For the first time in living memory, one of London’s most iconic vantage points for New Year’s Eve celebrations—Primrose Hill—has been transformed into a no-go zone, sparking outrage among local residents and igniting a citywide debate about public safety, policing, and the right to communal space.
On December 30, 2025, as the city braced for its annual fireworks display, workers erected solid green hoarding and temporary fencing around Primrose Hill, locking the gates at 8pm and ensuring the park would remain off-limits until 6am on January 1. The drastic measure, described as “unprecedented” by many in the community, was announced by the Royal Parks charity, which manages the site, citing “limited controls that we can deploy to ensure public safety.” According to the Daily Mail, the move follows growing concerns about crowd management and a recent spate of violent incidents in London’s parks.
Primrose Hill, famed for its panoramic views of the capital’s skyline, has long been a magnet for New Year’s Eve revelers. In 2024, an estimated 30,000 people flocked to the park to watch the Mayor of London’s fireworks display, transforming the open green into a sea of celebration. But 2025 would be different. For the first time, would-be spectators were met with towering barriers and stern warnings to stay away.
The closure comes in the wake of a tragic event that shook the community to its core. On New Year’s Eve 2023, 16-year-old Harry Pitman was fatally stabbed in the neck while watching the fireworks at Primrose Hill. The attack, which occurred just meters from uniformed officers, sent shockwaves through the city. In November 2025, Areece Lloyd-Hall, now 18, was sentenced to a minimum of 16 years in prison for the murder. According to the Evening Standard, the incident began with a scuffle between Harry and one of Lloyd-Hall’s friends, culminating in a sudden, fatal lunge with a dagger. Harry’s desperate cries for help and the chaos that followed were captured on mobile phone footage and recounted in court.
In the aftermath, the Royal Parks charity argued that its capacity to manage crowds of such magnitude had been “severely diminished,” in part due to the closure of the Metropolitan Police’s Royal Parks Operational Command Unit. This specialized police team, which once responded to serious crime in green spaces like Hyde Park and Primrose Hill, was disbanded in November 2025 as part of the Met’s efforts to plug a £260 million funding gap. “The decision to close Primrose Hill on New Year’s Eve was not taken lightly,” a spokesperson for the Royal Parks stated. “Last year an estimated 30,000 people visited Primrose Hill to view the Mayor of London’s New Year’s Eve firework display. This was not an organised event with an event organiser but a gathering in open parkland and we have limited controls that we can deploy to ensure public safety.”
Despite these explanations, the move has left many locals fuming. Amy McKeown, a long-time resident and member of the Primrose Hill Keepers volunteer group, told the Press Association, “The park has never been closed like this. This is completely unprecedented. This is a public park where people should be able to come to watch the fireworks. This is exactly what we should be encouraging people to do.” McKeown, who left the area to spend New Year’s Eve with family elsewhere, called the sight of the fencing “too grotesque to see.” She likened the hoarding to barriers used at Glastonbury, lamenting, “We have gone from an open event to a huge amount of resource being used to keep people out of the park.”
Other residents echoed her sentiments. Catherine Usiskin, who has lived in Primrose Hill for over 40 years, described the fencing as “an overreaction.” “It’s just ridiculous,” she told reporters. “It’s such an over-reaction. You can’t close down society.” Usiskin acknowledged that the area has grown more crowded in recent years, especially since the pandemic, but argued that the closure would hurt local businesses and wouldn’t deter determined revelers from trying to climb over the barriers.
While the Metropolitan Police have maintained a visible presence in the area, they have been quick to distance themselves from the decision to close the park. A spokesperson for the force emphasized, “The decision to close Primrose Hill on New Year’s Eve is one taken by the Royal Parks, not the police. It is not accurate to suggest the decision was necessary as a result of the disbanding of the Royal Parks policing team. Officers from that team made up just 15 of the more than 145 officers who were deployed to Primrose Hill on New Year’s Eve last year. This is similar to the makeup of deployments in previous years.”
Commander Nick John, who oversees the Met’s New Year’s Eve policing, reinforced the message, urging Londoners to make alternative plans. “The Royal Parks are urging people not to try to gather at Primrose Hill this year and we would echo those calls. Please make alternative plans. Anyone trying to access the park will find that it is not possible.” Scotland Yard clarified that while there would be a police presence to “respond to criminality,” preventing access to the park was not their responsibility.
The closure of Primrose Hill is part of a broader trend of heightened security across London’s green spaces this New Year’s Eve. Greenwich Park closed early, Hyde Park shut its gates at midnight, and Alexandra Palace—another popular viewpoint—was also off-limits. Hampstead Heath authorities warned against large gatherings due to potential damage to wildlife and the environment.
Underlying all these measures is a growing anxiety about safety in London’s parks. According to the Royal Parks’ latest annual report, criminal incidents in these spaces jumped by about a third, from 76 in 2022/23 to 101 in 2023/24. Beyond the high-profile murder of Harry Pitman, there have been reports of violent robberies targeting cyclists, mobile phone snatching, drug dealing, and even machete attacks in Hyde Park. The disbanding of the Royal Parks police unit has fueled fears that these green havens could become even more vulnerable to crime.
Still, many in the community feel that the closure of Primrose Hill is a step too far—a reaction that, while perhaps well-intentioned, undermines the spirit of public gathering and celebration that has long defined New Year’s Eve in London. As one resident put it, “You can’t close down society.” The debate now turns to what balance should be struck between safety and access, and how London’s public spaces can remain both open and secure in the years ahead.
As the clock struck midnight and fireworks illuminated the city, Primrose Hill stood silent and empty, a stark reminder of the challenges facing urban life in an era of heightened caution and changing priorities.
