New Year’s Eve LIVE: London sees in 2024 with huge fireworks display as bad weather cancels other celebrations
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The UK welcomed in 2024 with a bang as tens of thousands packed out London and Edinburgh to watch the cities’ world-famous New Year’s Eve fireworks displays.
Tickets for the event in London sold out and official viewing areas were full. Organisers finished checks on the pyrotehnics with more than 10,000 fireworks shooting up into the night’s sky after the Big Ben countdown.
After millions watched the spectacular displays in Sydney and Auckland, city mayor Sadiq Khan joked that the events would be “nothing” compared to London’s show.
He said planning on the event started in July, and over the last week 75 men and women have been “getting both sides of the River Thames ready”.
However, it is a different story elsewhere in the country. A weather warning for strong winds covers southern coastal areas of England and Wales, and has resulted in the cancellation of two events.
Plymouth’s Winter Wonderland and Barnstaple’s annual firework display have both been called off.
Key Points
Khan promises surprises
Fireworks events cancelled due to weather
Europe welcomes 2024
Celebrations kick off in Edinburgh
Sydney welcomes in 2024 with New Year's fireworks display over Harbour
Watch live as Pope Francis leads New Year’s Day Mass from the Vatican
09:30 , Barney Davis
After mass the Pope will go to Peter’s Balcony to deliver his papal blessing to the watchful crowd at St Peter’s Square, weather permitting. In 2020 the head of the Catholic Church was forced to give the Angelus blessing from the papal library due to poor weather.
Last year was a solemn event: Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI died on New Year’s Eve at the age of 95, causing thousands of Catholics to gather in Saint Peter’s Square to remember the former leader of the Church.
Watch live: Pope Francis leads New Year’s Day Mass
Watch New York ball drop as thousands gather in Times Square for 2024 countdown
09:19 , Barney Davis
Tens of thousands of people gathered in New York City’s Times Square for the countdown to 2024 on Sunday (31 December).
Those celebrating the end of 2023 and the start of a brand new year were showered with confetti as they watched the descent of the colourful ball marking the birth of 2024.
Watch New York ball drop as thousands gather in Times Square for 2024 countdown
Watch spectacular New Year’s Eve fireworks as London welcomes 2024
08:14 , Barney Davis
New Year's celebration sweeps across the globe, but wars cast a shadow on 2024
08:05 , Barney Davis
New Year’s Day arrived to cheers from tens of thousands of beaming people in New York’s Times Square who were showered with confetti and hugs and kisses after watching the descent of the colourful ball marking the birth of 2024 with hope for some, even as the world’s ongoing conflicts subdued celebrations and raised security concerns across the globe.
There were snapshots of joy from country to country as the new year was welcomed with optimism that its days will bring more joy than sorrow.
Before midnight arrived in Times Square, December Lee, 26, and Shadayah Lawrence, 25, of Columbus, Ohio, said their New York visit highlighted four years of traveling the globe.
“It is a good way to bring in the new year,” Mr Lee said.
A small army of thousands of police officers worked to keep New York City safe, just as heightened security had done in the cities midnight hit first. New York has seen near-daily protests sparked by the Israel-Hamas war.
Some 90,000 police and security officers were deployed around France including along Champs-Elysees Avenue, where large crowds took in a multidimensional light show projected onto the Arc de Triomphe showcasing the history of Paris and sports on the menu for next year’s Summer Olympics in the city.
‘Going well so far’ New Yorkers last to see in 2024
07:30 , Barney Davis
“It’s beautiful,” Corin Christian of Charlotte, North Carolina, said of the scene seconds past midnight as Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” blared from speakers in Times Square as thousands held cell phones in the air, trying to capture clock strike midnight.
“It’s going very well so far,” said Jacob Eriksson of Salt Lake City, Utah, with the earliest assessment of the New Year.
The march of midnight from time zone to time zone brought 2024 first to places like Australia, where more than 1 million people watched a pyrotechnic display centred around Sydney’s famous Opera House — a number of spectators equivalent to 1 in 5 of the city’s residents.
It would be another 16 hours before New York finished 2023.Also in Times Square, Tyrell Jacobs, 27, and Sarah Crayton, 26, arrived from New Orleans 15 hours before midnight and got engaged in streets packed with tens of thousands of people counting first the hours and then the minutes until midnight.
“It’s definitely a must-see,” Crayton said of the colourful cast of strangers nearby in tall hats and blowing noisemakers even before the ball dropped.
“At least go once, you know, just to experience the magic.”
Security tightened for New Year’s Eve celebrations after FBI warnings
06:30 , Namita Singh
The governor of New York has announced heightened public safety measures for New York City’s New Year’s Eve celebration.
Governor Kathy Hochul’s announcement comes about two weeks after the Federal Bureau of Investigation issued a Public Service Announcement warning that threats of violence against the United States are likely heightened because of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
Report:
Security tightened for New Year's Eve celebrations after FBI warnings
06:00 , Namita Singh
How I’m celebrating a sober New Year’s Eve
05:30 , Namita Singh
The last night of the year is supposed to be one for celebration. But when you aren’t drinking, it can be a tricky thing to navigate. Christopher R Moore shares his experience of more than 1,000 days of being sober and what it means for New Year’s celebrations.
You can read the full article here
How I’m celebrating a sober New Year’s Eve | Christopher R Moore
Thousands gather in Times Square for New Year ball drop
05:24 , Namita Singh
After standing in New York City’s Times Square for more than a dozen hours, thousands of revellers cheered in the New Year on Sunday night with the annual ceremony of a descending crystal-clad ball.
Many had arrived early in the morning for a spot in one of the barricaded pens set up by the New York Police Department, ahead of musical performances by Megan Thee Stallion and LL Cool J before the final countdown to midnight.
“This is my first time to celebrate the New Year in Times Square,” said Nadja Sjostrom, 44, who had travelled from Stockholm, Sweden, a few days earlier for the occasion and had been standing amid the giant illuminated billboards of Times Square since about 8am.
It was a shorter commute for Markus Washington, a 49-year-old resident of Brooklyn, but also his first time at the Times Square celebration.
“It’s a very good feeling,” he said. “Awesome. Cold, but awesome.”
Antonio Ruz, 51, had booked a flight from Granada, Spain, in order to make a lifelong dream come true, joining the crowds to get into the barricaded area at about 8.15am.
“Since I was a kid, I saw on TV this is spectacular show, so I had to live it,” he said. He called it a “once in a lifetime” moment, emphasizing that he did not plan to return. “I love New York, but 15 hours is too long to wait for a moment.”
In pictures: New York ringing in 2024
05:05 , Namita Singh
World welcomes 2024 with New Year's fireworks, reflection and a royal farewell
04:55 , Namita Singh
The world welcomed 2024 with a mix of celebration and somber reflection.
Sydney sparkled under a shower of silver and gold fireworks commemorating the 50th anniversary of its iconic Opera House, while the mood in Gaza remained bleak, with residents more concerned with survival. In Europe, Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II announced her abdication after over half a century on the throne.
Russian president Vladimir Putin made only passing reference in New Year address to his war in Ukraine, hailing his soldiers as heroes but mostly emphasising unity and shared determination.
North Korea vowed to launch three new spy satellites, build military drones and boost its nuclear arsenal in 2024
At his Sunday prayers, Pope Francis said: “I wish everyone a peaceful end of the year, and please do not forget to pray for me”.
French president Emmanuel Macron in a televised address ahead of New Year celebrations said 2024 would be “the year of our French pride” marked by the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games and the reopening of Notre-Dame cathedral after a devastating fire.
At the stroke of midnight, the New Year gives a clean slate for long-elusive resolutions
04:30 , Namita Singh
It’s an annual end-of-year exercise in futility for many. But a clean slate awaits at the stroke of midnight for the next round of resolutions.
From the first spray of fireworks to the closing chorus of “Auld Lang Syne” 366 days into the future — 2024 is a leap year — it could be the year for finally achieving long-elusive goals, fulfilling aspirations and being resolute on all those New Year resolutions.
“As humans, we are creatures that aspire,” said Omid Fotuhi, a social psychologist who is a motivation and performance researcher.
“The fact that we have goals, the fact that we want to set goals is just a manifestation of that internal and almost universal desire to want to stretch, to want to reach, to want to expand and grow,” said Mr Fotuhi, the director of learning innovation at Western Governors University Labs and a research associate at the University of Pittsburgh.
“New Year’s resolutions are one of those ways in which we do that,” he said.
With any resolution, the goal is to improve your life and be in peace with yourself, say many, as they look for a clean slate.
Report:
At the stroke of midnight, the New Year gives a clean slate for long-elusive resolutions
In pictures: Sunrise on New Year's Day
04:15 , Namita Singh
Manhattan gears up for New Year
04:00 , Namita Singh
In New York, tens of thousands of revelers are gathered in Manhattan’s Times Square to wait for the lighted ball to drop at midnight, after scheduled performances by musicians including Megan Thee Stallion and LL Cool J.
Thousands ring in 2024 as London declares itself ‘a place for everyone’
03:30 , Namita Singh
Tens of thousands of revellers started 2024 with a bang as fireworks and drones lit up the sky over London and told the world the city is “A Place for Everyone”.
After the bongs of Big Ben sounded midnight, “London: A Place for Everyone” was written high above the crowds as the unity-themed display welcomed the new year.
In a display that lasted almost 15 minutes, 100,000 people cast their eyes to the sky to take in the firework, laser, and drone spectacular.
As hits by the Spice Girls, Calvin Harris, Dua Lupa and others rang out across the city, revellers were invited to look back on 2023.
The celebration referenced the King’s coronation and also used Charles’ quote to mark the 75th anniversary of the Windrush crossing in which he said the new arrivals “collectively enrich the fabric of our national life”.
More here:
Thousands ring in 2024 as London declares itself ‘A Place for Everyone’
In pictures: Brazil welcomes New Year
03:20 , Namita Singh
Archbishop of Canterbury prays for peaceful 2024 in New Year message
03:00 , Stephanie Cockroft
The Archbishop of Canterbury called on people to “stand with those suffering because of war and to seek to make peace” as he prayed for a peaceful 2024 in his New Year message.
The Most Rev Justin Welby said “wars seem everywhere at the moment” as he delivered his annual start-of-the-year address.
Speaking from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, he said: “Wars seem everywhere at the moment. Wars we know about, wars forgotten.
“I’ve seen for myself the ongoing human cost of war.
“Jesus Christ tells us to stand with those suffering because of war, and to seek to make peace.”
In his address, the archbishop also praised the armed forces as he said they embody the theme of the King’s coronation last year.
He said soldiers were at the centre of the celebrations not “just because the world marvelled at their displays of pageantry” but because they, “like many, many others in the country”, embodied service.
The Archbishop of Canterbury’s New Year Message will be broadcast on BBC1 and iPlayer at 12.55pm on Monday January 1.
‘Incredible’ fireworks display and Pulp concert light up Hogmanay celebrations
02:51 , Namita Singh
Revellers at Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations brought in the new year with an evening of fireworks and music from Pulp.
Thousands gathered at the sold-out Princes Garden Street Party and Concert in the Gardens for the festival’s 30th anniversary.
The event, organised by UniqueAssembly and City of Edinburgh Council, was be headlined by Pulp, who have not played in the city in 20 years.
Following the first part of set, the fireworks began at midnight and crowds cheered, roared and sang.
Mark Wright, 50, said: “This is the first time I’ve been here. The fireworks were brilliant.
More here:
‘Incredible’ fireworks display and Pulp concert light up Hogmanay celebrations
02:00 , Stephanie Cockroft
Sadiq Khan has posted a video clip of London’s fireworks display, spelling out the messages that ran through the spectacle.
He said: “From London to the world: a message of unity, love & hope. Our city is a place for everyone. You are free to be who you want and love who you want. Our NHS are the best of us. A greener, fairer, future is within our grasp.”
From London to the world: a message of unity, love & hope. ❤️🙏🏾🌎
✊🏾 Our city is a place for everyone
✨️ You are free to be who you want & love who you want
💙 Our NHS are the best of us
🌎 A greener, fairer, future is within our grasp#LoveLondon #HappyNewYear pic.twitter.com/TXBd6AY1Mq— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) January 1, 2024
Happy New Year! Spectacular fireworks display in London takes country into 2024
01:28 , Stephanie Cockroft
Tens of thousands of revellers braved the cold and blustery weather to see London’s breathtaking New Year’s Eve firework show as the UK welcomed in 2024 with a bang.
There wasn’t a spare place to stand along the River Thames near the London Eye as people from all around the world gathered to watch the 12-minute long spectacular which also featured a drone light show and music.
Those in attendance, some waiting since 7.30am, cheered as the countdown started before the bongs of Big Ben sounded at midnight and the 12,000 fireworks lit up the dark and damp night sky.
Read the full story here
Happy New Year! Spectacular fireworks display in London takes country into 2024
A Place for Everyone: Thousands ring in 2024 with London fireworks display
01:00 , Stephanie Cockroft
Thousands of revellers started 2024 with a bang as fireworks and drones lit up the sky over London and told the world the city is “A Place for Everyone”.
After the bongs of Big Ben sounded midnight, “London: A Place for Everyone” was written high above the crowds as the unity-themed display welcomed the new year.
The display marked the King’s coronation year and also used Charles’ quote to mark the 75th anniversary of the Windrush crossing in which he said the new arrivals “collectively enrich the fabric of our national life”.
There were repeated references to London’s diversity and inclusivity, with the capital telling the world everyone is welcome in a city where people can be themselves.
The show, designed by the Cambridgeshire-based pyrotechnics firm Titanium Fireworks, boasted more than 12,000 fireworks.
Spectators share incredible videos of London fireworks display
00:41 , Stephanie Cockroft
Those watching London’s famous New Year fireworks display have shared incredible videos of the spectacle
Enjoy them below:
#LondonNYE #LondonFireworks#HappyNewYear everyone 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/sRwFRoq1cW
— Ali (@RoyMustang786) January 1, 2024
London has the best firework display in the world! #LondonNYE #LondonFireworks pic.twitter.com/Lnrj6L5ivP
— Charlie Watts (@char1iewatts) January 1, 2024
Happy New Year 🎆🎇
The London skyline ablaze with New Year's Eve fireworks – a breathtaking symphony of light and celebration! 🥂🌟 #NYE #NewYear2024 #LondonFireworks #HappyNewYear pic.twitter.com/nhlnGfQjLe— Jerahl Hall (@JerahlHall) January 1, 2024
The display is over... but the celebrations continue
00:23 , Stephanie Cockroft
And what a display it was!
Highlights so far
00:12 , Alex Ross
Aside from the incredible firework display still going on we’ve heard a short review of the year with the coronation of King Charles III and the anniversary of the NHS read out.
Then there was a light display of a child blowing dandelions seeds across the sky.
Oh, and we’ve also had the Spice Girls
Stunning scene from London right now
00:08 , Alex Ross
Countdown
00:00 , Alex Ross
Big Ben is now sounding.... and the countdown....5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Happy New Year
Sweet dreams
Sunday 31 December 2023 23:59 , Alex Ross
The sound of Eurythmics’ hit Sweet Dreams fills the night sky in London as we approach countdown..... a minute away now
Spectacular scenes in Paris
Sunday 31 December 2023 23:52 , Alex Ross
More than 800,00 people were on the Champs Elysees boulevard to celebrate the start of 2024, and they got a sight of this..
We are just 15 minutes away....
Sunday 31 December 2023 23:45 , Alex Ross
It’s not long to go until the countdown at Big Ben and the huge firework display around the London Eye.
Whether you are one of the lucky ones to get a ticket to see it live, or you are watching it from home, we at The Independent wish you an early Happy New Year
Heightened security
Sunday 31 December 2023 23:39 , Alex Ross
Security has been heightened across European cities for the celebratrions.
German authorities said they had detained three more people in connection with a reported threat of a New Year‘s Eve attack by Islamic extremists on the world-famous Cologne Cathedral.
In Berlin, some 4,500 police officers are in place to keep order and avoid riots like a year ago. Police in the German capital issued a ban on the traditional use of fire crackers for several streets across the city. They also banned a pro-Palestinian protest in the Neukoelln neighbourhood of the city, which has seen several pro-Palestinian riots.
In France, 90,000 law enforcement officers have been deployed. Of those, 6,000 are n Paris, where French interior minister Gerald Darmanin said more than 1.5 million people would attend celebrations on the Champs-Elysees.
Europe welcomes 2024
Sunday 31 December 2023 23:35 , Alex Ross
Traditional processions to music concerts to outdoor parties - it’s all happening across Europe right now as the continent celebrates the turn of the year
Dress appropriately
Sunday 31 December 2023 23:23 , Alex Ross
If you’re not watching tonight’s display from the warmth of your own home, then dress appropriately, as it’s cold and windy. These two have the right idea!
It’s 2024 in Paris
Sunday 31 December 2023 23:19 , Alex Ross
How about this for a light show as the Arc de Triomphe is lit up as Paris enters 2024
Celebrations have already started in Edinburgh
Sunday 31 December 2023 23:16 , Alex Ross
It’s not yet midnight, but the firework displays have started earlier in Edinburgh where the city’s Hogmanay sees people come from around the world for the three-day festival to celebrate the new year.
The build-up in London in pics
Sunday 31 December 2023 23:12 , Alex Ross
Here’s a selection of pictures taken from the wires ahead of the “big one” in London
Sadiq Khan speaking ahead of tonight’s event
Sunday 31 December 2023 23:04 , Alex Ross
Well, the excitement is certainly building with less than an hour to go. Here’s what the city’s mayor said on preparations:“I’ve got to say to my friends in New Zealand and Australia, well done for what you did in Auckland and Sydney, but that’s nothing compared to what we’re going to do in London just after midnight.
“The teams have been working really hard. We started planning this in July. Over the last four or five days, 75 men and women have been getting both sides of the River Thames ready.
“We have got 12 to 13 minutes of amazing fireworks, amazing music and amazing light display and one or two surprises as well.”
Rachel Riley reflects on New Year’s Eve feeling ‘sombre’ amid Gaza conflict
Sunday 31 December 2023 21:47 , Stephanie Cockroft
Rachel Riley has said that New Year’s Eve “feels sombre” and hopes 2024 will bring a change amid the conflict in Gaza and Israel.
In an Instagram post on Sunday, the Countdown star, 37, wrote that “Holocaust education feels present and urgent” since the attack by Hamas on October 7.
She said the group, a proscribed terrorist organisation by the UK government, were brutal “against men, women, children, Holocaust survivors, foreign workers, Israeli Arabs, and anyone else who was unlucky enough to have been in the vicinity of Hamas during their attacks”.
Riley added: “As a result, incidents of anti-Jewish hate are surging around the world and of course this New Year’s Eve feels sombre.”
She also wrote: “I hope, as every decent person does, for the remaining 139 hostages in Gaza to return home to their families, and for an end to the violence in Gaza and the region as soon as possible that allows for stable and safe home for everyone there to be able to live in peace.”
Riley also said she is “grateful to be in the relative safety of Britain” and hopes for a miracle next year in the region.
Since the conflict, she has spoken at protests against antisemitism and has in recent years been a vocal critic of Labour’s handling of alleged antisemitism within the party.
More pictures of celebrations around the world
Sunday 31 December 2023 21:00 , Alex Ross
Events cancelled due to weather
Sunday 31 December 2023 20:56 , Alex Ross
The strong winds in some parts of the UK has forced some organisers to cancel New Year’s Eve events.
Both Winter Wonderland in Plymouth and an annual fireworks display in Barnstaple, in Devon, have been cancelled this evening.
Organiers of Winter Wonderland said: “As much as we are very disappointed and frustrated, your safety comes first, as well as ours, and we can’t possibly take the risk”.
And in Barnstaple, the town centre management team said: “Unfortunately due to the weather conditions and the gusting winds we will be unable to do the fireworks this evening due to safety.
“We know this is disappointing, but safety is always the priority and we unfortunately can’t control the weather.”
Tonight’s events come amidst a yellow weather warning from the Met Office for strong winds along coastal areas of southern England. The warning expires at midnight tonight.
‘Left in a state'
Sunday 31 December 2023 20:32 , Alex Ross
We’re hearing from more people left stranded abroad by the cancellation of Eurostar services on Saturday - including some with booked tickets for New Year’s Eve events in London.l
Luke Gibbs, 32, from Kenley, south London, travelled with his wife, Kyla, cousin Liam Eton and sister-in-law Brea Melanson, from Canada, to Brussels and planned to arrive in London in time for New Year’s Eve celebrations on Sunday.
Mr Gibbs, a business development manager, paid £600 for a New Year’s Eve event in London Bridge, which is not refundable and now he cannot attend after his train from Brussels to St Pancras was cancelled.
He described the communication with Eurostar as “appalling”.
“I think the way (Eurostar) dealt with it is pretty appalling in terms of not trying to say ‘this is how you rebook it, we’ll help you out with expenses’,” Mr Gibbs told the PA news agency.
“They just said, ‘unfortunately, it’s cancelled, we’re sorry, get on with it’, which is shocking really.”
Shock as Queen of Denmark uses New Year’s Eve speech to announce abdication
Sunday 31 December 2023 20:04 , Stephanie Cockroft
In Denmark, Queen Margrethe II used her New Year’s Eve speech to announce that she would abdicate the throne.
The shock move means she will be succeeded by her son, Crown Prince Frederik, on 14 January - 52 years to the day since she came to the throne following the death of her father, King Frederik IX, in 1972.
In her televisied speech, she explained that her decision came after back surgery she underwent in February.
She said: “The surgery naturally gave rise to thinking about the future - whether the time had come to leave the responsibility to the next generation.”
Read the full article here
Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II announces shock abdication in New Year’s Eve speech
Security tightened for New Year's Eve celebrations after FBI warnings
Sunday 31 December 2023 20:00 , Holly Evans
The Governor of New York has announced heightened public safety measures for New York City’s New Years Eve celebration.
Governor Kathy Hochul’s announcement comes about two weeks after the Federal Bureau of Investigation issued a Public Service Announcement warning that threats of violence against the United States are likely heightened because of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
The FBI specifically cited New Year’s Eve as a point of concern, as well as winter holiday celebrations.
Read the full article here
Security tightened for New Year's Eve celebrations after FBI warnings
City of Edinburgh Council leader welcomes 30th anniversary of Hogmanay
Sunday 31 December 2023 19:00 , Holly Evans
Hogamany celebrations have now sold out in Edinburgh, the event organiser has announced. Unique Assembly said all tickets had been sold for both that event and the Concert in the Gardens, which will be headlined by Britpop stars Pulp.
Cammy Day, leader of City of Edinburgh Council, said: “I’m sure I speak for the whole city when I say how excited I am for the 30th anniversary edition of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay.
“From the incredible torchlight procession through to Pulp seeing us into 2024, and so much more, we’re really fortunate to have such excellent events on offer for our residents and visitors.”
He added: “Not only is Hogmanay an Edinburgh institution but it is also a major contributor to our city’s economy, providing jobs and commercial opportunities for our local residents and businesses.
“This is a time where we can celebrate the best of our city as one year closes and look ahead with pride and positivity to the next.
“I want to thank the organisers, our partners and, of course, council colleagues who have worked tirelessly on this event and will continue to in the coming days.
“I wish everyone in the capital a fantastic Hogmanay and a very happy new year.”
New Year’s Eve partygoers face weather chaos as 75mph winds and heavy rain to batter UK
Sunday 31 December 2023 18:00 , Stephanie Cockroft
Partygoers celebrating New Year’s Eve are likely to face heavy rain and potential snow, as the UK continues to reel in the aftermath of Storm Gerrit.
As millions ring in the start of 2024, people face damp fireworks displays as rain and wind batter the coastline areas and temperatures drop to near freezing.
Read the full article here
New Year’s Eve partygoers face weather chaos as wind and heavy rain to batter UK
More pictures from Asia
Sunday 31 December 2023 17:00 , Holly Evans
More pictures have emerged of celebrations in Thailand and Japan, with Buddhist ceremonies and parades taking place to start the New Year.
Will the BBC be showing the London fireworks?
Sunday 31 December 2023 16:30 , Holly Evans
The short answer, yes. If you fancy watching the UK’s biggest firework display from the comfort of your own home, BBC One will be live broadcasting the show.
From 11.30pm onwards, BBC will be airing Rick Astley Rocks New Year’s Eve from the Camden Roundhouse, before cutting to the display shortly before the countdown starts.
More than 100,000 people are expected to watch in person next to the River Thames, with millions more tuning in online or watching on the television.
Last year, 400 drones were used to create a shape of a crown in the sky in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, before transforming into the familiar image of the late monarch’s face on a huge coin.
One year on: Pictures of London’s celebrations to ring in 2023
Sunday 31 December 2023 16:00 , Holly Evans
New year timings across the world
Sunday 31 December 2023 15:35 , Holly Evans
While Japan, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea have welcomed in the New Year, there are still plenty of countries with several hours left of 2023.
Among those next to be celebrating is China, who will mark midnight at 4pm GMT, followed by Indonesia an hour later. While the eastern parts of Russia have moved into 2024, Moscow will not ring in the New Year until 9pm GMT.
After the UK and several European countries, several countries in south America, including Brazil, will celebrate at 3am GMT, followed by the US East Coast at 5am GMT.
Last to welcome 2024 will be Baker Island in the central Pacific Ocean at 12pm GMT.
Japan and South Korea are next to welcome 2024
Sunday 31 December 2023 15:05 , Holly Evans
In the last few minutes, several other countries have begun to celebrate the start of 2024 with fireworks and parades.
Ringing in the New Year at 3pm GMT was Japan, South Korea, North Korea,Timor-Leste and Palau.
In Seoul, a bell tolling and countdown ceremony has taken place in Bosingak Pavilion while crowds have gathered at a temple in central Tokyo to watch a traditional bell-ringing ceremony.
Pictures: Celebrations take place across the globe
Sunday 31 December 2023 14:50 , Holly Evans
50,000 revellers expected in Edinburgh as Hogmanay street party sells out
Sunday 31 December 2023 14:44 , Holly Evans
Tens of thousands of Hogmanay revellers are expected in Edinburgh to see in the New Year – with organisers of the Scottish capital’s famous street party confirming the event has now sold out.
Unique Assembly said all tickets had been sold for both that event and the Concert in the Gardens, which will be headlined by Britpop stars Pulp.
The band’s set will be punctuated by fireworks from Edinburgh Castle at midnight, marking the start of 2024.
Al Thomson co-director of Unique Assembly – which organises Edinburgh’s four-day Hogmanay celebrations on behalf of the city council – said: “We’re in for one hell of a party now!
“Fifty thousand people in the streets of Edinburgh enjoying good music, good company and one of the best fireworks displays in the world – there’s no better way to start the New Year.”
French family hoping for tickets on the Eurostar to spend New Year’s Eve with family
Sunday 31 December 2023 14:30 , Holly Evans
A French family are among those queuing at St Pancras International in the hope of getting tickets for a train home to Paris for New Year’s Eve so they can “party with friends”.
Emilio Fernandez, 22, is with his parents Catherine and Manuel Fernandez, 58 and 59, his sister Luna, 31, and four-year-old nephew Amani.
He said: “We were supposed to leave late (on Saturday) but it was cancelled in the afternoon. We were very worried because first it’s important to come back to our country to celebrate New Year’s Eve there, so we are very worried still because we are not sure that we will be able to leave.”
His mother said: “It’s very expensive to stay in London, even for a few days.”
Watch: Sydney welcomes in 2024 with New Year's fireworks display over Harbour
Sunday 31 December 2023 14:15 , Holly Evans
In pictures: Celebrations from around the world
Sunday 31 December 2023 13:55 , Holly Evans
UK weather conditions for New Year celebrations
Sunday 31 December 2023 13:35 , Holly Evans
With tens of thousands taking taking to the streets this evening, forecasters have warned that 2023 will finish on an unsettled note with low pressure bringing showery conditions for New Year/Hogmanay revellers.
Although the showers will be widespread, eastern areas of both England and Scotland will have the best prospect of avoiding the downpours. It will stay quite windy across Wales and southern England, with a yellow weather warning previously issued for severe gales.
Pictures of New Year celebrations from around the world
Sunday 31 December 2023 13:19 , Holly Evans
Happy New Year Sydney!
Sunday 31 December 2023 13:07 , Holly Evans
It’s now 2024 in eastern parts of Australia, with Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne becoming the latest cities to welcome the new year.
Crowds had begun to gather from 3am onwards with the hopes of napping a good spot to watch the iconic firework display, with all vantage points reportedly full by 7pm.
First pictures of fireworks over Sydney Harbour
Sunday 31 December 2023 13:04 , Holly Evans
The clock strikes midnight in Sydney
Sunday 31 December 2023 13:00 , Holly Evans
Sydney in Australia is the latest to celebrate the new year, with their iconic firework display starting the festivities.
Watch Sydney's fireworks event live
Sunday 31 December 2023 12:48 , Holly Evans
In pictures: Celebrations begin in Bali
Sunday 31 December 2023 12:46 , Holly Evans
Couple queue at St Pancras with hope of spending New Year’s with their daughters
Sunday 31 December 2023 12:28 , Holly Evans
Maes Bert and Lievens Nele, both 45, are in a large queue for tickets at London’s St Pancras International, hoping to get spaces on a train home to Brussels on Sunday so they can enjoy the New Year countdown with their two daughters after their train on Saturday was cancelled.
Ms Bert said: “Our tickets was cancelled yesterday so if you want a new ticket you have to queue here and hope you get one, and I hope we are getting home today, but it’s not sure there are tickets, so we have to wait and wait and wait, but it’s not going further, it takes a long time. “
Mr Nele said: “Yesterday we got to Dover for trying with a boat but that was not an option.”
Ms Bert said they had been queuing for about half an hour, adding: “Yesterday you can (re-)book your tickets but all was booked for today, but now they said there are coming more places for a train, so now we hope there is a place for two persons, and otherwise it’s tomorrow, but then we are not home for the holidays. Our two children are home.”
Mr Nele said: “They (their daughters) got back on a boat yesterday, there was places for two people and we gave the places to our daughters, Antje (20) and Janne (24).”
Rishi Sunak delivers New Year’s message as he looks ahead to 2024
Sunday 31 December 2023 12:22 , Holly Evans
Rishi Sunak delivers New Year’s message as he looks ahead to 2024
Pictures: Thousands gather in South Korea to watch final sunset
Sunday 31 December 2023 12:03 , Holly Evans
How to watch the London fireworks on TV and in-person
Sunday 31 December 2023 11:45 , Holly Evans
In London, hundreds of thousands of people will be joining the crowds with the hopes of grabbing a good spot to watch the countdown and see the sky light up with fireworks.
However, if you’d rather watch the spectacular display from the comfort of your own home, the excitement will be aired live on BBC One at midnight.
From 11.30pm onwards, BBC will be airing Rick Astley Rocks New Year’s Eve from the Camden Roundhouse, before cutting to the display shortly before the countdown starts.
If you are in the mood however to see the show from one of London’s iconic landmarks, crowds usually tend to gather in Southwark Bridge, Greenwich Park, Parliament Hill and along the River Thames.
However, you will need a ticket if you are entering the ticketed area along the Embankment.
Rishi Sunak hails a ‘momentous’ 2023 in New Year’s message
Sunday 31 December 2023 11:30 , Holly Evans
Met Office issues severe weather warning as New Year’s revellers face galeforce winds
Sunday 31 December 2023 11:24 , Holly Evans
Partygoers keen to ring in the New Year look to be facing erratic weather conditions across the country, with severe winds and rain due to lash down on the UK.
The Met Office has warned that travellers may face difficulties, with hundreds of train services across the country impacted and delays expected.
This comes after a windy night across much of southern England and parts of Wales, with a tornado warning in place until 6am on Sunday as the bad weather continues in the wake of Storm Gerritt.
Read more here
Met Office issues severe weather warning as New Year’s revellers face galeforce winds
Pictures: Crowds gather in Sydney ahead of countdown
Sunday 31 December 2023 11:23 , Holly Evans
Family hail New Year’s Eve miracle after getting unexpected Eurostar tickets home
Sunday 31 December 2023 11:17 , Holly Evans
A French family who feared they would not be able to get home until January 2 after Saturday’s Eurostar chaos saw their train cancelled have hailed their unexpected tickets home on Sunday as a New Year’s Eve “miracle”.
Isobel Ram, 49, her partner Amaury Ferrero, 52, and daughter Lee Ram, 20, live in Toulouse but their train home was cancelled on Saturday due to flooding in a tunnel in Kent.
Amid the chaos, they booked the first available return tickets, for January 2.
Ms Ram told the PA news agency: “We spent the night in a hotel, we came back this morning and a miracle happened and they gave us three tickets for today’s Eurostar (12.30pm train). We were worried we would be here until January 2.
“We were super happy but a bit embarrassed because there was a huge queue of people waiting behind us and we didn’t want to show we got tickets, make it too obvious, in case other people didn’t. But we said a huge thank you to the lady who did the tickets for us.”
She said her daughter is especially pleased they will be home for New Year’s Eve, adding: “She has got a huge party in Paris tonight. It’s excellent, fantastic, brilliant, a miracle.”
Sydney celebrates its 9pm family show ahead of midnight fireworks
Sunday 31 December 2023 11:13 , Holly Evans
Sydney Harbour has been lit up already by their 9pm family show, while tens of thousands have queued for hours to watch the iconic display at midnight.
New Zealand celebrates the start of 2024
Sunday 31 December 2023 11:03 , Holly Evans
New Zealand has become the next country to ring in the New Year, with a firework display taking place in front of large crowds in Auckland.
The country’s two main islands - North Island and South Island - are both in the same time zone while the Chatham Islands, which lie to the east, have a different time zone 45 minutes in advance.
Next to celebrate will be Australia in two hours time.
Happy New Year, Kiribati!
Sunday 31 December 2023 10:59 , Holly Evans
The small island nation of Kiribati became the first in the world to welcome 2024, with its clock hitting midnight 13 hours before the UK.
Next to celebrate will be New Zealand followed by Australia.
Happy New Year in Kiritimati!
Kiritimati island, in the Kiribati archipelago, is the official first place to celebrate the arrival of 2024 🎆
We wish you a wonderful 2024, whenever and however you are celebrating.
See you next year!https://t.co/hU27pjYJrV pic.twitter.com/5K64SZSfhK— ESA Earth Observation (@ESA_EO) December 31, 2023
Watch live: New Zealand welcomes in 2024 with New Year fireworks over Auckland
Sunday 31 December 2023 10:53 , Holly Evans
Welcome to our live coverage
Sunday 31 December 2023 10:51 , Holly Evans
Welcome to our live coverage of New Year celebrations across the world, as millions await the countdown to midnight.
We’ll be bringing you all the latest updates here.
