For most of us New Year is a time when all there is to think about is kicking back and celebrating the end of one year and welcoming in the next. Not so for the NSR team who were out in full force again soon after the Christmas festivities to make sure everything went perfectly behind the scenes for the London New Year’s Day Parade, welcoming in 2019 in style.
However, the parade itself is just part of the story! As the biggest parade of its kind in the UK there is a huge amount to be done before the big day itself including Press Preview Day in Trafalgar Square on Sunday 30 December. This event gives the press and public a sneak preview of what to expect as the New Year dawns on 1 January.
So, as well as laying hundreds of metres of cable for multiple PA systems and siting Commentary and Production units along the Parade route on 1 January, the NSR team were also found installing systems on three of the Floats in the parade. These were complete PA systems with generator power. In addition, wireless microphones were also supplied for the presenters and other acts performing all along the parade route. There were nine fixed sites along the route to address the public viewing the spectacle. Three along Piccadilly, one in Lower Regent Street, one on Waterloo Place, another in Trafalgar Square and a further three along Whitehall. The final Whitehall site (The Finale Area) is the largest site along the route where all the VVIPs gather in three Grandstands.
Due to NSR’s customary professionalism the day went off without a hitch and was the perfect introduction for the main event on New Year’s Day. On that note, the NSR team would like to wish everyone a very happy and prosperous New year.
