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Original poster

To think the London NYE fireworks were an excellent FU to Farage and Tommy Ten Names?

244 replies

triumphantantelope · 01/01/2026 14:44

The NYE fireworks always get me a bit emotional but this year I think it was up there with the 2020 covid ones. The message was beautiful and ran through the whole thing. The way they got the EU stars in, the dig at the mini roundabout painters and flag hangers.
I’ve lived in London my whole adult life and I felt the display reflected it perfectly.

OP posts:
Original poster
triumphantantelope · 01/01/2026 15:59

PandoraSocks · 01/01/2026 15:53

Oops sorry. The fireworks did go ahead but weren't open to the public. Apologies OP I got mixed up!

Edited
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You are right, they were not fireworks. It was a pre-recorded drone show played at midnight and it was beautiful.

OP posts:
Sequinsoneverythingplease · 01/01/2026 15:59

Abhannmor · 01/01/2026 15:52

You already had this . Boris acting the maggot on his stupid zip wire. If you're too thick to join the dots you get what you deserve.

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Who is “you”? And is there really any need to be quite so aggressive? 🤷🏼‍♀️

luckylavender · 01/01/2026 15:59

SBGM247 · 01/01/2026 15:23

You're so out of touch with the rest of the country.

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Or maybe you are

Original poster
triumphantantelope · 01/01/2026 15:57

GeneralPeter · 01/01/2026 15:52

We’re all largely responding to OP’s reading of it. I only saw a clip of last night and I have to say the messaging felt pretty blatant to me: a voiceover telling us what values we celebrate while the flags of the world went up on the London Eye.

Picking specific virtues and majoring on them is not an apolitical act, even when everyone agrees that thing is a virtue. When it’s contested, even less so.

Being open, pro-EU, multicultural, are contested political values (which incidentally I largely share).
What I deeply dislike though is the politicisation of neutral civic spaces, or, worse, the idea that only other people’s politics are politics at all, while our own are just self-evident virtues.

If Trump (or Farage) did a publicly-funded NYE fireworks that majored on the glories of motherhood, with plenty of approving references to good, fecund women at home with their strapping husbands protecting them and their beaming babies thriving, I think we’d see the problem. And not because anyone here is anti-mother nurturing or anti-husband protecting. But because it’s an encroachment of politics into a place it doesn’t belong.

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Maybe you’re right. But I despise the message that has been sent from some groups here and others abroad (Trump et al) that London is broken, a failed city and is dangerous. That is utter bullshit and needs to be countered loud and clear.

OP posts:
PandoraSocks · 01/01/2026 15:53

triumphantantelope · 01/01/2026 14:44

The NYE fireworks always get me a bit emotional but this year I think it was up there with the 2020 covid ones. The message was beautiful and ran through the whole thing. The way they got the EU stars in, the dig at the mini roundabout painters and flag hangers.
I’ve lived in London my whole adult life and I felt the display reflected it perfectly.

Oops sorry. The fireworks did go ahead but weren't open to the public. Apologies OP I got mixed up!

Original poster
triumphantantelope · 01/01/2026 15:53

PennyLaneisinmyheartandmysoul · 01/01/2026 15:41

So you’re telling @SBGM247 that where they live isnt inclusive? How do you know this? And what has made you come to this conclusion @TY78910 ?

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Considering the fact that @SBGM247’s comment was “you’re so out of touch with the rest of the country” and then quoted 1984 to someone else, them I’m guessing not?

OP posts:
Abhannmor · 01/01/2026 15:52

Sequinsoneverythingplease · 01/01/2026 15:33

This. People seem to forget that when the situations are reversed it won’t be their preferred messaging and political & ideological stances being promoted.

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You already had this . Boris acting the maggot on his stupid zip wire. If you're too thick to join the dots you get what you deserve.

GeneralPeter · 01/01/2026 15:52

TY78910 · 01/01/2026 15:35

It’s a celebration of London. London is multicultural. It’s about representation of London and its residents. Not a particular political party.

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We’re all largely responding to OP’s reading of it. I only saw a clip of last night and I have to say the messaging felt pretty blatant to me: a voiceover telling us what values we celebrate while the flags of the world went up on the London Eye.

Picking specific virtues and majoring on them is not an apolitical act, even when everyone agrees that thing is a virtue. When it’s contested, even less so.

Being open, pro-EU, multicultural, are contested political values (which incidentally I largely share).
What I deeply dislike though is the politicisation of neutral civic spaces, or, worse, the idea that only other people’s politics are politics at all, while our own are just self-evident virtues.

If Trump (or Farage) did a publicly-funded NYE fireworks that majored on the glories of motherhood, with plenty of approving references to good, fecund women at home with their strapping husbands protecting them and their beaming babies thriving, I think we’d see the problem. And not because anyone here is anti-mother nurturing or anti-husband protecting. But because it’s an encroachment of politics into a place it doesn’t belong.

TY78910 · 01/01/2026 15:51

PennyLaneisinmyheartandmysoul · 01/01/2026 15:41

So you’re telling @SBGM247 that where they live isnt inclusive? How do you know this? And what has made you come to this conclusion @TY78910 ?

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How else can you interpret their response to the initial poster?

Abhannmor · 01/01/2026 15:48

triumphantantelope · 01/01/2026 14:44

The NYE fireworks always get me a bit emotional but this year I think it was up there with the 2020 covid ones. The message was beautiful and ran through the whole thing. The way they got the EU stars in, the dig at the mini roundabout painters and flag hangers.
I’ve lived in London my whole adult life and I felt the display reflected it perfectly.

I haven't lived in London for many years. But I spent a few weeks there flat sitting last year. Simply being alive in London is a wonderful antidote to those two worthless creeps.

corlan · 01/01/2026 15:43

PandoraSocks · 01/01/2026 15:38

"Presented by the Mayor of London" is nothing new, it happened when Johnson was mayor too. Every year this comes up!

The fireworks were great last night.

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I don't remember a speech from Boris Johnson being included as part of the presentation in the past.
I've just googled and most of the money for the fireworks comes from the Greater London Authority arts and culture budget - so largely funded by council tax payers in London.

godmum56 · 01/01/2026 15:43

xanthomelana · 01/01/2026 15:11

£3 million is a lot to pay to make a point to people.

and to pump smoke and particulate matter (including plastics) into the air.

PennyLaneisinmyheartandmysoul · 01/01/2026 15:41

TY78910 · 01/01/2026 15:24

They’re London fireworks. If you want a non-inclusive display, go to your local town to watch them.

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So you’re telling @SBGM247 that where they live isnt inclusive? How do you know this? And what has made you come to this conclusion @TY78910 ?

Hiptothisjive · 01/01/2026 15:40

corlan · 01/01/2026 15:20

I was unhappy that it was politicised and although I voted for Sadiq Khan,I'm not happy that he played a large role in it with his speech and the starting message that the fireworks are 'Presented by the Mayor of London.' I doubt he personally pays for the fireworks!

Agreed . Far too kid virtue signalling for my liking (and I don’t support reform or Farage).

TonTonMacoute · 01/01/2026 15:40

Come the next election I don't think many people are going to be influenced by a fireworks display.

Glad you enjoyed the display OP

PandoraSocks · 01/01/2026 15:38

corlan · 01/01/2026 15:20

I was unhappy that it was politicised and although I voted for Sadiq Khan,I'm not happy that he played a large role in it with his speech and the starting message that the fireworks are 'Presented by the Mayor of London.' I doubt he personally pays for the fireworks!

"Presented by the Mayor of London" is nothing new, it happened when Johnson was mayor too. Every year this comes up!

The fireworks were great last night.

Genderhen · 01/01/2026 15:36

The whole notion of 'inclusion' is political and therefore, ironically, not inclusive of people who disagree with that political position. It doesn't just mean tolerance (and indeed, if it did, we'd just use the word tolerance).

TY78910 · 01/01/2026 15:35

GeneralPeter · 01/01/2026 15:33

Is that really the norm you want though? When Reform wins a council we get lots of heavy-handed politics from one direction with the fireworks, and when the other lot win we get the same from the other team?

Sounds awful to me.

It’s a civic celebration, it’s public money. Can we have it without the politics from either team please.

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It’s a celebration of London. London is multicultural. It’s about representation of London and its residents. Not a particular political party.

Sequinsoneverythingplease · 01/01/2026 15:33

GeneralPeter · 01/01/2026 15:00

Utterly unreasonable. Unless you want to see Reform’s political propaganda if/when they win. Civic celebrations aren’t the place for politicised messaging from any direction.

This. People seem to forget that when the situations are reversed it won’t be their preferred messaging and political & ideological stances being promoted.

GeneralPeter · 01/01/2026 15:33

TY78910 · 01/01/2026 15:24

They’re London fireworks. If you want a non-inclusive display, go to your local town to watch them.

Show quote history

Is that really the norm you want though? When Reform wins a council we get lots of heavy-handed politics from one direction with the fireworks, and when the other lot win we get the same from the other team?

Sounds awful to me.

It’s a civic celebration, it’s public money. Can we have it without the politics from either team please.

TY78910 · 01/01/2026 15:31

Also forgot to add for those who mentioned the cost - it is a ticketed event and you have to pay to go and watch.

StillCreatingAName · 01/01/2026 15:30

End of days stuff when we’re overthinking firework displays and concluding that we’re sending a FU message to politicians through the medium of costly colourful explosions.

canibearsedsometimes · 01/01/2026 15:27

The ‘messages’ went completely over my head TBH . I just sat there wishing I was in Sydney watching the NYE celebrations there.

SBGM247 · 01/01/2026 15:25

sillylittlerabbit · 01/01/2026 15:23

I love that Sadiq has coined the expression ‘London is open’ and made it clear that its diversity is celebrated. I think the fireworks just reinforce the message, so if that makes it politicised…hell yeah!

War is Peace
Freedom is Slavery
Diversity is Strength

TY78910 · 01/01/2026 15:24

SBGM247 · 01/01/2026 15:23

You're so out of touch with the rest of the country.

Show quote history

They’re London fireworks. If you want a non-inclusive display, go to your local town to watch them.