Overview
- Hundreds gathered in Centenary Square on New Year’s Eve after online listings promoted a city fireworks display that did not exist.
- West Midlands Police had publicly stated there would be no official fireworks or city-organised events and deployed high-visibility patrols to manage the area.
- Social media posts and TikTok videos documented the confusion and disappointment, with attendees sharing on-the-ground footage of the non-event.
- Reporting points to AI-written or recycled event round-ups using outdated information as a likely source of the misleading adverts.
- Only a brief rogue pyrotechnic and a distant hotel display were seen, while officers reiterated that misinformation creates congestion and pressures on transport and emergency services.