New Year's Eve 2026 in London: seeing in 2027 and getting home

What day is New Year's Eve 2026?

Thursday. New Year's Eve falls on Thursday 31 December 2026, and New Year's Day, Friday 1 January 2027, is a bank holiday in England and Wales [1].

The day matters for the way home. In TfL's regular timetable, the Night Tube runs only on Friday and Saturday nights, so the night of Thursday 31 December is not one of them [5]. An all-night Tube on New Year's Eve 2026 would be a special service, and TfL had not announced one by 3 November [3]. In the regular timetable, the next Night Tube nights are Friday 1 and Saturday 2 January [5].

Do you need a ticket for the London fireworks?

Yes. City Hall says you cannot attend the fireworks without a ticket, and anyone without one will not be let into the viewing areas [2]. It also warns that tickets sell out quickly [2].

• Where to buy. Only from Ticketmaster, City Hall's official seller. You cannot buy tickets from other sellers [2].
• When. Tickets are released in two batches. The first went on sale at midday on Friday 23 October 2026, and City Hall says to check its event page for the release date of the second [2][11].
• How many. Up to 4 tickets per buyer. In a bigger group, another adult can buy up to the same number, and the group travels to the event together [2].
• Price. It depends on the viewing area, and on whether the buyer lives in a London postcode [2]. The table below gives each price.

Prices include VAT, a booking fee goes on top, and they are the same as last year [2]. The London price is checked against the billing address of the card you pay with, and stewards may ask for proof of address on the night [2]. The main ticket buyer may be asked for photo ID that matches the name on the tickets [2].

Refunds are not available. You can resell a ticket at face value through Ticketmaster's Fan-to-Fan Resale, or transfer it into another person's name before the event [2]. City Hall advises against bringing young children; under-16s must come with an adult, and everyone needs a ticket [2].

Which station for which viewing area?

Each viewing area has its own numbered gate, and City Hall names the stations to use for each one [2]. Every gate admits ticket holders from 20:00 to 22:30 [2].

You cannot move between areas on the night [2]. Holborn station has no step-free access, and the White area cannot be reached from Westminster station [2]. City Hall warns that a viewing area can be up to 2 kilometres from public transport. The Orange area is about 2 kilometres from Waterloo; it has seating and a hearing loop, and a vehicle drop-off point about 700 metres away that is best used before 20:00 [2].

Which bridges and roads close?

Westminster Bridge, the Golden Jubilee Footbridge, Lambeth Bridge, Blackfriars Bridge and Waterloo Bridge cannot be used before or after the event, so City Hall advises choosing the side of the river you want to be on afterwards [2]. Vehicles, buses included, are kept out of the restricted area from 14:00 on 31 December until about 06:00 on 1 January, and some areas can close from 12:00 if needed [2]. Some roads in central London stay closed for the London Parade 2027 [2].

Does the Tube run all night on New Year's Eve 2026?

Not confirmed yet. On 3 November 2026, TfL's calendar of major works and events listed nothing for New Year's Eve, and tfl.gov.uk/christmas-travel, where TfL sent readers for last year's festive changes, opened that same calendar [3][4]. TfL's press releases for October and November 2026 include no festive travel plan [3].

Last year, TfL published its plan on 2 December 2025. It said that, apart from planned closures, services would run all night on New Year's Eve; that some central London stations might close at short notice or at busy times to prevent overcrowding; and that some central bus routes would be on diversion around road closures from about midday [4]. It also asked people without a fireworks ticket not to travel to the area around Victoria Embankment [4]. That plan was for 2025. By 3 November 2026, TfL had not said whether 2026 will be the same [3].

What does not depend on the announcement:

• The Night Tube. In the regular timetable, it runs on Friday and Saturday nights on the Central, Jubilee, Northern, Piccadilly, Victoria and Windrush lines [5].
• Night buses. TfL says night buses run 24 hours a day, while the Night Tube runs on Fridays and Saturdays [8]. Our guide to Night Tube and night buses for 17 London areas lists the routes that run through the night from each of MYSOVA's zones.
• Planning. TfL's Journey Planner and the TfL Go app plan the trip, and TfL's website shows when the next bus is due at your stop [8]. TfL's major works and events calendar is where its festive changes were listed last year [3][4].

What does it cost to get home?

• Tube and rail. Night Tube fares are off-peak, and a Day Travelcard is valid for journeys that start before 04:30 the next day [5].
• Buses. Since 1 November 2026, an adult pay-as-you-go bus or tram fare is £1.85. The Hopper fare gives unlimited bus and tram journeys within one hour of touching in, and the daily bus and tram cap is £5.55 [6].
• Black cabs. Black cab journeys made between 20:00 on 31 December and 06:00 on 2 January carry an extra charge of £4 [7]. The meter runs at TfL's Tariff 3 every night from 22:00 to 05:00 and on public holidays, and TfL gives £13.60 to £20.40 as a typical Tariff 3 fare for 2 miles [7]. Booking a black cab by phone, app or online can add up to £2 [7]. Only black cabs can be hailed in the street or taken from a rank without booking [8].
• Minicabs. Book one with a licensed operator, in an app, by phone or at its office. TfL calls an unbooked minicab illegal and uninsured for passengers [8]. Our Soho guide sets out the rest of TfL's rules.

How late do pubs and bars stay open on New Year's Eve?

It depends on each venue. A pub, bar or club trades to the hours on its own premises licence, as our guide to London's licensing hours explains. GOV.UK says a Temporary Event Notice is needed when a licensable activity is not covered by the terms of an existing licence, and that it must reach the council at least 10 clear working days before the event, or 5 for a late notice [9]. This post gives no venue hours, so check with the venue before you go.

New Year's Eve on MYSOVA

MYSOVA is a London social passport: clock in at bars, pubs and clubs, earn XP and meet people where you go. A MYSOVA night runs from 08:00 to 07:55 the next morning, London time, so a clock-in at 01:00 on New Year's Day still counts towards your night of 31 December [10]. How clocking in and XP work covers the rest, and the London nightlife map shows where the app's 17 zones run.

Your first clock-in starts your passport.

Free · UK App Store and Google Play · 18+

Sources

All fetched or read on 3 November 2026, except where a source says otherwise.

1. GOV.UK, "UK bank holidays", https://www.gov.uk/bank-holidays.json (England and Wales: New Year's Day, 1 January 2027). Days of the week from the calendar.
2. Mayor of London, London Assembly, "London New Year's Eve 2026": https://www.london.gov.uk/events/london-new-years-eve-2026 (event times, tickets, prices, viewing areas, gates, stations, facilities, bridge and road closures).
3. Transport for London, "Major works and events": https://tfl.gov.uk/status-updates/major-works-and-events, which https://tfl.gov.uk/christmas-travel and https://tfl.gov.uk/status-updates/major-works-and-events/31-december both open on that date; Transport for London, press releases for October and November 2026: https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2026/october and https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2026/november.
4. Transport for London, "Majority of TfL services running over Christmas and New Year", press release, 2 December 2025: https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2025/december/majority-of-tfl-services-running-over-christmas-and-new-year.
5. Transport for London, "The Night Tube": https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/tube/night-tube (lines, Friday and Saturday service, off-peak fares, Day Travelcard validity).
6. Transport for London, "Bus and tram fares": https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/find-fares/bus-and-tram-fares (pay-as-you-go fare, Hopper fare and daily cap). The same page, read on 27 October 2026, announced that bus and tram fares would rise on 1 November 2026.
7. Transport for London, "Taxi fares": https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/taxis-and-minicabs/taxi-fares (tariffs, typical fares, booking extra, the Christmas and New Year extra charge).
8. Transport for London, "Safer travel at night": https://tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/your-safety-and-security/safer-travel-at-night (night buses, black cabs, minicab booking rules).
9. GOV.UK, "Temporary Events Notice (England and Wales)": https://www.gov.uk/temporary-events-notice.
10. The MYSOVA app's source at origin/main (195b072ea): get_night_date (supabase/migrations/20260517143113_night_date_expand_window.sql), which assigns every clock-in to a night that runs from 08:00 to 07:55 Europe/London.
11. Mayor of London, press release, 16 October 2026, on the sale of the first batch of New Year's Eve fireworks tickets (london.gov.uk, Mayor's press releases).

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