420,000 revellers expected to watch New Year’s Eve fireworks at Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour as police set to close off roads for crowd control
- Eighteen primary spots, such as near the Central and Tsim Sha Tsui piers and Tamar Park in Admiralty, have been marked for people to watch the fireworks display
- Road closures in Central, The Peak, Wan Chai, North Point, Tsim Sha Tsui, and the West Kowloon Cultural District will take effect from Sunday afternoon until morning of New Year’s Day, police say
About 420,000 revellers are expected to flock to Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour to watch the city’s biggest New Year’s Eve fireworks display yet, which police have said will trigger road closures, sea area restrictions and crowd management measures.
A 12-minute show is set to start at midnight and span a distance of 1.3km from Central to North Point, in what Hong Kong Tourism Board described as the city’s biggest ever on New Year’s Eve.
Police on Friday said they marked 18 prime spots for crowds to view the fireworks, including near the Central and Tsim Sha Tsui piers, Tamar Park in Admiralty, East Coast Park Precinct in North Point and East Tsim Sha Tsui.
Superintendent Lam Chi-Hang, head of the Hong Kong Island traffic unit, said that he encouraged everyone to come out to watch it.
Ho Chun-hin, acting superintendent of traffic at Kowloon West, said the National Day fireworks display in October drew 340,000 people to West Kowloon and 80,000 to Hong Kong Island.
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“I believe we will have to handle a similar crowd size this time,” he said. “I can assure you that we will deploy sufficient manpower and we will adopt the most appropriate crowd management measures so the public can enjoy the festive season in a safe and orderly manner.”
Officers on Friday announced road closures in Central, The Peak, Wan Chai, North Point, Tsim Sha Tsui, and the West Kowloon Cultural District, which would take effect from Sunday afternoon until the morning of New Year’s Day.
Roads near the harbour in Wan Chai and Central will be shut down in phases starting from 9.30pm on Sunday, while parts of Jaffe Road and Lockhart Road in Causeway Bay and Wan Chai will be closed off from 11.55pm.
In Central, the whole of Lan Kwai Fong, D’Aguilar Street, Wo On Lane and On Lan Street will be closed off to traffic from 2pm on Sunday until 5am on Monday.
Parts of Wyndham Street, Wellington Street, Stanley Street, Lyndhurst Terrace and Queen’s Road Central may also be subject to snap closures.
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Traffic police will close off the westbound lanes on the Island Eastern Corridor between Man Hong Street in North Point and Victoria Park from 11.55pm, except for franchised buses.
At The Peak, only public transport and permitted vehicles will be allowed on roads near The Peak Galleria starting from 9.30pm.
In Tsim Sha Tsui, areas south of Austin Road and parts of West Kowloon will be closed off to traffic in phases starting from 6pm.
Public transport will terminate at Kowloon station and a temporary interchange at Granville Road during the closure.
Police reminded the public to factor in enough time to get to their preferred viewing points.
The Marine Department will close off the waters near the fireworks firing barge, situated between the Convention and Exhibition Centre and the Cultural Centre, to all vessels between 12.30pm on Sunday and around 3am on January 1.
The department will also establish a restricted area at the harbour in Central from 11pm to about 1am, while ferry services will run until 11.40pm.
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Chief Inspector Chan Sze-man of marine police said that Victoria Harbour would be experiencing low tides and eastward currents during the countdown. She reminded coxswains to pay attention to water conditions during the show and to keep a safe distance between vessels.
The fireworks extravaganza will return for the first time since 2018, as the 2019 edition was cancelled because of social unrest, while the Covid-19 pandemic put a stop to displays in the years after that.
In 2018, police estimated 340,000 people headed out to watch the New Year’s Eve fireworks display.
