Primrose Hill in north London will be closed to the public on New Year’s Eve for the first time in years, after the Metropolitan Police’s Royal Parks unit was disbanded. The gates will be locked from 8pm on Tuesday until 6am on New Year’s Day, with a tall temporary fence erected around the perimeter.
The Royal Parks charity, which manages the site, said the decision was taken because it could no longer safely manage the large crowds that typically gather to watch the capital’s fireworks display. In 2024, an estimated 30,000 people celebrated at the park. The charity cited the closure of the Met’s Royal Parks Operational Command Unit, which was scrapped in November as part of efforts to plug a £260 million funding gap.
The Metropolitan Police, however, disputed that the unit’s disbandment was the key factor, noting that only 15 of the 145 officers deployed to Primrose Hill last New Year’s Eve came from that team. Commander Nick John urged the public to make alternative plans, warning that anyone attempting to access the park will find it impossible.
The closure also follows a fatal stabbing at the site during last year’s celebrations. Harry Pitman, 16, was killed, and Areece Lloyd-Hall, 18, was later jailed for a minimum of 16 years for his murder. The Royal Parks spokesperson said the decision was not taken lightly but that limited controls made it impossible to ensure public safety without organised event management.
Elsewhere, the Met urged people to plan travel carefully and attend ticketed events only. The official Mayor of London fireworks display near the London Eye is sold out. The Met Office forecasts a cold, clear night, with deputy chief forecaster Mark Sidaway noting a “taste of winter” for the first week of 2026.
