Revellers in Manchester will be able to see in the New Year with an official countdown party in the city centre. Council bosses have confirmed that the event space in Piccadilly Gardens will host the official free countdown to 2023 in Manchester.
But there will be NO fireworks as part of the celebration. The council has blamed budgetary pressures for foregoing the traditional New Year's Eve fireworks event this year.
However, there will be a big screen countdown to midnight to allow revellers to officially see off 2022 and welcome in 2023.
Read more : The best New Year's Eve events in Manchester to see in 2023 in style
The location for the New Year's Eve event will be the platforms at Piccadilly Gardens, hot on the heels of the six-week Christmas Market run here. The Piccadilly platform features two areas – a bar space where you can buy drinks, as well as a separate family-friendly, zero alcohol viewing platform.
DJs will provide musical entertainment throughout the evening and revellers can purchase food and drinks here ahead of the all-important countdown to midnight, which will be broadcast via a big screen.
Both spaces will be limited capacity and will be closed once they are full. So organisers are warning it will be a case of first come, first served on the night.
The lack of fireworks has been a disappointment to many after it was announced earlier this year as part of budget cuts for Bonfire Night events as well as the usual Christmas Lights switch-on event.
The council says that "given significant and ongoing budget pressures, the Council has agreed to use the limited resources available to provide free community events throughout the year, rather than one-off moments such as New Year’s Eve".
Cllr Pat Karney, Manchester’s Christmas spokesperson, said: "We know that New Year’s Eve is a special night - one that everyone looks forward to – and we are all disappointed that we can’t go ahead with our usual fireworks this year.
"Unfortunately, we simply cannot justify the increasing costs of putting on a big display while also worrying about funding essential Council services.
"We believe that we should use the limited funding we have to put on free events in communities throughout the year and we look forward to seeing more of this in the coming months.
"But we couldn’t let New Year’s Eve go by without a true Mancunian countdown. So join us before midnight in Piccadilly Gardens and help us bring in 2023 in style."
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