Brits hail ‘beautiful’ tribute to late Queen and support for Ukraine in New Year fireworks

1 January 2023, 08:47 | Updated: 1 January 2023, 15:08

Brits have hailed a "beautiful" tribute to the late Queen in the New Year fireworks in London as well as the show of support for Ukraine.

Big Ben bonged in England's capital as a crowd of more than 100,000 people gathered along the Thames Embankment in central London to watch 12,000 fireworks streak across the sky.

The sold-out show was designed to send a message of "love and unity", as it highlighted the Lionesses' history-making Euro win at Wembley, marked 50 years of London's Pride with a message from Peter Tatchell from the Gay Liberation Front, and sent a message of support to Ukraine.

The display also paid tribute to the late Queen, featuring a voice recording from her as drones formed into a coin with her face.

There were words from Dame Judi Dench before the display went on to honour the King, with a message from Charles about the need to preserve our planet's future.

Drones spelled out a positive message during the show, welcoming in "2023 with love from London" as fireworks exploded behind them.

Read more: Welcome to 2023! Revellers party in streets as fireworks light up the night sky to herald the start of the New Year

London celebrates the New Year with a bang

"Beautiful fireworks, London did us proud. Rest in peace our beautiful Queen Elizabeth and long live our King Charles," one person tweeted.

Another Twitter user said: "London Happy New Year celebrations were the best. Tribute to Queen Elizabeth..her voice and leadership. Worldly missed."

A third person said: "Happy New Year, England! That was a hell of a fireworks display in London and I was glad to see Queen Elizabeth remembered in such a great way. Also, it was a nice tip of the hat to the people of the Ukraine. You are not forgotten, stay strong."

Acknowledging the nod to Ukraine, one person said: "Strong backing for free Ukraine in London's NYE show with #SlavaUkraini and Eurovision-winning Stefania by Kalush Orchestra."

Meanwhile, shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said: "The greatest firework display London has ever seen.

"The Queen, 50 years of Pride, solidarity with Ukraine… And so much more. Spectacular and moving."

Sadiq Khan earlier told LBC: “The reason the fireworks tonight is so important is to bring people back, to unify our city and to show London in a positive way to help our hotels, our bars, our restaurants.

“We need to make sure our city bounces back more green, more fair, more prosperous.”

Music during the display included Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline, Ukrainian Eurovision winner Kalush Orchestra, and hits from Stormzy, Dua Lipa, Cher, Dave, Rihanna and Calvin Harris.

It concluded with the traditional Auld Lang Syne.

Thousands of Metropolitan Police officers were on duty across the capital, with the force later saying eight people were arrested for offences including assault on police, drunk and disorderly, and possession of an offensive weapon.

Officers worked with charity Safer Spaces to build a place in Duncannon Street, central London, for women and girls to go should they have felt unsafe.

Meanwhile, other parts of England were forced to abandon their firework celebrations for slightly different reasons.

The North Yorkshire seaside town of Scarborough cancelled plans after an Arctic walrus, believed to be "Thor" - who was spotted on the Hampshire coastline earlier this month, arrived in the harbour earlier in the day.

Scarborough Borough Council called off the fireworks display on the advice of British Divers Marine Life Rescue after the organisation expressed concerns that it could cause "distress" to the mammal.

North of the border, people in Edinburgh enjoyed what First Minister Nicola Sturgeon called the "first full Hogmanay celebrations in three years".

"Thinking back to Hogmanay last year and indeed the year before that, we're reminded of just how far we have come from the very darkest days of the pandemic," she said in a New Year's Eve message on Twitter.

People queued in the rain to enter the party in Princes Street.

Fireworks lit up the sky behind the city's castle.

The '80s duo The Pet Shop Boys sang the city into 2023.

In Cardiff, families partied in the city's Winter Wonderland, while people in Belfast celebrated at Europa Hotel's annual Gala Ball.