Tickets for the Mayor of London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks are scheduled to go on sale at noon on Friday, October 23, 2026. That is 12:00 p.m. London time while the UK is on British Summer Time (BST, UTC+01:00), or 11:00 a.m. UTC. The event itself is scheduled for Thursday, December 31, 2026, from 8:00 p.m. to midnight-thirty on Friday, January 1, 2027, in London’s winter time, Greenwich Mean Time (GMT, UTC+00:00). Anyone planning to watch from one of the official riverside viewing areas needs a ticket, including children.
The first ticket batch is due at 12:00 p.m. BST on Friday, October 23. Because daylight saving time is still in effect on that date, BST is UTC+01:00, making the release time 11:00 a.m. UTC. The UK clocks go back on Sunday, October 25, so the event night on December 31 uses GMT (UTC+00:00). City Hall lists the event from 8:00 p.m. GMT on December 31 until 12:30 a.m. GMT on January 1, 2027.
The official event page says a second batch will be released, but it does not give an exact date for that sale. Check the page for updates instead of relying on an unofficial countdown or resale listing. The first release is the date to prepare for now.
Standard ticket prices range from £40 to £55, depending on the viewing zone. A £20 discount per ticket is available to buyers who live at a London postcode. The published resident prices are £20 for Category B and £35 for Category A. Prices include VAT, but a small booking fee is added by the ticketing provider.
| Ticket category | Viewing areas | Standard price | Eligible London postcode price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category A | Blue, Pink, and White | £55 | £35 |
| Category B | Red, Green, and Orange | £40 | £20 |
The City Hall page says postcode eligibility is checked during checkout against the billing address on the payment card. Enter the postcode in capital letters without spaces, and make sure it matches the card’s billing address; a mismatch may put discounted tickets at risk of cancellation. You may also be asked for proof of address at the entrance. The discount is tied to the qualifying address, not simply to buying tickets while in London.
Ticketmaster is the event’s official seller. The buyer limit is four tickets. For a larger family or group, another adult may buy up to four more, but everyone needs to travel together. If you are meeting friends, coordinate before checkout and book the same viewing area: a ticket for one color does not let you enter another area, and visitors cannot move between zones on the night.
The event has six ticketed zones on the north and south banks of the Thames. Each has a numbered gate and a specific approach route. The areas list entry from 8:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. GMT on December 31. Choose the zone before buying and plan to arrive at its assigned gate.
| Area | Location and view | Approach and gate |
|---|---|---|
| Blue | Victoria Embankment, Westminster Bridge to Golden Jubilee Footbridge; head-on view | North bank; Gate 1 via Victoria, or Gate 2 via Charing Cross or Embankment |
| Red | Victoria Embankment, Golden Jubilee Footbridge to Temple Avenue; side view | North bank; Gate 4 via Holborn or Gate 5 via Blackfriars |
| Pink | Waterloo Bridge only; side view | South bank; Gate 6 via Southwark |
| Green | Behind the London Eye; close view | South bank; Gate 7 via Waterloo |
| White | Westminster Bridge only; side view | South bank; Gate 8 via Waterloo |
| Orange | Albert Embankment beside St Thomas’ Hospital; partial side view | South bank; Gate 9 via Waterloo; accessible area |
Some station details matter. Holborn is not step-free, and Westminster Underground Station does not provide access to the White area. The Pink area is reached from the Southwark side of Waterloo Bridge, but you cannot cross that bridge to enter another zone. Check the official map and gate number shown for your ticket before setting off; crossing the river may not be an option on the night.
The Orange area is the event’s designated accessible viewing area. City Hall describes it as less crowded and says it has seating, a hearing loop, accessible toilets nearby, and access from a vehicle drop-off point. The view is partial and side-on, so weigh those practical features against the sightline when choosing. The drop-off point is about 700 meters away; roads and sidewalks on the route have curb cuts suitable for wheelchair users. The nearest public transport is about 2 kilometers away, for example at Waterloo. The other five zones have accessible toilets and step-free movement on closed roads, but they can be crowded and do not have dedicated accessible viewing platforms or seating.
Central London will be exceptionally busy. City Hall advises visitors to plan their journey in advance and warns that stations will be busy when the event ends. It also says visitors will not be able to use Westminster Bridge, Golden Jubilee Footbridge, Lambeth Bridge, Blackfriars Bridge, or Waterloo Bridge before or after the event. Decide which side of the river you want to leave from, then use Transport for London’s journey planner closer to the date to check the route and service status.
Vehicle access to the restricted event and surrounding areas is scheduled to be limited from 2:00 p.m. GMT on December 31 until about 6:00 a.m. GMT on January 1. City Hall says contingency plans could bring some closures forward to noon in the yellow and red areas. Cars, buses, coaches, vans, trucks, and bicycles will not be allowed inside restricted zones, and parking is suspended there. If you are driving to a drop-off point, check the event map and approach before leaving; do not assume you can reach the riverfront by car.
City Hall has confirmed the sale date and time for the first batch, the four-ticket purchase limit, the price bands, the £20 London postcode discount, and the six viewing zones. The exact date for the second batch is not yet stated on the official page. Transport operations, entrance arrangements, and any service changes can be updated closer to New Year’s Eve, so recheck the event page and TfL journey planner before travel.
Every attendee must have a ticket, regardless of age. City Hall says the event is a late-night, crowded outdoor celebration and is not suitable for young children; anyone under 16 who attends must be accompanied by an adult. Before buying, compare the zone’s view, station access, gate, and accessibility features—not just the ticket price.
Official sources: Mayor of London’s New Year’s Eve 2026 event page; GOV.UK clock-change dates; and Transport for London journey planning.
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