The first tickets for London’s biggest night of the year go on sale at midday tomorrow. If you want to stand on the Thames embankments and watch the capital welcome 2027 in a blaze of fireworks, this is your moment — and the Mayor’s office is warning that they will not hang around for long.
City Hall confirmed today that the first batch of tickets for the New Year’s Eve fireworks will be released at midday on Friday, with around 100,000 people expected to gather along the River Thames on 31 December for the world-famous display around the London Eye.
Sadiq Khan has urged Londoners and visitors alike to book early, with demand for the event described as extremely high. The show — which pairs thousands of fireworks and hundreds of lights with music — will reflect on the biggest moments of 2026 before counting down to 2027, opening with Big Ben’s midnight chimes and closing, as tradition demands, with Auld Lang Syne. Millions more will watch on television and online around the world.
How much tickets cost
Londoners pay £20 or £35 depending on which viewing area they choose, while anyone living outside the capital will pay between £40 and £55. The London resident discount only applies if the billing address used at checkout has a valid London postcode — so have that detail ready before the midday release.
There are six designated viewing areas along the river, each with its own vantage point: the Blue area on Victoria Embankment between Westminster Bridge and the Golden Jubilee footbridge; the Pink area on Waterloo Bridge; the White area on Westminster Bridge itself; the Red area along Victoria Embankment from the Golden Jubilee footbridge to Temple Avenue; the Green area behind the London Eye; and the Orange area on Albert Embankment near St Thomas’ Hospital, which offers accessible viewing.
Pick your spot — and stick with it
One thing catches first-timers out every year: you cannot move between the viewing zones once you’re inside. Organisers are explicit about this — choose your area carefully at the point of booking, because there is no wandering from Waterloo Bridge to Westminster Bridge on the night.
Tickets are only available through Ticketmaster, and City Hall has issued a blunt warning about where you buy. Tickets purchased from unauthorised websites or resellers will not be valid, and anyone turning up at a viewing area without an official ticket will be refused entry. With demand this high, the risk of fakes is real — buy only from the official channel.
Miss out tomorrow? There is a second chance. A smaller batch of tickets will be released later in the year, though with 100,000 places expected to go fast, relying on the second release is a gamble.
Plan your journey now
The fireworks have been ticketed since 2014, when the event moved to a controlled system to manage crowds and keep the night safe. That control is exactly why planning matters: central London will be exceptionally busy on the night, with road and bridge closures in place around the viewing areas. Check your route in advance, allow far more time than you think you’ll need, and keep an eye on the Mayor of London’s official New Year’s Eve website for travel updates closer to the date.
London’s festive calendar is already filling up — Christmas markets across the capital open from the end of October, and King’s Cross gets its own roller rink and market from late November — but the New Year’s Eve fireworks remain the one night that sells out first. Set an alarm for midday Friday.
