London's New Year's Eve fireworks display has been cancelled for the second year running.
"Due to the uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, our world-famous New Year's Eve display will not be held on the banks of the Thames this year," a spokesperson from the Mayor of London's office, which organises the event, confirmed.
However, some kind of special event will take its place: "This year, as always, London will be welcoming the new year in a spectacular way," the spokesperson told Londonist.
At the dawn of 2021, while London and the rest of the UK were under strict Covid regulations, the capital's public display — which takes just under a year to plan, and welcomes around 100,000 spectators to central London — was cancelled. In its place was a special BBC broadcast, which saw lasers fired from landmarks such as The Shard and Tower Bridge, and a dialled-down fireworks display over The O2 in North Greenwich.
Said the Mayor of London's spokesperson, "Last year’s successful show took place in a slightly different way due to the pandemic, and this year a number of exciting new options are being considered as part of our New Year's Eve celebrations in London."
More details of what will replace 31 December's firework display will be announced "in due course".
