London’s New Year’s Eve celebration is iconic. The show – hosted by the Greater London Authority -- traditionally draws thousands of live spectators along the Thames, and millions of viewers on television, as people from around the world come together to watch this spectacular firework themed display.

But 2020 was no ordinary year. Faced with a fresh set of challenges due to COVID-19, we were charged with an extraordinary task: to create a poignant experience that bid farewell to a dire year and do it exclusively for a remote audience since people couldn’t gather in-person.

The team rose to the challenge. Working closely with the Greater London Authority & The BBC, we crafted a mesmerising and moving piece of storytelling that brought together an evocative mix of fireworks, drone displays, lighting and sound designed specifically for live broadcast.  The emotional and different tone carefully balanced the memories of a difficult year with a spirit of optimism for the year ahead.

To prevent crowds from gathering the night of the show, the entire show was a complete secret. A challenge that we turned to our advantage.

For the first time ever, the New Year’s Eve display connected multiple landmarks across the city, taking viewers on a journey across the Shard, London Bridge, The O2, Wembley Stadium and Tower Bridge. The city was also lit up with the largest swarm drone lighting show ever seen in the UK. And the event was kept under wraps until Big Ben rang in the New Year, ensuring it remained a home-audience only event, maintaining the safety and security of Londoners during the pandemic. 

The program was watched live on the BBC by 11 million in the UK and many more across the world, and it was seen by millions more online in news coverage. The official BBC video has been viewed over 8.2 million times on YouTube and there have been over 21 million views on the broadcaster’s Facebook page.

A truly extraordinary moment to mark the end of an extraordinary year.