The Epic Fireworks Blog

Posts Tagged ‘London’

The Merlin Entertainments London Eye will light up the South Bank tonight (9 March) with an extravagant fireworks show to celebrate its tenth birthday.

From 7pm, visitors will enjoy an impressive light show, with those booking a flight receiving a free glass of Pommery champagne.

“Everyone at the London Eye is thrilled to be celebrating this important landmark with our visitors, who have been so important along the way, and we can’t wait to see it all come to life on the day,” said David Sharpe, managing director of the London Eye and divisional director of London Midway Attractions.

The Merlin Entertainments London Eye has welcomed more than 36 million visitors over the past nine years.

The capital’s Chinese New Year celebrations are set to transform central London on Sunday 21 February 2010.

Visitors to Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square and London Chinatown will be able to welcome in the Year of the Tiger in spectacular style – with Chinese arts and entertainment from international and home-grown artists, and food, firecrackers and fireworks.

In Trafalgar Square, two groups from China will perform world-class dance, music and acrobatics after an official opening ceremony. There will also be firecrackers, Chinese dragons, lions and Chinese acrobatics.

Meanwhile, in a specially decorated Chinatown there will be cultural stalls, food and lion dance displays. Shaftesbury Avenue will become ‘Hong Kong in London Chinatown’ with a stage featuring performances by local Chinese artists.

A colourful fireworks display in Leicester Square will close the celebrations. Running orders (subject to change)

Trafalgar Square Stage

• 11:15 Firecrackers
• 12:00 Opening ceremony begins with speeches
• 12:30 Doting Dragon’s Eyes
• 12:45 Dragon Dance
• 12:55 Lion Dance performance
• 13:10 Dance, music, acrobatics, martial arts performances by visiting Chinese artists
• 18:00 Ends

Chinatown

• 12:00-18:00 Lion dances around Chinatown and Shaftesbury Avenue
• 12:00-18:00 haftesbury Avenue Stage – Hong Kong In London Chinatown
• 12:00-16:00 Performances by local Chinese artists

Leicester Square

• 17:55 Fireworks and firecrackers

All locations

• 12:00-17:00 Stalls with a variety of wares

For further information please click here.

9,600 LEDs are to be installed in the Clink Street railway arch to provide an all-day stylised silent gold and silver fireworks display.

Southwark Council’s planning committee last week resolved to grant permission for the installation which has received funding from Borough & Bankside Community Council under the Cleaner Greener Safer programme.

Following consultation with Clink Street residents the council has proposed that the ‘fireworks’ display will operate daily between 7.30am and 10.30pm with a twinkling night sky effect during the first and last half hours.

The display will be on a 48-hour schedule with variable intervals between the firework showers. Sometimes there will be a gap of up to 15 minutes between displays.

The LEDs will be mounted on mesh panels similar to those used in Great Suffolk Street and for the bridge 401 lighting in Union Street.

The new installation is part of the Light at the End of the Tunnel programme which has seen many of SE1’s railway arches cleaned and new lighting schemes installed.

The Clink Street arch has a particularly high profile as it forms part of the Thames Path National Trail for walkers and route 4 of the National Cycle Network.

See the West End fizz into life at the fireworks display at Leicester Square, which takes place to celebrate Chinese New Year and the beginning of the Year of the Tiger.

Fizz, bang and pop
Part of a day of public celebrations for Chinese New Year, the fireworks display at Leicester Square aims to get the Year of the Tiger off to a flying start with a free pyrotechnics display. Fireworks are a traditional part of Chinese New celebrations, and the free display in the West End are bound to draw Londoners in their thousands.

Year of the Tiger
Although Chinese New Year actually falls on the 14th February for 2010, London will be officially celebrating the start of the Year of the Tiger the weekend after with a series of city wide public events. As well as the spectacular fireworks display at Leicester Square, there’ll be lion dances and music in Trafalgar Square, celebrations in Chinatown and special menus in Chinese restaurants across London.

Grand finale
As with past years, the fireworks display at Leicester Square is the grand finale of a day long celebration for Chinese New Year in London. There’ll be parades and performances taking place throughout Central London, focusing on the area around Trafalgar Square and Chinatown.

Events for kids
The West End fireworks are bound to be a big hit with Londoners of all ages, but there’s also a special programme of arts and crafts events taking place at museums and galleries across the city to entertain children too. Running throughout half term, there’s mask and flag making workshops, tiger photo exhibitions and much more to see and do.

Jack Morton Worldwide is creating the fireworks display to mark midnight on New Year’s Eve over the River Thames and the London Eye.

This is the sixth consecutive year the brand experience consultancy has designed the event for the Mayor of London.

Millions of people across the country are expected to watch the display live on BBC One, and there will also be viewing areas by the Thames to see the display.

London Mayor Boris Johnson says, ‘London will bring in 2010 with a bang, a glittering explosion across the midnight sky. We want to show the world we are looking forward to the future with the optimism and energy that characterises our capital and makes it the most exciting city on earth.’

Julian Pullan, EVP managing director, EMEA, for Jack Morton, says, ‘We are now in our sixth year of working on the New Year’s Eve celebrations, and are very pleased to be continuing our partnership with the Greater London Authority on this event until 2011.’

Celebrate New Year’s Eve in London. It’s one of London’s biggest party nights, with a host of festivities, fireworks and fun! On New Year’s Eve, London comes alive with celebrations, fireworks and parties in every corner of the capital.

Prepare to be dazzled by spectacular fireworks along the river Thames, at Alexandra Palace Park or one of many other London fireworks displays on New Year’s Eve, and for those who like to party, New Year’s Eve in London offers you some of the best, clubs, pubs, dining, private celebrations and sophisticated functions in the world.

This year’s fireworks display in Central London will be at the London Eye, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary. In the run up to the midnight show, music will be played by Radio One’s award-winning DJ Nihal.

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson says: “London will bring in 2010 with a bang, a glittering explosion across the midnight sky. We want to show to the world that we are looking forward to the future with the optimism and energy that characterises our capital and makes it the most exciting city on earth.”

The Mayor’s office advises New Year’s Eve revelers to plan ahead. Many venues, such as pubs, bars and clubs, are likely to be ticketed with advance booking. Space in viewing areas along the Thames to watch the fireworks will be limited, but the display will of course be broadcast live on television.

Find the best views of the fireworks in London for New Years Eve, the prime viewing spots along the Thames for watching the fireworks with Epic Fireworks.

TWO traders are counting the cost of illegally selling fireworks to a 15-year-old girl who volunteered to take part in an undercover operation by Herts trading standards in Cheshunt.

Suleyman Bozdag, 32, of The Beckers, Rectory Road, London, and Huseyin Hezer, of Banister House, Homerton High Street, London, respectively director and company secretary of Cilda Ltd discount store in Turners Hill, Cheshunt, were found guilty of the offence at Hertford Magistrates Court last Tuesday (December 8).

Both were fined £500. The shop was also fined £1,500, plus £279 costs. The offence took place on October 28, 2008.

The court heard that Bozdag and Hezer were of previous good character. In mitigation, both stated that “this has never happened before”.

Keith Emsall (Con, Letchworth South), executive member for community safety and culture, said: “While most shopkeepers are responsible, there are still some that seem to think that they can flout the law. Selling fireworks illegally will not be tolerated.

“There is a simple Think 21 policy for shopkeepers to follow to help them avoid selling fireworks to under 18s – if someone looks under 21, ask for identification. If their staff fail to do so, business owners are at risk of landing themselves a heavy fine. It is just not worth the risk.”

Shops are advised to only accept three types of identification – a passport, a photo driving licence, or a proof of age card with a PASS hologram such as the Validate card recently launched in Hertfordshire.

Hertfordshire Trading Standards says it will also make sure that fireworks are stored and sold safely and that banned fireworks are not sold to the general public.

Members of the public with concerns about safety and storage of fireworks or sales to young people can notify trading standards by contacting Consumer Direct on 08454 040506 (or by text phone on 0845 1281384 for people with hearing or speech difficulties) between 8am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 1pm on Saturdays.

Hertfordshire businesses requiring advice on the law and selling fireworks can contact trading standards on 01727 813849. Click here for the original story.

The Lord Mayor’s Show will see the 682nd Lord Mayor of London, Nick Anstee, follow in the footsteps of his predecessors and embark on a procession from Mansion House to St Paul’s Cathedral, followed by a three-mile procession of about 6,000 people from across London.

The 794th Lord Mayor’s Show takes place on November 14, beginning at 11am at the Mansion House following a military flypast. It will travel from Mansion House, down Cheapside to St Paul’s Cathedral, where the Lord Mayor will arrive at 12.10pm to be blessed before proceeding to the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand.

The procession then makes its way back to the City, finishing at 2pm. At 5pm the Lord Mayor will light the touch paper to the spectacular Lord Mayor’s Fireworks display on the river Thames, between Blackfriars Bridge and Waterloo Bridge.

It is a tradition dating back to 1215 where each new Lord Mayor is required to swear a pledge of allegiance to the Sovereign in front of the Lord Chief Justice and Judges of the Queen’s Bench Division.

the lord mayors show london on the thames

It is traditional for the Lord Mayors Show London event to finish spectacularly with a gigantic fireworks display launched from a barge on the River Thames, located between Waterloo Bridge and Blackfriars Bridge. The fireworks display marks the end of the show and the beginning of a new mayoral year and it is widely expected to be one of the most stunning fireworks displays of 2009. Crowds of Londoners will head to the river to watch the fireworks which will start at 5pm.

The best spots to view the fireworks will go quickly so get there early, 5pm sharp is the start time so don’t be late!

As usual the midnight fireworks display will be broadcast live on BBC One. Music in the build up to midnight will be mixed live by Radio 1’s Nihal.

The display will mark the London Eye’s tenth birthday, and the tenth anniversary of the infamous ‘river of fire’ display on the Thames that left so many Millennium revellers disappointed.

“London will bring in 2010 with a bang, a glittering explosion across the midnight sky,” says Boris Johnson.

“We want to show to the world that we are looking forward to the future with the optimism and energy that characterises our capital and makes it the most exciting city on earth.

“The fireworks are part of a dazzling range of attractions all across the capital over the festive season.

“For visitors and Londoners alike, there is something for everyone, from Christmas trees and sparkling lights, to carol concerts and ice-skating at iconic locations.”

New Year’s Eve revellers are advised to plan ahead. Many venues, such as pubs, bars and clubs, are likely to be ticketed with advance booking required.

Space in viewing areas along the Thames to watch the fireworks will be limited.

Last year Boris Johnson suggested that access to the riverside viewing areas could be controlled by ticketing, but he has not followed through on that idea.

Tube, DLR, tram and bus services will run all night, with free travel from 11.45pm to 4.30am. In central London Tube travellers should look out for station closures and exit only arrangements.

Many roads in the centre will be closed to cars and buses.

London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display is being organised by Jack Morton Worldwide for the sixth consecutive year with fireworks designed by Groupe F.

Three days of Guy Fawkes celebrations across London kick off tonight, with dozens of fireworks displays in parks.

Organisers promised a “huge array” of “the best pyrotechnics”. Many of the events are free. Tonight, thousands are expected to flock to south London venues, where many of the displays will be taking place.

There will be fireworks at Brockwell Park, Clapham Common, Streatham Common, Wimbledon Park, Crystal Palace Park and Southwark Park. There will also be displays at Roundwood Park, Brent and Syon Park, Brentford — where the Gunpowder Plot will be re-enacted.

Displays will also be held tomorrow and on Saturday, when crowds will gather at some of the country’s biggest fireworks shows. Fireworks at Alexandra Palace will be coupled with England’s largest German beer festival and a funfair, and this year’s display at Battersea Park will be set to music with the theme of “love”.

Sally Chatterjee, chief executive of Visit London, said: “London has a huge array of firework displays taking place this year and many of them are free. It’s an ideal way to see some of London’s most stunning parks and heaths while enjoying some of the best pyrotechnics displays around.”

Firework displays in the capital

TONIGHT

Brockwell Park, Dulwich Road. 7.30pm, free.

Clapham Common 7.30pm, free.

Streatham Common 7.30pm, free.

Wimbledon Park 6.30pm and 8.15pm with funfair. Adults £7, children £4, family ticket £20.

Southwark Park 7pm, free.

Roundwood Park, Harlesden Road. 6.45pm, free.

Syon Park, Brentford. 8pm with re-enactment of the Gunpowder Plot. Adults £5, children £2.

Crystal Palace Park Children’s fireworks 7pm, main display 8pm. Adults £5, children £3.

Waltham Forest Town Hall, Walthamstow. 6pm with funfair. Adults £4, children £3, under-fives free

TOMORROW

Bishop’s Park, Fulham. Funfair 6pm, fireworks 7.15pm and 8pm. £6 or £4 in advance, under-fives free.

Kingsmeadow Stadium, Kingston Road. 8pm, adults £6, children £4.

Wanstead Flats 6.15pm. Free

SATURDAY

Ealing Cricket Club 7.30pm with bonfire, barbecue and children’s rides. Adults £5, children £3.

Enfield Town Park Funfair 6pm, display 7.30pm. Adults £5, children £3.

Walker Cricket Ground, Southgate. Food, bar and children’s rides 5pm, fireworks 8pm. Adults £6, children £4.

Alexandra Palace Beer festival 4.30pm, fireworks 7.30pm, free.

Ravenscourt Park Funfair 7.15pm, fireworks 8pm. £6, under-fives free.

Barking Park Funfair and concert 5.30pm, fireworks 8pm. Adults £5, children £1 with paying adult.

Danson Park, Bexleyheath. Food and entertainment 5.30pm, fireworks 8pm. Adults £5, children £3.

Norman Park, Hayes, Kent. Open 5pm, fireworks 8pm. Adults £5, children £3.

Croydon Road Recreation Ground Children’s fireworks 7pm, main display 8pm. Adults £5, children £3.

Chislehurst Recreation Ground Bonfire 7pm, fireworks 7.30pm. Adults £6, children £3.

Blackheath Common 8pm, free.

Morden Park 6.30pm and 8.15pm. Adults £7, children £4.

Victoria Park 7.30pm, free.

Battersea Park. Bonfire and bar 7.30pm, fireworks 8pm — set to music to the theme of love. Adults £6, under-10s £1.