New Year’s Eve 2015 is but a few very short weeks away and London is a wonderful place to say goodbye to the old year and ring in the new.
Obviously, by now most London ticketed New Year’s Eve events have been sold out, but there is plenty else to do on New Year’s Eve in this buzzing city.
Perhaps the most loved New Year’s Eve tradition in London is the Westminster Fireworks display over the River Thames. These are preceded by the chiming of Big Ben as the bells countdown to midnight. The fireworks are accompanied by live DJ music which continues for three quarters of an hour.
The launch point for the fireworks is adjacent to the London Eye, so that any position along the banks of the Thames at Westminster will be ideal. Parts of the Victoria Embankment, South Bank, and Westminster Bridge are ticketed and places are limited to one hundred thousand. The best spots are between Embankment and Westminster Bridge, and places here need to be sought out early. Public access to viewing areas by the river will be closed by 22:30 and the area does get extremely crowded.
Parliament Square is another great place to congregate; the view of the fireworks is somewhat compromised, but this is a great spot to watch Big Ben as the minutes to midnight count down.
Only 10-12 minutes tube ride from your London serviced apartments, the Underground Stations nearest the fireworks display are Waterloo, Embankment and Westminster; these will be incredibly busy. A better option with a short walk from there may be St James, Temple, or Charing Cross Stations. Travel on the Underground on New Year’s Eve is free between 23:45 and 04:30.
Want to see the fireworks but have no inclination for massive crowds? Primrose Hill in Regent’s Park offers a great alternative and while busy, it won’t be as much so as the inner city near Westminster. Tower Bridge, Southwark Bridge, and Millennium Bridge are also busy but great spots to see the fireworks.
Cannon Street is another free vantage point, near St Paul’s Cathedral in the east. Lambeth Bridge in the west is open to traffic but has some footpath space for spectators.
The fireworks are a highlight for New Year’s Eve in cities all over the world, and London’s display is up there with the best of them. They are free to watch in almost all cases (and tickets for prime areas are affordable), and there are many vantage points from which to get a great view. Additionally, when you are based in Presidential Serviced Apartments Kensington for the night, it’s easy to get to and from your accommodation. So begin planning your New Year’s Eve fireworks vantage point now. Just remember to get there and grab your spot early!
