With tickets for London's New Year's Eve fireworks display selling fast, the Mayor of London today announced that 13,000 extra are to be released, as a result of a new viewing area being opened up on Waterloo Bridge. It means thousands more people will be able to see the event, which is being organised in partnership with the world's leading children's organisation Unicef.
Today's announcement follows consultation with transport bodies, police and emergency services, local businesses and other partners involved in the event, which was ticketed for the first time last year and attracted 100,000 people. The new viewing area will enable more people to see the display safely.
The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: 'As in previous years, our New Year's fireworks display is proving immensely popular and I am delighted we are able to add the new viewing area so that even more people can get to enjoy this spectacular event.'
Tickets for Waterloo Bridge will become available from midday on Thursday 12 November. People can book up to four tickets at £10 each, every penny of which pays for the costs associated with the ticketing scheme.
Ticketholders for Waterloo Bridge will access and exit the viewing area from the south side of the river. People are reminded that they can only book up to a maximum of four tickets for the display and they are not transferable.
More details about plans for the London New Year's Eve fireworks, including Unicef's involvement will be announced in due course. For updates and information about how to book tickets go to www.london.gov.uk/nye.
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Notes to editors
1. Through the partnership with Unicef, ticketholders are being invited to come together for the first ever New Year's 'Big Resolution'. In addition to the exclusive programme music, countdown to midnight and the spectacular display itself, The Big Resolution will be a unifying moment aimed at raising awareness and bringing lasting change to the lives of vulnerable children around the world. During this season of goodwill and as people make resolutions and look ahead to a happy New Year, Unicef is hoping to raise vital funds to help children caught in wars and disasters around the world, like the one in Syria.
2. About Unicef
Unicef works for more children in more countries than any other organisation. Unicef ensures more of the world's children are fed, vaccinated, educated and protected than any other organisation. We have done more to influence laws, policies and customs to help protect children than anyone else in history. We get things done. And we're not going to stop until the world is a safe place for all our children.
Unicef UK raises funds to protect children in danger, transform their lives and build a safer world for tomorrow's children. As a registered charity we raise funds through donations from individuals, organisations and companies and we lobby and campaign to keep children safe. Unicef UK also runs programmes in schools, hospitals and with local authorities in the UK. For more information please visit www.unicef.org.uk.
3. Corporate sponsorship opportunities are available to businesses wanting to support the award-winning event, which is seen by 100,000 ticketed guests and attracted 16.1 million UK broadcast viewers, as well as an international audience in excess of one billion, in 2014. Corporate sponsorship offers businesses the ability to reach out to millions of people in the UK and abroad to promote this important campaign to help children around the world. Information about corporate sponsorship is available from Amelia Richards [email protected], or 020 7983 4081.
4. Since first being staged at the Coca Cola London Eye on the South Bank in 2003, the numbers of people heading into central London for the acclaimed pyrotechnic and lighting display had mushroomed from an estimated 100,000 people in its first year to an estimated 500,000 in 2013. A large proportion of them were unable to see the display at all, leaving them disappointed and with nowhere to go at midnight. The sheer numbers threatened the emergency services ability to respond to a major incident effectively, and left many thousands of people cold, tired and unable to get anywhere near the event.
After extensive consultation with the Metropolitan Police, other emergency services, Transport for London, local authorities and other key partners it was decided that ticketing the event was the best way to ensure the safety of those attending and to help secure the long term future of what has become an iconic London event.
Following the introduction of ticketing, on 31 December 2014 crowds in central London were estimated to have been reduced significantly from 500,000 in 2013 to less than 350,000 – making the event more enjoyable for people and reducing the pressure placed on the emergency services.
5. Each ticket carries a £10 fee, which covers the costs of running the ticketing scheme. No profit is being made and every penny of the fee is being used to cover the costs associated with the scheme, including printing, distribution, on the ground ticket checks and extra infrastructure including additional fencing, stewards and toilets.
6. Aside from the fireworks London is one of the most exciting cities to be in on New Year's Eve with hundreds of events taking place in clubs, pubs and restaurants across the capital. There is a huge number of ways to ring in your New Year. To find out more go to: www.visitlondon.com/newyear.