Primrose Hill will be locked overnight for 11 nights around Bonfire Night in a public safety crackdown, after two fatal stabbings on the north London hill in the space of three years.
The Royal Parks, the charity which manages the green space, confirmed the park will shut between 10pm and 6am every night from Friday 30 October to Monday 9 November, covering the entire fireworks period. It will also close at 8pm on 30 December and remain shut until 6am on New Year’s Day.
The closures will affect one of the capital’s most popular unofficial vantage points. Every autumn, thousands of people climb the 64-metre summit to watch fireworks light up the London skyline, from organised Bonfire Night displays to the Mayor of London’s famous New Year’s Eve show.
But officials said the gatherings are not organised events, and in open parkland the charity has only limited controls it can deploy to keep crowds safe. A spokesperson said the safety of visitors was the organisation’s priority and described the overnight closures as the only responsible course of action.
The move follows the deaths of two young men on the hill. Harry Pitman, 16, from Tottenham, was fatally stabbed during a fight on New Year’s Eve in 2023 after joining the regular crowds watching the fireworks from the top of the hill. Primrose Hill has been closed to the public on every New Year’s Eve since his death.
In April this year, 21-year-old film student Finbar Sullivan was stabbed and killed on Primrose Hill in a separate attack, intensifying calls for tougher safety measures at the site.
The Royal Parks said closing the park over the Bonfire Night period and on New Year’s Eve was not a decision taken lightly, acknowledging that large numbers have gathered there to celebrate in the past.
The charity also reminded visitors that organising large gatherings without permission, and setting off fireworks or lanterns in the park, is in breach of park regulations, which are enforced by the Metropolitan Police.
Local residents have previously raised concerns about anti-social behaviour on the hill during major fireworks nights, when unofficial crowds descend with little stewarding or crowd control in place. The summit’s sweeping views across the capital have made it a magnet for revellers, but also a persistent headache for police and park managers.
Anyone planning to watch the fireworks this year is being urged to attend organised displays, where safety stewards, first aid cover and crowd management plans are in place, rather than gathering inside the closed-off park.
With thousands expected to travel across the capital for Bonfire Night events, passengers are advised to check before they travel. Weekend engineering works will affect the District, Piccadilly and Elizabeth lines, while a points failure at Parsons Green caused severe delays on the District line and trespassers blocking all lines at Goodmayes disrupted Greater Anglia services.
Primrose Hill, which sits on the northern edge of Regent’s Park, is normally open around the clock, and its protected view of the London skyline is among the most photographed in the city. The decision to lock its gates for 11 consecutive nights marks the most extensive closure in the park’s recent history.
Police officers will enforce the closure, and anyone attempting to enter during the restricted hours can expect to be turned away. The Royal Parks said it would keep safety arrangements for future major events under review.
The New Year’s Eve shutdown will once again disappoint those who had hoped to ring in 2027 from the hilltop, but officials insisted that public safety had to come first.
Bonfire Night, held each year on 5 November, marks the anniversary of the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605 and is traditionally celebrated with fireworks displays and bonfires across the country. In London, some of the largest organised displays take place in parks in the north and south of the capital, drawing tens of thousands of spectators.
