IN PICS: Paris brings in the 2020s with New Year light show
Close to 250,000 revellers descended on Paris to celebrate the New Year, accompanied by lavish fireworks and a light display projected onto L'arc de Triomphe. Bonne année et bonne santé!
Fireworks burst out over the famed Champs Elysées avenue bringing a glorious finale to a night when a heavy police presence kept Yellow Vest protesters largely under control.
Happy New Year France ?
Paris is celebrating the beginning of a new decade with this fireworks display ?
Follow the #2020NewYear celebrations here: https://t.co/JKfoVnpt1A pic.twitter.com/S7IG5kJakG
— Sky News (@SkyNews) December 31, 2019
Nous sommes en 2019 ! Revivez le feu d'artifice tiré depuis l'Arc de Triomphe pour le passage à la nouvelle année pic.twitter.com/H4jRoOove5
— BFMTV (@BFMTV) December 31, 2018
The emergency services began preparing early, setting up an operations centre near the centre of the celebrations. There were more than 100,000 police officers on duty.
Photo: AFP
The Yellow Vests protestors were also organised. Here is a group below watching President Emmanuel Macron's New Year's address from a tent.
Photo: AFP
Many revellers arrived early in the city centre to pose for photographs in front of the Eiffel Tower ahead of the festivities.
Photo: AFP
By early evening, crowds were thronging along the Champs-Elysées. Close to 250,000 people came along for the party.
Photo: AFP
In the build-up to the New Year's finale, they were treated to 'Fraternité', a light show projected onto L'Arc de Triomphe. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, signed 70 years ago, was projected onto the building.
Photo: AFP
The Fraternité display turned the iconic structure into a St Peter's Basilica in the Kremlin, Moscow...
Photo: AFP
...and also to the Forbidden City in Beijing.
Photo: AFP
There were some small confrontations between police and Yellow Vest protestors, but largely the celebrations were peaceful.
Photo: AFP
Revellers posed for selfies on a packed Champs-Elysées as the countdown to 2020 began. At 23.20pm, the music of the legendary British rock band Led Zeppelin began booming out.
Photo: AFP
And that brings an end to the coverage of the festivities. Bonne Année to all!
See Also
Happy New Year France ?
— Sky News (@SkyNews) December 31, 2019
Paris is celebrating the beginning of a new decade with this fireworks display ?
Follow the #2020NewYear celebrations here: https://t.co/JKfoVnpt1A pic.twitter.com/S7IG5kJakG
Nous sommes en 2019 ! Revivez le feu d'artifice tiré depuis l'Arc de Triomphe pour le passage à la nouvelle année pic.twitter.com/H4jRoOove5
— BFMTV (@BFMTV) December 31, 2018
The emergency services began preparing early, setting up an operations centre near the centre of the celebrations. There were more than 100,000 police officers on duty.
Photo: AFP
The Yellow Vests protestors were also organised. Here is a group below watching President Emmanuel Macron's New Year's address from a tent.
Photo: AFP
Photo: AFP
Photo: AFP
Photo: AFP
Photo: AFP
Photo: AFP
Photo: AFP
Photo: AFP
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.