New Year’s Eve (& Day) in London 2026: Fireworks, Events & Things to Do

Spending New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day in London? Here’s how I’d plan the whole thing—from the London fireworks and Thames cruises to New Year’s Eve events, where to stay, the New Year’s Day Parade and what to do on 1 January.

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New Year’s Eve in London is one of those nights where you really do need a plan.

On a normal London evening, you can leave dinner loose, change neighbourhoods halfway through the night and jump on the Tube when you fancy…

But on 31 December, Central London starts closing itself off from the afternoon, the whole South Bank area becomes part of the fireworks event and frankly an enormous number of people will all be trying to get somewhere at once.

But New Year’s in London isn’t only about midnight either. If you’re still here on 1 January, you’ve also got one of London’s biggest annual parades, ice skating, the last few days of some of the city’s festive events, winter walks and plenty of ways to spend the first day of the year without immediately heading home.

After 10 years living in London, I’ve learned a thing or two about spending New Year’s Eve (and day) in the city, and now I want to share it with you.

Shall we?

Quick note: New Year’s Eve details are released in stages throughout the year. I’ve linked the official event and booking pages throughout this guide, so if tickets or final timings have been released since your last visit, you can check the latest information directly before booking.

If New Year’s is the end of a longer festive trip, keep my Christmas in London guide, 3-day London Christmas itinerary and Christmas Day in London guide open too.

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New Year’s Eve (& Day) in London 2026: Quick Overview

New Year’s Eve	Thursday 31 December 2026
New Year’s Day	Friday 1 January 2027
Official fireworks	Around the London Eye and Big Ben
Official NYE event time	8pm–12.30am, with the fireworks at midnight
Fireworks tickets	Required for the official riverside viewing areas
Where to get fireworks tickets	City Hall New Year’s Eve page
New Year’s Day Parade	1 January; usually around 1pm–4.30pm through Central London
Parade tickets	Free
Transport	Runs over New Year, but expect special timetables, reduced New Year’s Day services and lots of travel restrictions in Central London
My biggest tip	Choose where you want to be at midnight first, then build everything else around it

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Best Things to Do on New Year’s Eve in London 2026

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1. The London New Year’s Eve Fireworks 2026

For most visitors, Big Ben striking midnight, the London Eye lit up across the Thames and fireworks filling the sky are what you think of when New Year’s Eve in London comes to mind.

The Mayor of London’s official event is confirmed for Thursday 31 December 2026, running from 8pm until around 12.30am, with the main fireworks display marking midnight.

The event has been ticketed since 2014, so if you want to watch from the official riverside viewing areas, you’ll need to prepare.

When 2026 tickets are released, City Hall will publish the official sales information on its London New Year’s Eve page. If you’re reading this before tickets have dropped, you can sign up there for alerts.

If they’re already live, use the booking link on that page rather than finding a reseller through Google. They won’t work!

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Are the London New Year’s Eve Fireworks Worth It?

If seeing the London Eye fireworks in person is the thing you’ve pictured when you think about New Year’s Eve in London, yes—I would make them the main event.

But I don’t think standing inside an official viewing zone is automatically the best NYE plan for everybody.

You’ll be signing up for a huge outdoor event, winter weather, security checks, road closures, a long evening outside and a very busy journey home. That’s completely worth it if the fireworks are the whole point. But you can also just as easily tuck in for a great dinner somewhere warm with a glass of Champagne…

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2. Book a New Year’s Eve Thames Cruise

City Cruises’ Diamond Gala Dinner

If fireworks tickets disappear before you get one—or the thought of standing outside for hours has already lost you—I’d seriously look at the Thames.

Golden Tours has several 31 December 2026 cruises, ranging from party boats to dinner-and-cruise packages.

If you’re after the full splurge, City Cruises’ Diamond Gala Dinner is a lovely one for dinner, drinks, live music and an open deck for the fireworks.

A note: NYE cruises are generally more expensive than any other time of year. But you’ll be solving three extremely annoying New Year’s Eve questions in one booking: where you’re eating, where you’re standing at midnight and how you’re seeing the fireworks.

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3. Have a New Year’s Eve Night at the London Marriott Hotel County Hall

London Marriott Hotel County Hall

If there were ever a night to choose a hotel because of the view rather than the postcode, this would be it.

London Marriott Hotel County Hall sits right beside the London Eye inside the old County Hall building.

Its New Year’s Eve gala includes live entertainment, a five-course tasting menu, wine pairings and the London fireworks afterwards.

The logistics do almost as much work as the menu here—with dinner, the river and the fireworks all right in front of you.

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4. See 2027 Arrive from The View from The Shard

Another 2026 option is The View from The Shard’s Celebrate 2027 event.

You can go all the way up to the open-air skydeck on Level 72, with London spread out underneath you—an entirely different way to see midnight than standing beside the Thames.

The current Celebrate 2027 booking is offered exclusively to Mastercard cardholders, so I’d check the booking conditions or make sure you have one before getting emotionally attached to this one.

Choose this one if the skyline matters more to you than being physically close to the London Eye.

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5. See a West End Show

To end the year with a bang, consider seeing a West End show!

There are normally plenty of West End performances on 31 December, including matinees that still leave the evening free for dinner or another NYE booking afterwards.

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6. Do Dinner + Drinks Around Covent Garden

Not every New Year’s Eve in London needs to end beside the London Eye.

If your idea of a good night is dinner, drinks and actually being indoors for most of it, I’d choose one neighbourhood and stay there for the night.

Covent Garden is an easy one because you’ve got restaurants, bars, theatres and Soho within walking distance. Covent Garden also keeps a live New Year’s Eve page with its latest dinners, parties and events.

For me, I would book one great dinner, decide where you’re having the midnight drink before the 31st and let midnight happen wherever you’ve chosen rather than trying to migrate towards Westminster at 11.30pm.

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7. Go Out-Out at a London New Year’s Eve Party

Sky Garden NYE Party

If the whole point is dancing into 2027, London is obviously very capable of providing that too.

Sky Garden, Fabric, KOKO and Heaven are all places I’d check when you’re choosing a NYE party, but be sure to only book based on the actual 31 December event page so you don’t miss out!

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What to Do During the Day on New Year’s Eve in London

Because you don’t need to spend 31 December sitting in your hotel waiting for the fireworks.

During the day, consider:

• Ice skating at Somerset House. The rink is open on 31 December, with special New Year’s Eve timings. Check and book the current sessions here.
• Seeing London’s Christmas decorations one last time. Covent Garden, Regent Street, Bond Street and the West End will still all be very festive at this point.
• Doing one attraction. Something like the London Eye, Tower of London or a museum in the morning is plenty before a long night. Here’s London’s top attractions.

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Where to Eat on New Year’s Eve in London

NYE at Madison

If you want dinner to be part of the celebration, these are a few I’d recommend!

• SUSHISAMBA Covent Garden — best for dinner followed by a Covent Garden/Soho night.
• Madison — rooftop dinner, St Paul’s views and a NYE party afterwards.
• Smiths of Smithfield — a good-value dinner + rooftop party option.
• The Oyster Shed — riverside dinner and dancing without the Westminster chaos.
• The Portrait by Richard Corrigan — for a big splurge, with elevated Central London views.

Whichever you choose, I’d keep dinner as close as possible to wherever you’re spending midnight.

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How to Get Around London on New Year’s Eve & New Year’s Day

Great news, my friend: the Underground runs on New Year’s Eve!

The less-good news… Central London stations can be closed, so I’d check TfL once when you’re finalising your plans and again on 31 December.

If you’re planning on seeing the fireworks, don’t build your evening around getting a taxi. Roads around the event area are restricted and there are thousands of other people having exactly the same idea at exactly the same time (more on that next!).

London isn’t shut on 1 January, but transport is more limited than usual.

Tube, train and bus services can run to reduced or special New Year’s Day timetables, and engineering works are common over the Christmas and New Year period.

If you’re going to the parade, remember that you’re also heading towards some of the busiest streets in Central London, so I’d leave more time than Google Maps suggests and check TfL before you leave.

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Where I’d Stay for New Year’s Eve in London

New Year’s Eve is one of the few London nights where I would pay more attention than usual to the exact location of the hotel. In other words, to make it beyond easy for yourself, consider staying somewhere you can easily walk back to after your New Year’s Eve plans.

London Marriott Hotel County Hall — for the full fireworks splurge

If the fireworks are the reason for the trip, London Marriott Hotel County Hall is difficult to beat for location. Some rooms and suites look directly towards the Thames, Big Ben and the London Eye, and the hotel runs its own NYE gala.

The Hoxton, Southwark — for the south side of the river without staying beside the London Eye

The Hoxton, Southwark is the one I’d look at if you want to be south of the river without sleeping directly inside the main Westminster fireworks scrum.

You’re on Blackfriars Road and close to the Thames, but far enough east that the whole night doesn’t need to revolve around the London Eye.

The Resident Covent Garden — for a West End New Year’s Eve

If you’re skipping the official fireworks and want dinner, theatre and drinks instead, The Resident Covent Garden makes much more sense.

You can keep the whole evening around Covent Garden and Soho, then walk back rather than joining half of London at a Tube entrance after midnight.

For more options, use my where to stay in London guide and London hotels with views guide.

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Best Things to Do on New Year’s Day in London 2027

London New Year’s Day Parade

If you’re waking up in London on 1 January, don’t automatically write the whole day off.

New Year’s Day is obviously slower than a normal London day, and transport runs on reduced schedules, but there’s still loads happening—and honestly, I quite like London on the first day of the year.

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1. Watch the London New Year’s Day Parade

London’s New Year’s Day Parade takes over Central London every 1 January with thousands of dancers, marching bands, cheerleaders, musicians, performers and floats making their way through the city.

The route normally begins near The Ritz and Piccadilly, then works its way through the West End, Trafalgar Square and Whitehall before finishing around Westminster. It usually starts around 1pm and ends at 4.30pm.

It’s free to watch, but get there early for the best views!

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2. Start the Year With a Concert

If starting 2027 with a marching band is a bit too much after your New Year’s Eve night out, a concert might be best.

The Barbican traditionally hosts its annual New Year’s Day Proms, and you’ll find New Year’s concerts across London’s churches, concert halls and cathedrals too.

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3. Go Ice Skating at Somerset House

One of the nicest things about New Year’s Day in London is that Christmas hasn’t completely disappeared yet.

Skate at Somerset House runs into January and has New Year’s Day sessions, so you can quite literally skate your way into 2027 underneath the big tree in the courtyard.

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4. Squeeze in One Last Winter Wonderland Trip

If you haven’t made it to Hyde Park Winter Wonderland yet, New Year’s Day is right at the end of the season.

The 2026/27 event runs from 19 November through 3 January 2027, so it’s still around for the first few days of the year.

You could go for the rides and ice rink, obviously, but even if you’re not interested in being turned upside down on 1 January, there’s food, drinks and enough festive bits going on to keep the Christmas feeling alive for another day.

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5. See Christmas at Kew Before It Finishes

Christmas at Kew is another festive experience that carries into the New Year, with the 2026 season running through 3 January 2027.

This one makes the most sense if you’re happy to head a little farther west and want something for the evening. The lights come into their own after dark, and New Year’s Day is a nice excuse to do something festive without Central London’s NYE-level crowds.

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6. Take a Long London Winter Walk

If you wake up on 1 January and the idea of another ticketed event makes you want to go straight back to bed, go for a walk instead.

Hampstead Heath, Richmond Park, Greenwich Park and Kensington Gardens are all lovely in winter, and a walk followed by a pub is enough of an itinerary.

For more ideas, have a look at my guide to London’s parks and gardens.

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7. Go to the Theatre or Do One London Attraction

If the weather is awful—or you simply want to be indoors, many West End shows, museums and major attractions operate on 1 January, although some use bank holiday hours.

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How I’d Actually Spend New Year’s Day in London

For the very London version, I’d have a slow morning, get into Central London before the New Year’s Day Parade starts, watch part of the parade around Trafalgar Square or Whitehall, then find somewhere for a late lunch and finish with a West End show.

For a calmer day, I’d do a winter walk and pub lunch, then go skating at Somerset House in the evening.

And if you’re refusing to let Christmas end, I’d skip Central London completely and spend the afternoon and evening at Kew or Winter Wonderland.

Happy New Year!

Candace x

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FAQs: New Year’s Eve & New Year’s Day in London

Where are the New Year’s Eve fireworks in London?

The official London New Year’s Eve fireworks take place around the London Eye and Big Ben, with ticketed viewing areas along the Thames in Central London.

Where do I buy London New Year’s Eve fireworks tickets?

Use the official City Hall London New Year’s Eve page. When the current year’s tickets are released, that’s where you’ll find the official sales information and booking link.

Can I watch the London New Year’s Eve fireworks for free?

You’ll need a ticket for the official riverside viewing areas, but you can see distant fireworks from other parts of London—for example, from Primrose Hill or Parliament Hill!

What should I do if the London fireworks tickets sell out?

I’d book a Thames NYE cruise, choose a venue explicitly selling a fireworks view, book a hotel gala or plan dinner and a party elsewhere in London. I wouldn’t travel to the event without a ticket hoping to get in.

What time are the London New Year’s Eve fireworks?

The official event runs from 8pm on 31 December until around 12.30am on 1 January, with the main fireworks marking midnight. If you have a ticket, be sure to follow your designated entry time.

Does the Tube run on New Year’s Eve in London?

Yes, but London runs special services over New Year and stations around the fireworks footprint may close or operate differently. Check TfL before travelling.

Is South Bank open on New Year’s Eve?

Parts of South Bank sit inside or beside the official New Year’s Eve event footprint, with restricted access from the afternoon.

Is the London New Year’s Day Parade free?

Yes. Street viewing for London’s New Year’s Day Parade is free. I’d arrive before the parade starts if you want a good spot along the barriers.

What time is the London New Year’s Day Parade?

The parade usually starts around 1pm and finishes around 4.30pm near Westminster. Check the official New Year’s Day Parade website for the final route and timings before you go.

What’s open in London on New Year’s Day?

Plenty. Many attractions, restaurants, shops, theatres and museums open on 1 January, although bank holiday hours can apply. Somerset House ice skating, Winter Wonderland and Christmas at Kew also continue into January.

Where should I stay in London for New Year’s Eve?

If the London Eye fireworks are the priority, I’d look around South Bank and Westminster, with London Marriott Hotel County Hall as the splurge. For a south-of-the-river base farther from the main fireworks area, I’d choose The Hoxton, Southwark. For dinner, theatre and a West End night instead, I’d choose The Resident Covent Garden.

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