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Londoners love a good firework show, and there are few places more iconic to watch the city light up than Primrose Hill. But if you're planning to head to the north London park for Bonfire Night or New Year’s Eve 2025, you’ll need to change your plans: the famous panoramic viewing spot will be closed to the public for both celebrations.
The central London park will be closed at 10pm each night from October 31 until November 9, during the Bonfire Night and Halloween period. It will also be shuttered on December 31 and reopen the following day on January 1.
Royal Parks partly blamed Primrose Hill’s closure on the scrapping of the Met Police’s dedicated parks unit, which means they can no longer safely manage the crowds. Last year, an estimated 30,000 descended on the beauty spot to watch the New Year’s Eve fireworks display.
‘The safety of all park visitors is our priority,’ said a spokesperson for The Royal Parks. ‘With the potential for such a large number of attendees, and the absence of the dedicated Royal Parks Police, we are unable to support the necessary safety and crowd management arrangements. Closing Primrose Hill overnight is the only responsible course of action.’
However, Commander Nick John, who is leading the Met's policing operation on New Year's Eve, told the Standard it was ‘completely inaccurate’ to suggest the disbandment of the Royal Parks team would affect policing on December 31.
‘As a result of careful planning we are able to allocate officers to events – wherever they are held - based on threat and risk. For example, on New Year’s Eve 2023/2024, more than 130 officers from Camden and Islington were sent to Primrose Hill,’ he said.
‘The Met will continue to respond to emergency calls, patrol hotspot areas, investigate crimes and support events in Royal Parks across London.’
Either way, all is not lost as there are plenty of places across the capital to watch the fireworks display on New Year's Eve. Here’s our list of the best viewpoints in London for more. Even better for Bonfire Night, there are a host of ticketed events with impressive displays and a guaranteed spot, including at Alexandra Palace and Wimbledon Park.
The best fireworks displays in London.
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