Identity, the creative agency behind the Mayor of London’s New Year’s Eve celebrations, has delivered its most ambitious and visually stunning show to date. With around 100,000 attendees on-site and millions watching across the globe, the display combined cutting-edge fireworks, lighting, music, and world-first holographic technology to welcome 2025 with style.
The creative elements of the event were groundbreaking, and included over 12,000 fireworks, 420 intricately choreographed lights, and Hologauze animations to bring iconic British moments and symbols to life. This year’s display celebrated significant events from 2024, including the success of Team GB at the Paris Olympics, the 80th anniversary of D-Day, and a special collaboration with Paddington Bear, sharing a message of hope and unity for the year ahead.
Hannah Clark, Project Director at Identity, said: “Identity is so proud to once again be working in close collaboration with the GLA, and leading names across music production, lighting, and pyrotechnic design, to create this dazzling spectacle for London. The Mayor of London’s New Year’s Eve firework celebrations have become an iconic and globally recognised event, reflecting our unique and wonderfully vibrant city. It’s a unique showcase that puts London firmly on the map for the year ahead.”
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, added: “It’s fantastic to welcome 2025 with our biggest and best-ever New Year’s Eve celebrations. Around 100,000 Londoners and visitors joined together on the banks of the Thames for an unforgettable night of fireworks, lighting and music, while millions at home were able to see our world-first use of hologram animations to celebrate the new year. From honouring the heroes of the D-Day landings to Paddington Bear celebrating our capital’s diversity, I’m proud that we sent a message of hope and love to the world, as we build a better London for everyone.”
Innovative creative features and ambitious production
This year’s event was the largest annual firework display in Europe, meticulously designed and executed by Identity’s expert creative team. Highlights included:
- A groundbreaking holographic experience: Using Hologauze technology, the display featured animations of the Union Flag, Olympic medals, and Paddington Bear, creating visual projections that complemented the fireworks and lighting. Hologauze is a specialised projection screen designed to create holographic effects. It is a patented gauze that is coated with a highly reflective silver metallic layer. The unique design allows the gauze to effectively reflect projected images or animations while simultaneously allowing the visibility of objects located behind it.
- Unparalleled scale and planning: The 12-minute show featured more than 12,000 fireworks and 420 lights, with a crew of 32 firework, sound, and lighting specialists working tirelessly from 27th December to ensure a seamless production. The fireworks were delivered by Titanium to Identity’s creative brief.
- Meticulous creative process: Planning for the event began in July, starting with soundtrack curation, followed by pyrotechnic design, and concluding with lighting programming. Final preparations on 31st December included rigging lighting and fireworks on the London Eye just hours before the midnight moment.
- A soundtrack that told a story: Featuring a diverse mix of artists and voiceovers, including Sabrina Carpenter, Sir Elton John, Dame Vera Lynn, and D-Day veterans, the audio complemented the visual narrative of hope, unity, and celebration.
