The Fireworks that never were
Dazzling fireworks displays are a staple New Year’s tradition around the world. In England, a large crowd in Birmingham gathered to welcome the new year by admiring booming and crackling rockets. Imagine their disappointment, then, when no fireworks display took place. The lack of a show wasn’t due to malfunctioning equipment or poor planning, though. There were never supposed to be any fireworks in the first place. Everyone in the crowd had fallen victim to an online hoax. Fake, likely AI-generated social media posts had promised a supposed fireworks show in central Birmingham, and people had swallowed the story hook, line, and sinker. But possibly the weirdest thing is that this isn’t the first time Birmingham residents have been fooled by a made-up New Year’s event. The exact same thing happened at the end of 2024 as well.
Toward the end of 2025, online ads and articles promising plenty of pomp and circumstance began circulating on the English web. According to the announcements, there would be a great New Year’s celebration in Birmingham’s Centenary Square. The ads promised that there would be live music, food, refreshments, and even a skating rink. In the end, the evening’s festivities would be capped by a grand fireworks display. Well, that sure sounds like a good time. Hundreds of Brummies (as the English call Birmingham residents) thought so too, and a huge crowd gathered at the square to celebrate New Year’s, despite the below-freezing temperature.
Only, there was no celebration. No lights, no food, no music, and most definitely no fireworks. That was because all the event ads were fake. There were never supposed to be any fireworks in the city center, and there haven’t been any since 2017. In fact, the West Midlands Police (WMP), which handles law enforcement in Birmingham, had tried to prevent this issue from happening. On December 30, they put out a press release to inform people that there were no fireworks. “There are no official firework displays or city-organized events happening in Birmingham city center on New Year’s Eve,” the WMP said. Yet, people still showed up. Well, the people of Birmingham have now surely learned to triple-check whether the events they want to attend actually exist. Right? It doesn’t seem so. A similar thing happened in London. In early December, stunning photos of a Christmas market at Buckingham Palace began cropping up on social media. Some people, particularly tourists unfamiliar with London’s annual traditions, didn’t know that. So, they showed up only to be disappointed by a dreary, cold scene.
Can you really trust anything you see online these days?
Is your clone smiling?
What’s the opposite of artificial intelligence?
Natural stupidity!
My young son asks why I speak so softly in the kitchen.
I explained: because there is artificial intelligence that listens to everything we say.
The son laughs, the dad laughs, Alexa laughs.
The new Russian AI application:
ChatKGB – it’s asking all the questions, and you are obligated to answer them.
What do you call a blonde who’s dyed her hair brunette?
Artificial intelligence.
January 6th Birthdays
1984 – Kate McKinnon, 1971 – Ree Drummond, 1996 – Courtney Eaton, 1994 – Catriona Gray
1960 – Howie Long, 1955 – Rowan Atkinson, 1937 – Lou Holtz, 1914 – Danny Thomas