How to buy London fireworks tickets

The Mayor's New Year's Eve 2026 page, updated on 16 October 2026, sets out the sale. On 22 October tickets were not yet on sale, so expect the first batch to go quickly.

The £20 resident discount is checked against the billing address of the card you pay with, and proof of address can be asked for on the night. Visitors with an overseas or non-London card pay the full price. The booking fee goes to the ticketing provider; neither City Hall page states its amount.

Which viewing area to choose

The press release expects around 100,000 people. Category A costs more; the Mayor's page describes Blue as a head-on view, puts Pink and White on the two bridges, and calls Red a side view and Orange a partial side view. Gates for every area are open from 20:00 to 22:30 only.

Area Bank and view Price (resident) Gate Nearest stations listed
Blue North, head-on (Victoria Embankment) £55 (£35) 1 or 2 Victoria, Charing Cross, Embankment
Pink South, on Waterloo Bridge only £55 (£35) 6 Southwark
White South, on Westminster Bridge only £55 (£35) 8 Waterloo
Red North, side view (Embankment towards Temple) £40 (£20) 4 or 5 Holborn, Blackfriars
Green South, behind the London Eye £40 (£20) 7 Waterloo
Orange South, accessible area, partial side view £40 (£20) 9 Waterloo

How to decide. If you are staying north of the river or leaving from a northern terminal, Blue or Red keeps you on that side. If your hotel is south or east via Waterloo, Green, White or Orange makes more sense. Pink is reached only from Southwark, and you cannot cross Waterloo Bridge to another area. The White area has no access from Westminster Underground station, and Holborn, listed for Red, has no step-free access.

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What you can bring and the entry rules

The terms set the rules that most often catch people out:

  • Bags: backpacks and suitcases are not permitted and can mean refused entry. Everyone is searched at the gate.
  • Glass: no glass bottles, flasks or glass drinking vessels in the viewing areas.
  • Other banned items: fireworks and sparklers, laser pens, bicycles, drones, chairs, tables and camping equipment. Only assistance dogs are allowed.
  • Time: there is strictly no admission after the time on your ticket, and late arrivals get no refund.
  • Under-16s: must be with an adult, and every child needs a ticket.

What happens if you do not have a ticket

City Hall's page is blunt: you cannot attend the fireworks without a ticket and will not be allowed into the viewing areas. The area around them is restricted too. Vehicle access is restricted from 14:00 on 31 December until about 06:00 on 1 January, with contingency plans for closures from 12:00, and Westminster Bridge, Golden Jubilee Footbridge, Lambeth Bridge, Blackfriars Bridge and Waterloo Bridge cannot be used before or after the event.

If you could not get a ticket, plan a different evening away from Westminster and the South Bank rather than trying the river on the night. The Mayor's page links to Visit London's list of other New Year's Eve events.

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Getting home after midnight

The event runs until 00:30, and City Hall warns that stations will be very busy. TfL had not published its plan for 31 December 2026 when we checked on 22 October. For the last New Year's Eve, TfL's press release of 2 December 2025 said services would run all night apart from planned closures, that some stations might close at short notice and that bus routes would be diverted. TfL's 2024–25 festive travel page said it was not able to offer free travel on New Year's Eve, so expect to pay normal fares.

Because the bridges stay shut, crossing the river on foot after the show is not an option near the viewing areas. Walk away from the crowds to a station further from the river, or use a night route. Our guide to getting around after the last Tube explains how London's night network works.

If you are staying on in London, our guide to Christmas Day and Boxing Day transport and closures covers the days before the fireworks.