London heralded in 2024 with their annual New Year’s Eve fireworks display and this year paid homage to same-sex marriage equality, Barbie-mania and the Windrush generation.
The 15-minute firework and drone display, organised by the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, took its usual place besides iconic London landmark’s, the London Eye and Big Ben, and aired on BBC One for viewers across the UK to mark the new year.
It celebrated the biggest milestones from across 2023 including nods to the coronation to King Charles III and Queen Camilla and the National Health Service’s (NHS) 75th birthday.
The eye-catching night sky display also unapologetically championed the LGBTQ+ community as it commemorated 10 years since same-sex marriage was legalised across the UK.
London’s NYE fireworks took a leaf out of Doctor Who‘s book by blasting Spice Girls’ seminal 1997 hit “Spice Up Your Life” while lit up with the rainbow colours of the Pride flag.
It was truly a gay extravaganza, leaving right wing papers such as GB News and bigots across social media tragically furious.
But mostly, viewers raced to social media to share their thoughts on both the outrageously camp aesthetic and poignant tribute to LGBTQ+ rights.
“I thought the fireworks in London were fantastic this year and the nod to same-sex marriage was so welcome. Happy New Year, all!” one person wrote.
“I love how this 39 seconds during last night’s London fireworks commemorating 10 years of equal marriage has sent the homophobes off a cliff,” another added.
Elsewhere, audiences saw a joyously colourful portion of the festivities celebrate Greta Gerwig’s summer blockbuster Barbie which saw people across the nation dressing up in all things pink for their trip to the cinema. Naturally, the fireworks were soundtracked to Dua Lipa’s “Dance The Night”.