London welcomed 2026 with a world-class New Year’s Eve firework display that celebrated the capital’s spirit of unity, bringing millions of people together across the UK and around the world. Commissioned by the Greater London Authority (GLA) and produced and delivered by experience agency Identity for the fourth consecutive year, the 12-minute show lit up the skyline with more than 12,000 fireworks, 430 lighting fixtures and a soundtrack that captured London’s energy, diversity and culture.
This year’s theme – unity – reflects the traditional sentiment of New Year: spending time with friends and family, looking forward with hope, and celebrating what connects us.
The display, the largest annual firework show in Europe, was broadcast live on BBC One and streamed globally on YouTube, with millions watching from home. Viewers were also treated to returning Hologauze digital projections, delivered by Pixel Artworks, creating the illusion of animated visuals appearing inside the London Eye in real time. First introduced last year, the effect is believed to be the first use of Hologauze at this scale as part of a live broadcast of its kind.
Sporting excellence
The display included a tribute to an incredible year of women’s sport, with the Red Roses winning the Rugby World Cup and the Lionesses winning the Euros. It highlighted Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool becoming the first British men to win the Wimbledon doubles final for 89 years and Europe triumphing over USA in the Ryder Cup.
It referenced last summer being the UK’s hottest on record and included a nod to the social media ‘tea-time alarm’ meme that suggested there is a daily alarm reminding British people to enjoy a cup of tea.
The display championed what it means to be English and British, including an image of flags representing the wide variety of countries of origin of people who live in and contribute to the success of London, to celebrate our diversity and send a message of unity for 2026.
Wicked: For Good
The 2025 film Wicked: For Good featured as part of a unique event partnership with Universal Pictures to celebrate the cinematic release of the epic conclusion to 2024’s global cultural phenomenon, Wicked. Grammy, Emmy and Tony winner and three-time Academy Award® nominated London actress, singer, author and producer Cynthia Erivo, who stars as Elphaba in the Wicked films, recorded a message encouraging everyone to “embrace the magic we have inside and come together, for good”.
The soundtrack also included a wide range of hits from artists including RAYE, Ella Eyre, Sabrina Carpenter, Ed Sheeran, Whitney Houston, Sister Sledge, Heather Small, Gala, Coldplay and Noizu, as well as samples from a huge variety of styles including KPop, Latin, Afrobeats and The Band of the Coldstream Guards.
Behind the scenes
The hologauze animations that were exclusively broadcast on the BBC included one of the capital’s distinctive Superloop express buses driving around the London Eye, the ‘tea-time alarm’ and images of the victorious Red Roses and Lionesses.
Behind the scenes, the show required a crew of 75 specialist technicians, working from 27 December through to showtime to rig more than 30 tonnes of equipment and 15 kilometres of cable and wire. Final preparations on the London Eye were completed within the hour before midnight once visitors had left the structure.
Storytelling with emotional language
Dan Colborne, Executive Creative Director at Identity, said:
“New Year’s Eve is a rare moment when the world is collectively watching, and visual storytelling becomes the emotional language everyone understands. This year’s creative was about using scale, symbolism and perspective to turn hope into something you could literally see unfolding in the sky.
“By pushing the frame of the London Eye and layering meaning through imagery, we created a shared visual narrative that reminded people not just where we’ve been, but what we can move towards together. Pixel Artworks were instrumental in bringing that story to life, translating the creative ambition into a striking visual experience that resonated on a global stage.”
Michael Gietzen, Group CEO of Identity, said:
“Delivering this event for the fourth consecutive year is a privilege and a responsibility our team never takes for granted. A show of this scale demands precision, creativity and resilience – and I’m incredibly proud of every person involved.
“From the creative direction to the complex engineering, our team once again demonstrated world-class expertise. Thank you to everyone at Identity, our partners, and the GLA for their trust and collaboration. This is London at its best and we’re proud to play our part.”
Identity was supported by some incredible partners:
🎵 On the Sly and Kojo Samuel – sound track design & music producers
🚨 Tim Routledge – lighting design
📽️ Pixel Artworks – Hologauze
💡 LCR – Lighting
🎇 Titanium Fireworks Ltd – fireworks
🦺 CarnDu – show safety
🔈 Delta Live – PA sound
Key stats
- 12-minute live display
- £14 million generated for London’s economy
- 100,000 ticket holders
- 12,000+ fireworks | 430 lights
- Europe’s largest annual firework show
- Delivered by Identity for the fourth consecutive year
- 75 specialist crew
- 30+ tonnes of equipment | 15km of cable
- Millions watching worldwide via BBC One & YouTube
- Hologauze projections integrated into live broadcast
