It’s difficult to believe that 2022 is in its last stretch. And what a year it has been in every respect. If you’re planning to go to London to ring in 2023, AFP reports “crowds can attend the new year fireworks on December 31 for the first time since 2019.”
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, made the announcement today. It’s a sign that the world is gradually returning to normal after what felt like forever.
London has witnessed New Year’s Eve celebrations for some time. According to The Culture Trip, “the earliest documented gathering on New Year’s Eve was in 1878 at St Paul’s Cathedral when people came to hear the newly installed bells ring in the New Year. Over the years the crowds grew and became more uproarious until the cathedral authorities tried to stop it, unsuccessfully.”
Are Things Back To Normal?
Basically, yes. But wear a mask if you can, just in case.
This will be the first time large crowds can enjoy the fireworks in person since December 2019.
Over the last two years, people tuned into the fireworks via television or social media.
The Omicron variant resulted in a COVID spike in Britain, which put a damper on celebrations for 2022.
How Many People Will Go?
Based on the pre-COVID figures, the number is likely to be robust.
AFP reports “more than 100,000 people will be able to watch the annual display in the British capital, with the first tickets going on sale next Friday.”
While some spectators will be British, there will likely be even more tourists.
Where Will The Fireworks Be?
You can catch the colorful pyrotechnics “around the London Eye on the south bank of the Thames,” reports AFP.
Mayor Khan said, “the celebrations are one of the biggest nights of the year for our capital’s hospitality industry and an unforgettable moment when the eyes of the world turn to our city.”
