London New Year’s Eve Fireworks tickets have gone, but you can still have fun. Whether you’re going out or staying in, there are loads of other great ways to celebrate NYE in London.
Celebrate New Year’s Eve and welcome in 2017 at the Mayor of London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks.
This spectacular event takes place on the River Thames, opposite the Houses of Parliament.
Get ready for one of the most spectacular celebrations of its kind in the world. Set against the capital’s unique skyline, it really is a sight to behold.
The event is ticketed and starts from 5pm to 2am.
The 2016 Lord Mayor’s Show and the 801st anniversary of the Lord Mayor’s journey will be on Saturday 12th November 2016. The ancient carnival is loved the world over and regarded as a classic piece of British pageantry in the UK calendar.
When the Lord Mayor’s journey began, London and Westminster were two small towns separated by open countryside. The quickest and safest way to get from one to the other was to travel up the Thames, and for the first few hundred years the Lord Mayor’s Show did just that.
If you’ve ever wondered why a carnival is made up of floats, that’s why. Crowds would watch from the banks of the Thames and a host of little Thames boats would tag along, causing the proper London traffic jam that you see in Canaletto’s paintings.
THE FLOTILLA
After several centuries, the Lord Mayor’s flotilla is back in the water. The new Lord Mayor will travel in QRB Gloriana, the traditional Thames barge made famous in the Jubilee celebrations, with an accompanying procession of 24 traditional Thames boats from London’s livery companies and port authorities.
The Lord Mayor will board Gloriana in Vauxhall at 08:30 then the flotilla will make its way downstream, passing under Vauxhall, Lambeth, Westminster, Waterloo, Blackfriars, London and Tower bridges before finally disembarking at HMS President, just below St Katherine’s dock. The journey will take about an hour, and the Lord Mayor will reach Mansion House ready to join the procession to the Royal Courts.
The Lord Mayor’s Show is a procession of more than 7,000 people, 200 horses and 140 floats. It’s three miles long and can never be fully assembled because the route from Mansion House to the Royal Course covers less than two miles.
The procession will set off from Mansion House at 11:05am. It is led away by the Band of the Coldstream Guards and at a steady marching pace they will take 27 minutes to get to the Royal Courts. The procession that follows is over an hour long, so the City’s sanitation department (who always bring up the rear) will reach the courts at around 12.30. The return leg leaves Temple Place at 1.10pm and the tail of the procession arrives back at Mansion House at 2.30. A detailed timetable will be available here with times accurate to the second.
5:15pm on November 12th: To mark the end of the Lord Mayor’s Show and the beginning of a new mayoral year, London’s newly confirmed Lord Mayor will launch a splendid fireworks display over the river.
It’s one of London’s most spectacular annual displays and you’ll be able to see the fireworks for miles, but for the best view head down to the riverside between Waterloo and Blackfriars Bridges, either on Victoria Embankment or on the South Bank. All the roads and both side of Waterloo bridge will be closed to traffic so there’s plenty of room. Blackfriars Bridge is also closed on the northbound side, so there will be room for everyone.
You can expect the display to last 15-20 minutes and the roads to reopen at around 6.30.
On 4th and 5th November, North London’s premiere firework event at Alexandra Palace returns with a bigger bang than ever, now spanning two days due to public demand. Following the last few years’ sell out events, Ally Pally’s legendary firework festival has added an extra day of festivities with early bird tickets now on sale starting from just £6. Much more than just a firework display, ticket holders have access to a whole day of fun from early till late; featuring a giant bonfire, ice skating, fun fair, a huge street food and craft beer village and even an epic Day of the Dead parade set to be the largest London has ever seen. This is one bonfire night spectacle not to be missed.
What’s more, additional tickets can be purchased for the German Bier Festival as part of the Fireworks Festival. In the Palace’s iconic great hall, over 5,000 revellers are expected each night where they will be treated to an Oktoberfest style experience in the huge bier keller, featuring a selection of premium German Biers served by Bavarian waitresses, plus live music and entertainment all evening.
Ally Pally fireworks events always sell out - Londoners are advised to snap up their tickets now for this unique bonfire night event.
Outdoors
This year the Firework Display is back and it’s bigger and brighter than ever. From Alexandra Palace’s unique panoramic viewpoint, the London skyline provides the backdrop for this spectacular show that will light up the sky with a huge display that also includes an epic laser show. The display starts from 9pm on Friday and 8pm on Saturday.
Londoners looking for something unique this bonfire night are invited to discover a new addition to the festival line up, the Day of the Dead Parade. This epic spectacle will feature Lady Layton’s Big Band Extravaganza, marching bands from New Orleans, an amazing 20 piece drum machine, fire dancers, Aztec Angels, giant illuminated colourful skeletons and even the actual puppets used in the latest James Bond film ‘Spectre’. This will be the largest and most spectacular day of the dead parade seen in London, something not to be missed.
The Giant Bonfire located in the huge Family Area provides the perfect place for crowds to keep warm on a November eve. In this dedicated area there will also be a kid’s funfair, independent food stalls, fully stocked bars including delicious mulled wine, face painting and treats for the little ones; not to mention a fantastic view of the fireworks.
What’s more, the Street Food & Craft Beer Village has expanded for 2016 with many of London’s top vendors serving a wide range of delicious street food, craft beer, mulled wine and more.
Indoors
As part of the festival, revellers can purchase an additional ticket for the now legendary German Bier Festival taking place over the two festival days. Over 5,000 ticket holders per day will enjoy being served the finest German Bier by an army of Bavarian waitresses accompanied by an oompah band and DJs all night. DJs from London’s infamous pop purveyors Club De Fromage will be spinning classic tunes all night, with headline acts from a David Bowie tribute on Friday and a tribute to Queen on Saturday.
Ally Pally’s iconic Ice Rink will have public sessions all day, plus there will be an ice disco in the evening for festival goers to show off their moves on the ice.
