Overview
- Television viewers reported the Israeli flag on the London Eye appeared without a visible Star of David, prompting online claims of deliberate removal and antisemitism.
- City Hall said animated flags were small and in motion, which reduced clarity, and noted similar visibility issues for Guatemala, Argentina and Honduras as the sequence formed into the Union Flag.
- Video provided to media shows the Star of David faintly visible toward the end of the animation, and the London Jewish Forum said the evidence does not suggest deliberate targeting.
- The presentation also drew separate criticism for featuring the EU flag and for an event partnership with the film Wicked: For Good, while Mayor Sadiq Khan emphasized a message of togetherness for 2026.
- Roughly 100,000 people attended the show featuring more than 12,000 fireworks and over 400 lights, with police air footage highlighting widespread neighborhood displays across the city.