LONDON, England - A limited number of early release tickets for the Mayor of London's New Year's Eve fireworks celebrations will be made available in June. People, from anywhere in the UK or abroad, will be able to book tickets, guaranteeing themselves good views of the fantastic pyrotechnic display and a better visitor experience.
The early release of tickets will be available to the public from midday UK time on 19 June at £10 per person, which covers printing, infrastructure and other costs associated with ticketing. The main batch of tickets will be released in September.
The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: “We are planning another stunning display to celebrate New Year and showcase London around the world. As in 2014 you will need a ticket, as part of our efforts to ensure the event is as safe as possible, but even if you do not have one there will be plenty of fantastic celebrations going on across the capital to help non-ticketholders bring in 2016 with a bang.”
London is a special place at the turn of the year, the city is lit up and there is a sense of optimism for the year ahead. If you can’t get a ticket to attend the fireworks there are many other amazing events and experiences to enjoy, as long as visitors plan ahead and book in advance.
The capital's amazing night life is world famous and there are a multitude of ways to celebrate as establishments all over the city will be pulling out all the stops to make New Year’s Eve 2015 one of the most memorable ever. London offers the best dining experiences in the world from top class fare at one of the city’s Michelin starred restaurants, treating someone special to a romantic supper or taking an unforgettable dinner cruise down the Thames.
Many London pubs and gastro pubs will be staying open past midnight and top comedy clubs and West End theatres will be putting on great performances. London is also one of the clubbing capitals of Europe and there will be a whole host of specially organised club nights in unique locations around the city or top DJ sets at one of these well-known nightclubs.
Families can also have a great time by taking the children to an afternoon matinee or enjoying skating on the many ice rinks around the capital. While some might still be in bed, the New Year's Day Parade provides a stunning start to the New Year with marching bands, acrobats, cheerleaders and entertainers.
Gordon Innes, Chief Executive of London & Partners, added: “London is a fantastic city in which to bring in the New Year. The capital’s eclectic nightlife and world-class attractions offer something for everyone and London’s restaurants, bars and events venues deliver memorable and exciting celebrations year in, year out. To have the best experience possible, travellers to London should make sure to plan their trip in advance so that they can make the most of their visit to the capital at this very special time of year.”
Ticketing for London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks was brought in for the first time last year to help manage ever increasing crowd numbers heading into central London for the spectacular annual celebration. The aim was to reduce numbers to help ensure its long term sustainability as a safe and enjoyable event. As well as being enjoyed by revellers in the viewing areas, the internationally acclaimed display is watched by millions on television and helps promote London around the world.
Anyone without a ticket will not be able to get into this year's event. Since 2003 the number of people wanting to watch the display had grown from about 100,000 to more than half a million in 2013. Hundreds of thousands of people headed into central London, a large proportion of whom were unable to see the display at all, leaving them disappointed and with nowhere to go at midnight. The sheer numbers threatened the emergency services ability to respond to a major incident effectively, and left many thousands of people cold, tired and unable to get anywhere near the event.
Following the introduction of ticketing, on 31 December 2014 crowds were estimated to have been reduced significantly from 500,000 in 2013 to less than 350,000 – making the event more enjoyable for people and reducing the pressure placed on the emergency services.
