London's New Year's Eve fireworks won't happen this year, Sadiq Khan has confirmed.
The Mayor of London appeared on James O'Brien's LBC radio show on Friday (18 September), confirming that the usual 100,000 tickets for the central London display would not be offered to members of the public, owing to fears of spreading the Covid-19 virus. The first batch of tickets would normally have been on sale this month.
Sadiq Khan has confirmed that London’s New Year's Eve firework display will not be taking place this year. The Mayor of London told LBC that there will be an alternative event that people can enjoy from home.#SpeakToSadiq pic.twitter.com/4odIaxZUDc
— LBC (@LBC) September 18, 2020
"I can tell you James, there will not be a fireworks New Year's Eve this year, like in previous years. We simply can't afford to have the numbers of people who congregate on New Year's Eve congregating," Khan told O'Brien.
However, it sounds like the party's not cancelled altogether:
"What we're working on is to do something people can enjoy from the comfort and safety of their living rooms on TV. We can't lose that slot, James, I'll tell you why — because New Year's Eve is a really good opportunity for the rest of the world to see how wonderful our city is."
Details for Khan's NYE alternative are not forthcoming, but whether it's a light show, another spectacle or something else altogether, it doesn't sounds like it'll be happening in the centre of the city. When pressed by O'Brien on how Khan will keep people out of central London, the mayor replied: "Well, there will be nothing happening in town... I can confirm there will be no fireworks this year."
"You've cancelled New Year's Eve, Sadiq Khan," O'Brien wryly suggested.
To which Khan replied: "Don't give my opponents the opportunity to write that headline please."
It's already been announced that the hugely popular Winter Wonderland will not take place in 2020, owing to the virus.
