UK bids farewell to 2020 with drone display, fireworks and parties at home

The UK has kicked off the New Year with a futuristic drone display (Picture: Getty; Reuters)

London has bid farewell to 2020 with a futuristic drone display, which highlighted key moments from the year the pandemic changed the world.

The pre-recorded display, which was filmed during the early hours of Tuesday, saw the NHS enclosed in a heart, the Black Lives Matter fist raised into the air and Sir Captain Tom Moore’s silhouette created out of light.

As Big Ben rang out to signal the start of the New Year, David Bowie’s Let’s Dance began playing, and the drones formed a giant 2021 as fireworks went off by the Millenium Dome.

A male voice could then be heard reciting a poem that began: ‘In the year of 2020 a new virus came out way. We knew what must be done, and so to help we hid away.

An ode to the failures of 2020 (Picture: BBC)

‘Old habits became extinct and they made way for the new. And every simple act of kindness was now given its due.’

In a nod to some of 2020’s failures, the drones also poked fun at the year’s endless Zoom calls with words ‘you’re on mute’ above the giant image of a microphone turned off.

Captain Tom Moore, who was made a Sir earlier this year, was immortalised with drones (Picture: BBC)

A giant bird took flight shortly after midnight (Picture: PA)

The 10-minute show used more than 300 drones which were flown around the Millenium Dome in the absence of the capital’s annual firework display. Last year, more than 100,000 people gathered around Victoria Embankment for the New Year’s Eve tradition.

This year’s display was cancelled due to the virus, with three-quarters of England currently in tier four, which prevents people from leaving their homes unless for exercise, work or education purposes.

Elsewhere in the UK, large fireworks displays were also cancelled in Edinburgh, Manchester and Liverpool in a bid to disperse crowds amid Covid restrictions.

The fireworks were smaller this year (Picture: Getty Images)

The streets looked empty in London this evening (Picture: Reuters)

Coronavirus has seen many New Year’s events cancelled (Picture: Getty Images)

Police officers speak to pedestrians by the London Eye before midnight (Picture: AP)

However, unofficial fireworks could be seen lighting up the sky over St James’ Park in Newcastle, while the rest of the city remained still. In Nottingham, streets remained empty, after residents were instructed to celebrate indoors.

Several groups of people could be gathered illegally on Primrose Hill in London to watch fireworks go off across the capital’s skyline.

This story is being updated.

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source https://metro.co.uk/2021/01/01/uk-welcomes-new-year-with-drone-display-fireworks-and-indoor-parties-13832366/