London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

Brits welcome 2023 with spectacular New Year’s fireworks displays

Brits welcome 2023 with spectacular New Year’s fireworks displays

As midnight struck, Britain welcomed 2023 with dazzling fireworks, light and drone displays for the first time in years.

In London, fireworks sparkled off the Thames and over Big Ben and the London Eye in a sight Londoners hadn’t seen in two years after the show was cancelled due to Covid-19.

Big Ben bonged in the capital city as some 100,000 people gathered along the Thames Embankment to catch a glimpse of the 12,000 fireworks.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan told Sky News said that from the good to the bad, the festivities would capture all that the last year had to offer.

And it did just that. The London Eye was transformed with the colours of the Ukrainian flag as London showed its solidarity with the war-torn country.

A glistening array of colours also shimmered over the river as the city celebrated 50 years of LGBTQ+ Pride.


Fireworks explode around the London Eye

A glistening array of colours also shimmered over the river as the city celebrated 50 years of LGBTQ+ Pride

There was also a tribute to Her Late Majesty

People record a drone depiction of Queen Elizabeth II

The display also honoured King Charles III

Fireworks light up the London skyline over Big Ben and the London Eye

More than 12,000 fireworks etched the skyline in what Sadiq Khan said was the ‘biggest fireworks display in Europe’

Some partygoers queued from 6pm

Dozens of drones soared across the skyline to form a crown in a touching tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, featuring a voice recording from her and words from Dame Judi Dench.

The voice of King Charles III called on people to do more to preserve the planet as climate catastrophe before the show ended in the colours of the Union Jack.

Partygoers all but shrugged off the Met Office’s yellow warnings for rain in England’s southwest and southern Wales.

Some umbrella-clutching revellers were seen outside Embankment as early as 6pm with snaking queues spotted by 9pm.

‘These are the biggest fireworks in Europe,’ Sadiq said.

‘I think they’re the best fireworks in the world – they’re the best we’ve had in London, the biggest we’ve had in London.’
Some dedicated revellers gathered to watch the famous fireworks from 6pm

Thousands began to spill out onto buses and trains following the fireworks


He had hinted at ‘three massive surprises’ to come in the display that would act as a ‘reflection on the last year’.

‘It’s a really important way to bring in the new year,’ Khan said.

‘It will be a message from London of love sent to our friends across Europe and around the world.

‘It’s really important that we have a full recovery after the awful two, three years we’ve had because of the pandemic.’

Up and down the UK, countless people rang in 2023.

In Allendale, England, locals lugged barrels of burning tar on their beads as part of a tradition stretching back to 1858.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon hailed the ‘first full Hogmanay celebrations in three years’ as new year celebrations were in full swing in Edinburgh – all to the tune of the Pet Shop Boys, of course.

Scots braved single-digit temperatures to watch the fireworks in Edinburgh

‘Tar Barrel Men’ paraded through the streets of Allendale carrying torches and flaming barrels in the annual Allendale Tar Barrel festival

A walrus’ unexpected appearance in Scarborough led to the town’s new years festivities being scrapped


‘Thinking back to Hogmanay last year and indeed the year before that, we’re reminded of just how far we have come from the very darkest days of the pandemic,’ she tweeted.

While in Cardiff, Wales, people partied in the city’s Winter Wonderland and those in Belfast marked 2023 at Europa Hotel’s annual Gala Ball.

Though, not everyone managed to get out and see the New Year’s fireworks.

In the North Yorkshire seaside town of Scarborough, a walrus spotted earlier this month led to the council cancelling the display in case it ‘distressed’ the mammal.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
×