Sadiq Khan has issued a warning as Britons prepare to usher in the New Year, with the traditional firework display in central London.
The Mayor of London, now in his third term, posted online, as well as directing people to plan ahead for travel, with his office reminding people of the different zones that will see swathes of central London closed off to the public.
Roads in Westminster and Southwark will be closed, as vehicle access is due to be closed off by the Police ahead of the extravagant display.
The event, which attracts hundreds of thousands of people each year, will also be broadcast live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, enabling people to watch from home.
But the Mayor has reminded people not to bring glass bottles, their own fireworks or even sparklers to the event. City Hall has also told people not to bring suitcases, or backpacks.
Mr Khan’s own warning reminded people they must have a ticket in order to attend the event. Tickets have sold out, and those without one will need to watch the event online.
He has also encouraged attendees to check their travel, as not all trains will be running throughout the night. His official website states: “You won’t be able to attend the fireworks without a ticket.”
However, for those wishing to attend, but do not have a ticket, unfortunately they sold out days ago. Tickets were sold through Ticketmaster, and have tiered pricing based on your viewing area, as well as whether or not attendees live in London.
Category A tickets go at £55 a head, and £35 for those living in the City. Category B fetches £40 for those outside the City and £20 for Londoners. When they were on sale, you could only buy 4 tickets.
And prices increased this year, but only for non-Londoners, where the price increased by £5. City Hall says that is to enable the facilitation of “enhanced security and crowd management within and around the event footprint”.
Attendees with tickets must present a photo ID, which should be a passport or photo driving license, or photocopy of either.
Ahead of tonight’s event, Primrose Hill, which famously saw 30,000 people attend last year to watch, has been closed.
The closure came months after the Royal Parks police unit was shelved due to funding shortages, although the Met insisted the decision to stop the gathering was taken by a local charity.
A spokesperson for the force said: “The decision to close Primrose Hill on New Year’s Eve is one taken by the Royal Parks, not the police.”
The main event in London will go ahead, with the Police saying it is “one of the busiest nights of the year” for them. The weather is predicted to be cool and clear.
Commander John said: “This is always one of the busiest nights of the year for us and working alongside our partners we start the planning many months ahead of time.
“We will be working closely with our emergency services colleagues to make sure Londoners and the huge number of people visiting the capital can welcome in 2026 in safety and security.
“The most visible part of our policing plan will be the officers in central London, but it extends right across the city. We’re there to provide a reassuring presence, to deter those who might want to take advantage of the crowds to commit crime and to respond decisively to any incidents.
“Please help us by being responsible and only calling 999 in a genuine emergency. Every unnecessary call – whether to the police, the ambulance service or the fire brigade – risks delaying us getting urgent help to those who need it most.”
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