[Travel Diary] Surviving New Year’s Eve in London: The Brutal Reality Behind the Countdown Experience

“Spending New Year’s Eve countdown in a stylish city abroad while watching fireworks” — that’s a dream many of us have had at least once. However, the reality might be more challenging than you imagine. In this article, I’ll recount the unexpected cold and memorable time spent with friends during a New Year’s countdown in London.

Friends from Cold Regions

The year I decided to spend New Year’s in London, I planned to go see the countdown fireworks in the city center with my local friends. I was joined by Wang from Liaoning Province, China, and Jin from Seoul, South Korea. Both being from cold regions, they weren’t particularly worried about watching fireworks in the freezing London weather.

As someone who’s both heat-sensitive and cold-sensitive, I worried about being weaker than these two. However, with the optimistic thought that “warming up from inside with alcohol should help somehow,” I decided to embark on this adventure.

London’s New Year’s Eve Situation

London’s New Year’s countdown fireworks are launched over the Thames River. Generally, the views from the banks or bridges around the London Eye are said to be the best, but this is where things get tricky. All prime viewing spots are restricted to ticket holders who pay a premium.

Around 8 PM, sturdy barricades are set up, and people without tickets cannot pass through at all. We chose the budget-friendly option without tickets. Instead, we aimed to secure a good spot by starting early, believing the common wisdom that “as long as you can see the London Eye, you’ll have a good view of the fireworks.”

The Freezing Wait

After an early dinner, we reached near Westminster Cathedral around 9 PM. Even though it was still 3 hours before midnight, the area was already crowded with people. Nevertheless, we managed to secure a position almost at the front of the barricade.

But this is where the real ordeal began.

That day was particularly cold, with temperatures dropping to nearly 0°C (32°F). Having nothing to do but wait for 3 hours gradually drained our body heat. After more than 2 hours, Jin’s face started to look unwell, and finally, she began to complain: “It’s colder than I thought, and I’m not even sure if we can properly see the fireworks from here. Let’s go home.”

However, Wang and I persuaded her: “What are you saying? We’ve waited this long, let’s hang in there a bit longer!” Despite being the most lightly dressed, Wang, coming from the frigid Liaoning Province, seemed completely unfazed by London’s cold. My constitution was closer to Jin’s, so I could understand how she felt. Still, I wanted the three of us to share a memorable New Year’s together — with this dedication, we decided to wait until midnight.

Countdown: 500,000 People’s Excitement

As midnight approached, the crowd spontaneously began the countdown. Everyone counting “10, 9, 8…” together, the excitement building continuously. At the moment of “0,” strangers put their arms around each other’s shoulders and shouted “Happy New Year!”

Soon after, fireworks began launching from the direction of the London Eye. One after another, the fireworks kept going up. This might have been my first time watching fireworks in London. Although the view was slightly obscured by people’s heads and the barricades, seeing the fireworks this clearly in London’s city center, where reportedly 500,000 people gather for New Year’s, was quite an achievement.

While thinking about this, the fireworks ended after just about 10 minutes. The thought “Hm, surprisingly small-scale?” might have been due to my standards being set high by Japan, known for its spectacular fireworks displays.

Three Different Reactions

Looking back, there were the contrasting expressions of a satisfied Wang and a dissatisfied Jin. For Jin, after enduring such cold and hardship, the fireworks were disappointingly smaller than expected. “What was all this suffering for?” she seemed to think as fatigue visibly overcame her. While feeling sorry for her, seeing Wang’s cheerful demeanor made the whole situation somewhat amusing.

As soon as the fireworks ended, hundreds of thousands of people began to disperse at once. When we finally reached Big Ben through the now passable barricades, an unusual sight awaited us. The clock face of Big Ben was glowing blue. Surely, this was a special display just for this day. While Jin was looking down with a stern expression, not even noticing the clock face, I secretly felt happy that the three of us could see this blue Big Ben together, despite the slight guilt for having put her through such discomfort.

Epilogue: With the Passage of Time

Looking back now, it might have been a rather challenging and somewhat futile experience. In reality, London’s New Year’s celebration wasn’t as elaborately produced as I’d expected, and honestly, it wasn’t that exciting (though it might have been upgraded by 2024).

However, even years later, this experience remains vividly in my memory. The three-hour endurance test in extreme cold. The temperature differences between three people with vastly different cold tolerances. The blue-glowing Big Ben we looked up at in the end. Surely, the essence of a New Year’s countdown isn’t just about the scale of fireworks or the splendor of the production.

Counting down time together and welcoming the beginning of a new year — perhaps the unique charm of spending New Year’s abroad is in that special moment when you can celebrate with friends and strangers, arms around shoulders.

However, I strongly recommend that anyone planning to go ensures they are thoroughly prepared for the cold.