Alexandra Palace fireworks called off due to coronavirus

The annual fireworks display at Alexandra Palace has been cancelled due to Covid-19.

The yearly event normally draws crowds of up to 90,000 people and is one of the largest displays in the country.

Ally Pally said the decision “wasn’t an easy one” and that it would incur a “serious financial blow” to Muswell Hill’s entertainment space whose income has been hard-hit during the coronavirus pandemic.

The palace’s CEO Louise Stewart said: “Welcoming 90,000 people to the site just can’t happen at the moment. We looked at alternative ways we might be able to host the fireworks, as we have managed to do so successfully with other events over the past few months. Unfortunately, none of these options is financially viable.”

Alexandra Palace has recently reopened some of its facilities including its ice rink and it has hosted Europe’s first-ever drive-in opera.

Louise said, however, that the fireworks cancellation would hurt the palace “like nothing else so far”.