Fireworks to return to Seattle's Space Needle for New Year's Eve, but no crowds permitted

This story has been updated. An earlier version indicated there would be no pyrotechnics at the Space Needle this year.

The Space Needle announced this week that its annual New Year's Eve party will not take place in Seattle this year. Instead, the Space Needle will show a virtual display with additional special effects paired with live fireworks that can only be seen on screen.

This is the second year in a row the Space Needle has canceled its in-person New Year's Eve party. 

Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, organizers have opted for a virtual performance to ring in 2022. "To keep the community safe, we're encouraging everyone to 'stream in the new year' from home or at watch parties without gathering or creating crowds at Seattle Center in support of public health guidance," organizers posted on the Space Needle's website.

The first-ever live fireworks show to be augmented and broadcast live with exclusive special effects will only be viewable on TV and online which means the Seattle Center will be closed to crowds, as spectators are encouraged to watch at home.

The show will be broadcast live on KING 5 and will stream on king5.com and on the KING 5 app.

Karen Olson, chief operating officer for the Space Needle, told the SeattlePI that because of the city's current COVID-19 event requirements, the Space Needle would need to verify vaccination status of all attendees. Due to the size of the New Year's Eve event, the Space Needle wouldn't have the capacity to do that. Instead, Olson said they worked with the city to conceptualize the virtual performance while still providing real fireworks.

"[The city] could have said, 'No, you can't do it,' but everybody wants real fireworks. It's symbolic, it's a celebration," Olson said.

The Space Needle is also working on organizing neighborhood viewing parties at places like bars and restaurants that can verify vaccine status. The first (and only listed party) so far on its website is at the Queen Anne Beer Hall, and is dubbed the "official viewing party." The website says that more organized watch party locations are to come.

The Space Needle was denied permits for last year's New Year's Eve in-person fireworks show due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the city's regulations on events. It was the first year the show relied entirely on a digital performance. Using sky mapping technology and live video, viewers at home watched an elaborate 3-D show. In reality, the Space Needle was illuminated in magenta for its sponsor of the show, T-Mobile.

In 2019, high winds prevented the show from being executed safely. Wind gusts of 44 mph were recorded at the top of the Needle at 11:45 p.m. that year which was well beyond safety parameters. The New Year's Eve fireworks were canceled and the Space Needle carried on with a laser and light show to ring in 2020.