London New Year's Eve 2026: fireworks and tickets

The New Year's Eve fireworks at the London Eye are one of the best-known countdowns in the world, and they work differently from most city parties: you can only watch them from the official viewing areas along the Thames if you have a ticket. The short answer for 2026: the event runs on Thursday 31 December 2026 from 20:00 to 00:30, entry to the viewing areas is possible from 20:00 to 22:30, and tickets are sold only through Ticketmaster.

Tickets and prices

Prices in pounds per ticket, including VAT, plus a small booking fee. All figures from the Mayor of London's official event page, as of October 2026 (see sources).

The essentials from the official page:

• One seller: tickets are sold only through Ticketmaster. The first batch is on sale; a second batch will be released later, with the date announced on the Mayor's page.
• Limit: up to four tickets per buyer.
• Everyone needs a ticket, whatever their age. People without tickets are not let into the viewing areas.
• London residents pay £20 less per ticket. The postcode is checked against the billing address of the payment card, and proof of address may be asked for on the night.
• No refunds. You can pass tickets on to someone else before the event or resell them at face value through Ticketmaster's Fan-to-Fan Resale.
• ID: the main ticket buyer may have to show a passport or photo driving licence matching the name on the tickets.

The six viewing areas

You cannot move between areas on the night, so a group should book the same area. Only the gates listed for your area can be used. The Orange area is for visitors with access needs: seating, a hearing loop, a Changing Places toilet and a vehicle drop-off about 700 metres away.

Which area to pick: Blue on the Victoria Embankment looks straight at the London Eye and is the classic view. Pink and White stand on the bridges themselves. Red and Green see the show from the side. Choose the side of the river with your journey home in mind – crossing the Thames after midnight is not possible over the closed bridges.

Getting there and home

The official advice is to plan your journey in advance, because public transport will be much busier than usual. The points that matter most:

• Bridges: Westminster Bridge, Golden Jubilee Footbridge, Lambeth Bridge, Blackfriars Bridge and Waterloo Bridge cannot be crossed before or after the event, except for the viewing areas on them.
• Roads: vehicles are restricted from 14:00 on 31 December until around 06:00 on 1 January.
• Stations: Westminster Underground station gives no access to the White area; Holborn has no step-free access.
• After midnight: stations are very crowded when the show ends. Walking for 20 or 30 minutes to a less busy station is often faster than queueing.

Check Transport for London's journey planner on the day. Coming from the airport the day before? A transfer from a London airport^* (Welcome Pickups) saves the trains with luggage; our guides to Heathrow to central London and Gatwick to central London compare the options.

Children and safety

According to the organisers, the event is not suitable for young children and they strongly advise against bringing them. Under-16s must be with an adult. You stand outdoors for several hours in a dense crowd with no way out until the end, so eat beforehand, go to the toilet before entering and dress for the cold.

Weather on New Year's Eve

Averages 2015–2024 from the ERA5 reanalysis (via Open-Meteo), rounded.

Around midnight it is usually a few degrees above freezing, often damp and windy by the river. Warm layers and waterproof shoes help more than an umbrella in a crowd. YesTrip shows you the forecast for your actual travel days and suggests matching clothes in the packing list.

Without a ticket

If you do not get a ticket, there are other ways to spend the evening: a dinner or a pub with friends, a concert, or the broadcast on television. The viewing areas are closed to people without tickets, and the streets around them are controlled, so it is no use trying to get close at the last minute. On 1 January, the London Parade takes place in central London; some roads stay closed for it.

Where to stay

• South Bank and Waterloo: close to the southern viewing areas, easy walk back after midnight.
• Westminster and Victoria: close to the Blue area, good transport links.
• Bloomsbury or King's Cross: a longer walk, but central, with more choice.

The night of 31 December is one of the most expensive of the year. From outside the UK, a travel eSIM for the UK^* (Airalo) keeps your phone working in the crowd; our eSIM price index compares prices per gigabyte.

A few days around New Year

London between Christmas and New Year is a good city break: the Christmas lights are still up, and the days are short but mild. Our article London in December covers the weather and closures around Christmas, and our three-day plan combines the classics with the river.

London trip planDay by day, with map and tips

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