Social media scammers lured thousands of people to Birmingham City Centre to watch a New Year’s ‘fireworks spectacular’ that was never going to happen.
Huge crowds gathered at Centenary Square last night excited to welcome 2025 with a bang – only to be told reports about the display were fake.
The confusion came as revellers elsewhere across the country did get to enjoy fireworks to see in the New Year – although stormy weather warnings saw other events called off in advance.
Images show would-be spectators wrapped up warm and waiting for the show to begin before West Midlands Police revealed there would be nothing to see.
Earlier in the day the force addressed rumours of a New Year’s Eve firework display and issued a warning to those heading there.
Birmingham Superintendent Emlyn Richards said: ‘There are rumours online that a fireworks display will take place in Centenary Square but there isn’t a planned event this year.
‘We don’t want people travelling into the city to be disappointed when they arrive and discover this is the case.
‘There will be thousands of people travelling into the city to enjoy themselves at venues across the city.
‘We will be visible on the streets tonight to ensure everything runs smoothly and people have a wonderful evening.’
Although many Brummies went home disappointed, crowds in London were stunned by a ‘world-first’ Paddington Bear cameo appearance within the London Eye.
Huge crowds gathered at Centenary Square in Birmingham on New Year’s Eve only to be told reports about a fireworks display were fake
Scammers had lured thousands of people to Birmingham City Centre to watch a New Year’s ‘fireworks spectacular’ that was never going to happen
Images show would-be spectators wrapped up warm and waiting for the show to begin before West Midlands Police revealed there would be nothing to see
Meanwhile crowds in London were far from disappointed following a ‘world-first’ Paddington Bear cameo appearance within the London Eye
This year millions watching at home on the BBC were treated to a world-first use of hologauze animations to celebrate the new year
The beloved bear’s appearance at London‘s New Year fireworks thrilled fans but left many wondering about how it all worked and what the cost was.
This year millions watching at home on the BBC were treated to a world-first use of hologauze animations to celebrate the new year.
These created holographic illusions of British icons and memorable events as the fireworks were taking place.
The special animations included the London Eye being filled with the Union flag in honour of the 80th anniversary of D-Day last year, Olympic medals to celebrate the success of Team GB at the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, and wishing a happy upcoming 25th birthday to the London Eye.
LONDON: Fireworks light up the sky over Elizabeth Tower, also known as Big Ben, and the London Eye in central London during the New Year celebrations
LIVERPOOL: Revellers make the most New Year’s Eve in Liverpool city centre despite the rain
NEWCASTLE: Revellers out in Newcastle city centre enjoying the New Year’s Eve celebrations
LEEDS: New Year’s Eve revellers brave the rain as they go out to celebrate the turn of the year
Hardy Brits ignored gale warnings and torrential downpours to see in the New Year in style – as traditional fireworks lit up Big Ben in spite of storm warnings that forced many displays to be axed.
With weather warnings for wind and rain in place, many planned December 31 events have been cancelled, but the capital’s 12-minute fireworks display proceeded as scheduled to mark the start of 2025.
Thousands stood along the Embankment of the Thames to watch a spectacular fireworks display around the London Eye
The annual showstopper saw around 100,000 ticket holders unite on the banks of the River Thames to witness the capital’s biggest-ever celebration of fireworks, lighting and music, with many millions watching from homes around the globe.
More than 12,000 fireworks and 420 lights lit up the sky around the London Eye as the eyes of the world watched London’s unforgettable show, set to a soundtrack of songs for people to dance the cold away and voice-over clips.
This year millions watching at home on the BBC were also treated to a world-first use of hologauze animations to celebrate the new year, creating holographic illusions of British icons and memorable events as the fireworks were taking place.
‘No matter what happens, London will always be a city of hope and a home for everyone,’ Paddington Bear, voiced by Ben Whishaw, said in a special appearance during the fireworks display.
The fireworks culminated in a golden extravaganza of sparkles illuminating the sky above London, with Paddington ending the show by saying: ‘As you enter the new year, always remember […]: In London, everyone is different, and that means anyone can fit in. Happy New Year.’
The wide-ranging soundtrack included hits from Sabrina Carpenter, Natasha Bedingfield, Travis, Sir Elton John, One Direction, Dame Vera Lynn, Panjabi Hit Squad, Tems, and Shaboozey and also featured a reference to Charli XCX’s viral ‘brat summer’ which captured millions of young people on social media in 2024.
Fireworks explode in a dazzling display over Big Ben and the London Eye
LONDON: Revellers gather in Parliament Square in central London before New Year’s Eve fireworks illuminate the night sky
One projection onto the London Eye wishes viewers a ‘Happy New Year’
NEWCASTLE: Revellers out in Newcastle city centre enjoying the New Year’s Eve celebrations
London’s landmarks were illuminated by the incredible fireworks display at midnight
LONDON: The ‘biggest fireworks in Europe’ illuminated the sky in London as part of the event
The fireworks included a projection of the Union Jack on to the London Eye, as well as red, white and blue sparks
BRISTOL: People gather on Brandon Hill to watch fireworks from across Bristol, as the UK marked the New Year at the start of 2025
‘No matter what happens, London will always be a city of hope and a home for everyone,’ Paddington Bear, voiced by Ben Whishaw, said in a special appearance during the fireworks display
Voice clips included D-Day veterans, Dame Imelda Staunton, Sir Ian McKellen, Mawaan Rizwan, Carol Kirkwood, Alex Scott MBE, Ellie Simmonds OBE and Sadiq Khan.
The special animations included the London Eye being filled with the Union flag in honour of the 80th anniversary of D-Day last year, Olympic medals to celebrate the success of Team GB at the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, and wishing a happy upcoming 25th birthday to official partner the London Eye.
The fireworks saw a projection of the Union Jack on to the London Eye, as well as red, white and blue sparks.
The iconic celebration, which began with Big Ben’s renowned chimes, is shown live to many millions around the world and tens of millions more on social media, boosting London’s economy and providing an incredible global advert for our tourism industry.
Last year, the BBC’s coverage was the most watched TV programme in the UK, with many millions more watching on the iPlayer and online.
Mayor Sadiq Khan promised that the fireworks would be the ‘best we’ve ever laid on’, adding that they were the ‘biggest fireworks taking place anywhere across Europe’.
‘It’s fantastic to welcome 2025 with our biggest and best-ever New Year’s Eve celebrations,’ Sir Sadiq said.
‘Around 100,000 Londoners and visitors joined together on the banks of the Thames for an unforgettable night of fireworks, lighting and music, while millions at home were able to see our world-first use of hologram animations to celebrate the new year.
The fireworks culminated in a golden extravaganza of sparkles illuminating the sky above London
LEEDS: These two revellers in Leeds smiled despite being soaked by the rain
LONDON: Fireworks explode in the sky around the London Eye and The Elizabeth Tower, commonly known by the name of the clock’s bell, ‘Big Ben’, at the Palace of Westminster, home to the Houses of Parliament, in central London, just after midnight on January 1, 2025
Another projection onto the London Eye was a double heart
LONDON: Fireworks explode in the sky around the London Eye and The Elizabeth Tower, commonly known by the name of the clock’s bell, ‘Big Ben’, at the Palace of Westminster, home to the Houses of Parliament, in central London, at midnight
LIVERPOOL: Revellers brave heavy rain as they make the most New Year’s Eve in Liverpool city centre
People look up, watch and take photos as fireworks light up the sky around the London Eye to celebrate the New Year in London, January 1, 2025
Fireworks explode over the London Eye to mark the New Year’s celebrations
WEYMOUTH: A New Year’s Eve reveller wearing Austin Powers fancy dress out in the town at Weymouth in Dorset for the celebrations
Fireworks light up the sky over Elizabeth Tower, also known as Big Ben
People wait for fireworks on New Year’s Eve, in London, Britain, December 31, 2024
Another projection onto the London Eye urged people to ‘Party, Party, Party’
‘From honouring the heroes of the D-Day landings to Paddington Bear celebrating our capital’s diversity, I’m proud that we sent a message of hope and love to the world, as we build a better London for everyone.’
‘It was absolutely amazing,’ two sisters from West Yorkshire who came to watch the display with their mum told Sky News, adding: ‘The atmosphere was just absolutely amazing.’
Revellers didn’t let the rain and stormy conditions hold them back from celebrating the New Year in style, with many decked to the nines as they were hitting the streets in Liverpool, Newcastle, Leeds and more.
Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer said in his New Year’s message that the UK faces a ‘year of rebuilding’ while also ‘rediscovering the great nation that we are’ in 2025.
The Prime Minister used his first new year’s message since entering Downing Street to reflect on a ‘year of change’ in 2024, although joked this did not extend to football as the England men’s team experienced ‘another agonisingly close shave’ by losing to Spain in the Euro 2024 final.
He added his Labour administration has begun the ‘work of change’ since winning the general election in July and pointed to an increase in the minimum wage, clean energy projects and NHS investment as examples.
Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch used her message to discuss her own party’s ‘period of change’, as she warned Conservative supporters that ‘things may be bumpy along the way’. She signed off her new year’s video with a three-word message: ‘Watch this space.’
And Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, urged the Labour Government to ‘show the urgency and ambition that this moment demands because I’m afraid that we haven’t seen anything like the real change from this Government on the scale the British people are yearning for’.
This comes as much of the country faces heavy rain and strong winds, and even snow in some parts, leading to widespread disruption and several cancelled fireworks displays amid fallen trees on roads while landslips and flooding blocked rail lines.
An amber warning for heavy rain has been put in place across parts of North West England until 9am on New Year’s Day. The Met Office warning stretches from Settle in the Yorkshire Dales across to Preston and down to parts of the Peak District.
EDINBURGH: Friends from France who flew to Scotland for New Years Eve celebrations enjoy Hogmanay Edinburgh in The Grassmarket after the official street party was cancelled due to weather on December 31, 2024
LEEDS: Some revellers in Leeds braved the rain by wearing plastic covers over their outfits
LONDON: People on London’s Embankment waiting for the start of the fireworks display
EDINBURGH: 2025 created with lights in Edinburgh as the Hogmanay official street party was cancelled due to weather
Fireworks light up the sky over Elizabeth Tower, also known as Big Ben, and the London Eye in central London during the New Year celebrations
LEEDS: Revellers in Leeds brave the rain for New Year’s celebrations
NEWCASTLE: Revellers out in Newcastle city centre enjoying the New Year’s Eve celebrations
The warning states that heavy rain is ‘likely to lead to disruption including flooding in some locations’ with a chance some places could see more than four inches (10cm) of rain.
Yellow warnings for wind have also been issued for parts of central and southern Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland, with gusts expected to reach up to 70mph.
Winds of up to 60mph, which are forecast across much of England and Wales all day tomorrow, with gusts of 75mph likely around coastal areas and hills, according to the Met Office.
At least eight fireworks shows have been axed due to the strong winds, including Hogmanay celebrations in Edinburgh along with events in Blackpool and Newcastle.
With hours to go before the end of 2024, tourists who travelled to Edinburgh in the hope of experiencing the Hogmanay fireworks have described having to quickly find other ways to celebrate the new year.
The street party and fireworks display over Edinburgh Castle were cancelled on Monday afternoon.
Elisa Dorris, who is originally from Spain but now lives in Dublin, flew to Edinburgh with friends in order to see the fireworks. The 23-year-old described having to ask around for suggestions as to what they could do to celebrate the new year.
‘We are very disappointed … but we will try to have fun here in the Christmas market,’ she said. We will try our best to have fun this night.
‘So we have been asking people about what we can do, and they say that they have pubs in Victoria Street, and the people are going to go out, because it’s a lot of people in the same situation.
‘So we think that we are going to do that, stay in the streets, in the pubs.’
Fireworks were fired off from the pods of the London Eye
LEEDS: These Leeds partygoers enjoyed celebrations in Leeds despite the rain
LEEDS: Revellers brave the pouring rain as they are heading out for New Year’s celebrations in Leeds
LEEDS: Revellers in Leeds used their coats to protect themselves from the rain as they were heading out for New Year’s celebrations
LIVERPOOL: Revellers are enjoying the New Year’s celebrations in Liverpool despite the rain
Crowds watch from the north bank of the River Thames as fireworks light up the sky around the London Eye
LEEDS: Revellers are bracing the rain as they head out for New Year’s celebrations in Leeds
David Liew, a 59-year-old lawyer from Singapore who came to Edinburgh for New Year during a three-week holiday in the UK, said he was just going to ‘walk around.’
‘We’ll just walk around, you know, we see a lot of lights, a lot of stores. We’ll just walk around, take some pictures and hopefully make the best use of our time.’
Mr Liew added that he could understand the decision to call off the fireworks, but said they should be put back on now that the weather had turned out better than expected.
‘We are pretty disappointed. We were just informed, I think, this morning, but I think it’s due to the weather. But when I look around now, I think the weather is fine, and I think the celebrations should resume.’
This was echoed by Silvana Sgro, from Melbourne in Australia, who ‘reconfigured’ a three-week holiday in Europe so that she and her children could be in Edinburgh on Hogmanay.
The 54-year-old said: ‘Apparently we get a refund, but it doesn’t change what we do this evening. I am not sure what we’ll be doing at midnight.
‘We booked accommodation that was very central and more expensive so that we could see it all, and now don’t have anything to look at, just looking at each other I guess. This is a lovely evening, but it’s not the same.
‘We did think about going back to London, because apparently the fireworks are on in London, but couldn’t get tickets.’
LONDON: Revellers gather on Embankment in central London ahead of New Year’s Eve fireworks
White water at the Falls of Dochart in Killin, Stirlingshire, today as stormy weather hits Scotland
While the storm has not been named, heavy rain and high winds were already causing disruption in much of the country with blizzards forecast in Scotland.
A yellow warning for snow and rain initially covered most of Scotland until midnight, which the Met Office said ‘may bring significant disruption in the build-up to New Year’.
It was later revised to cover the Highlands and Moray only, with the warning extended until 4am.
Other cancelled displays included on the Isle of Wight, Bangor and Beaumaris in North Wales, Lowestoft’s Claremont Pier in Suffolk and Ripon in North Yorkshire.
New Year’s Day events are also being called off due to the forecast, including three Pembrokeshire charity swims in Angle, Newport and St Davids; the Lyme Regis annual dip; and the ‘Bathtub Race’, a competition in handmade boats at Poole quay.
The annual classic gathering of sports cars at Brooklands Museum in Surrey has also been axed, along with the Southend RNLI New Year’s Day dip on Jubilee Beach – while the Bushy Park New Year’s Day Parkrun in London was also cancelled.
Elsewhere, Edinburgh Castle was shut for the second day in a row due to the weather, while some recycling centres in Northumberland and County Durham were also shut.
Historic Royal Palaces said Kensington Palace would be closed tomorrow due to high winds, and Hampton Court Palace will have a delayed opening to assess any damage.
Meanwhile, a landslide and flooding have closed roads and rail lines in the Highlands.
Forecasters warn of possible blizzard conditions, particularly over high ground in Sutherland and Caithness.
Snow is expected to fall heavily over the Highlands, with 10-20cm accumulating above 150-200 metres.
Separately, members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union at Avanti West Coast walked out today in a dispute over rest day working – and will again on Thursday.
Forecasters said delays to all types of transport were ‘likely’ today as strong winds persist and may reach speeds of up to 70mph in parts of England and Northern Ireland.
The Met Office warned ‘blizzard conditions are possible’, especially in the far northern regions of Sutherland and Caithness.
Further south, the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company said all today’s sailings between Heysham and Douglas had been cancelled.
The A66 in Cumbria and North Yorkshire was closed in both directions this morning to high-sided vehicles.
Met Office meteorologist Craig Snell said: ‘It will be a tricky couple of days and a wet and windy spell for many up into the new year.
Waves hit Blackpool seafront in Lancashire as snow, rain and wind warnings were in force
The A838 road from Merkland to Overskaig in the Highlands was shut due to a fallen tree
Sand is whipped up by the wind on Tynemouth Longsands beach in North Tyneside
A landslip closed the Far North rail line in Scotland between Helmsdale and Brora
Vehicles driven on the A9 in Inverness as snow, rain and wind warnings are in force
The A9 near Invergordon in the Scottish Highlands was closed due to flooding
Waves hit Blackpool seafront in Lancashire as snow, rain and wind warnings were issued
Vehicles driven on the A9 in Inverness as snow, rain and wind warnings are in force
The railway line at Gynack Burn at Kingussie in the Highlands was closed due to flooding
‘We’re encouraging anyone who is planning to travel to keep up to date with the weather forecast and news from their local authorities.’
The new year will be off to a turbulent start with separate weather warnings in place for wind and rain on January 1.
Winds of up to 60mph are forecast across much of England and Wales all day on Wednesday, with gusts of 75mph likely around coastal areas and hills, according to the Met Office.
There is not a named storm as it stands – but the next one in the 2024/25 season will be Storm Éowyn, following on from Ashley on October 20, Bert on November 22, Conall on November 27 and Darragh on December 6.
