Tickets for London’s New Year’s Eve Fireworks Celebrations on Sale from 26 September 2014

London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks celebrations, one of the most widely watched fireworks celebrations in the world, are to be ticketed for the first time.

Organised by the Mayor of London, the event has become so successful that the organisers have taken the decision to ticket the event in order to reduce the number of people attending.

This year 100,000 tickets will be available to people from anywhere in the UK, or abroad. Those interested in purchasing tickets will be able to book up to four tickets online from Friday, 26 September at 12 noon (GMT).

Introducing tickets to popular events, similar to the Edinburgh Hogmanay celebrations, is a recognised way of controlling crowd numbers. Organisers say that the £10 fee will be used to pay for administration costs.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said, “London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks are phenomenally popular, not just in the capital, but across the world and we want to ensure it continues to be a safe, enjoyable and sustainable event for the long-term. After consulting with our partners, we are introducing ticketing to help manage crowd numbers and create a better experience on the night. For anyone without a ticket the fireworks are again being shown live and in full on television, meaning you can watch it in glorious HD colour without missing a single second. And don’t forget, there are hundreds of other New Year’s Eve celebrations to enjoy in bars, restaurants and clubs across the capital.”

London is a special place at the turn of the year, and if you can’t get a ticket to attend the fireworks there are many other amazing events and experiences to enjoy.

Many London pubs and gastro pubs will be staying open past midnight and top comedy clubs and West End theatres will be putting on great performances. London is also one of the clubbing capitals of Europe and there will be a whole host of specially organised club nights in unique locations around the city or top DJ sets at one of these well-known nightclubs.

Julie Chappell, Director of VisitLondon.com, said, “London is the best city in the world to see in the New Year because it offers something for everyone. The city’s night-life is so vibrant and diverse that there are so many other events and attractions leaving visitors spoilt for choice. Our advice is to plan ahead to come and enjoy the best pubs, clubs, comedy, restaurants and theatre that can be found anywhere. Once you’ve had a night to remember on New Year’s Eve come back and enjoy the New Year’s Day Parade which is free for everybody.”

Since the fireworks were first staged at the London Eye in 2003, the numbers of people wanting to see them have grown from an estimated 100,000 in the first year to 400,000 in 2012 and 500,000 in 2013.

The prime viewing areas have a capacity of 100,000 people, which means the majority of people wanting to watch the display do not get the best view, or are unable to access the areas altogether. The huge crowds also mean long delays leaving the area at the end of the event as revellers make their way to Tube, rail and other public transport services.