s world class bars, clubs, restaurants and attractions
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today announced that a new live broadcast spectacular celebrating our city and highlighting the most defining moments of 2021 will be the centrepiece of London’s world-famous New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Shown live exclusively on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, the broadcast will use state of the art technology to showcase London to the rest of the world and celebrate the capital roaring back to life as we look ahead to 2022.
The unique broadcast spectacular will tell the story of the most poignant moments of the last year, include a special live choir, and look ahead to the best of 2022 - including London hosting the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 amongst other highlights.
Londoners and visitors are urged to watch the spectacular show indoors live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer as the full spectacular show will not be visible from the ground or key locations in the capital.
The Mayor has also announced that for the first time ever Trafalgar Square will be the setting for a brand-new ticketed celebration event.1 It will include live music, some of London’s best stage performers, food stalls and a large screen showing the live broadcast to thousands of Londoners. Information on tickets, which will be by public ballot, will be released in due course. Scenes and performances from Trafalgar Square will be broadcast live online and will not be visible outside the Square.
The uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic this year - particularly around mass gatherings - has meant that London’s usual New Year’s Eve fireworks event, which takes a year to organise and requires committing millions of pounds in the first quarter of the year, could not be arranged with the required certainty.2
However, Sadiq is encouraging Londoners and visitors from around the world to welcome the new year in style at the city’s world class restaurants, bars, clubs and attractions and book ahead now to make the most of what will be a very special and unique New Year’s Eve in London.
Live music events, river cruises, theatre performances, club nights, trips to museums, art galleries, dining out experiences will all be on offer, as London’s world-beating attractions and entertainment venues open their doors on New Year’s Eve for the first time since 2019.
The capital’s bridges, buildings and trees will be illuminated along the Southbank – as part of the Mayor’s Let’s Do London Winter Lights’ Season - and the city’s famous Christmas lights, ice rinks and festive markets will ensure London is gloriously decked out to ring in the new year.
Londoners and visitors can find out more about some of the amazing events and attractions on offer on New Year’s Eve via the Visit London website2 and are being urged to book ahead to ensure they are able to make the most of the capital’s fantastic New Year’s celebrations.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “London is the best place to be this New Year’s Eve. Our amazing city is open and thanks to the incredible work of the NHS, our key workers and the rollout of the vaccines, we can look forward to 2022 with renewed hope.
“This year, as well as a brand-new celebration event in Trafalgar Square, we can look forward to a live broadcast spectacular which will showcase our magnificent city on BBC One. London is simply magical during these winter months and after all we have endured as a city we have every reason to celebrate as we look ahead to the new year.
“For those heading out, our top-class attractions, theatres, restaurants, bars and entertainment venues are the envy of the world and are ready to welcome you with open arms. They are the perfect setting to ring in the new year in style alongside family and friends while supporting our hospitality, entertainment and night-time sectors which have been hit so hard by the pandemic.”
Kate Nicholls, CEO of UKHospitality, said: “After all the isolation we endured during the last 18 months, this New Year’s Eve will see London about as open as it can be to visitors from home and abroad. The banks of the Thames will be open, lit up, and a huge range of venues and visitor attractions will provide a warm welcome to those enjoying a memorable night out. New Year’s Eve is the perfect time to enjoy London and celebrate with the family and friends you missed most during the dark days of lockdown – let’s make the most of being able to socialise together again in our world class venues.
“Better still, while you’re enjoying London, you’ll be helping both the capital and the nation to get back on the road to prosperity, in safe and welcoming venues. London leads the world in hospitality and tourism and drives those sectors’ fortunes across the nation. There’s so much to do in London that you’ve probably forgotten about, so there’ll be more than enough to keep any visitor happy. My advice would be to book early to ensure you have a smooth plan through to the midnight celebrations and beyond.”
Met Police Commander Paul Brogden, in charge of the policing operation for London, said: “We will have a significant policing operation in place, with extra officers out across London, keeping people safe as they enjoy the celebrations and welcome the New Year in. Lots of events will be ticketed, so plan your night, and plan your journey.”
Notes to editors
1The Trafalgar Square celebration event is subject to the approval of a licencing application.
2It takes a year to organise an event of the magnitude of London’s traditional New Year’s Eve firework display, and for most of that year we have been in lockdown and covid uncertainty with the Government unable to confirm if mass gatherings would be able to go ahead. Arranging the traditional event on the Thames would have required committing to spend millions of pounds of tax-payers money at a time of major financial pressures and when it could not be guaranteed that the event would not later be cancelled due to the pandemic.
3London is bursting with a wide range of exciting ways for visitors and Londoners of all ages to welcome the new year. To get inspired, find out more and book ahead go to: visitlondon.com/NYE
Let’s Do London is reinvigorating central London and welcoming visitors from across the UK back to the capital with a curated programme of seasonal events and cultural activities designed to suit a range of age groups and interests. The campaign has included a major advertising drive supported by London & Partners and TfL, alongside new content on the Visit London website outlining all the campaign has to offer. For more information, please visit: https://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/lets-do-london
About London & Partners and visitlondon.com
Visitlondon.com is the official visitor guide to London and is run by London & Partners, the business growth and destination agency for London. Our mission is to create economic growth that is resilient, sustainable and inclusive.
Visitlondon.com is a comprehensive resource for everything that is happening in London. At any one time, this includes 20,000 event listings, plus content designed to inspire and assist visitors. Visitlondon.com is available in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish. Each month visitlondon.com attracts more than 3.5m visits and its social media channels have 1.75m followers. For more information visit visitlondon.com