UDC announces New Year's Eve fireworks for Black River and Negril

The Urban Development Corporation will, for the first time, stage New Year’s Eve fireworks in Black River, St Elizabeth, and Long Bay Beach in Negril, Westmoreland, two parishes hardest hit by Hurricane Melissa, to uplift Jamaicans in the west.

The state agency announced on Thursday that it is expanding its annual fireworks celebrations to five parishes, adding the two western locations to its traditional displays in Downtown Kingston, Ocho Rios, and Harmony Beach Park in Montego Bay.

The UDC said the decision to broaden the event’s reach was aimed at giving more families “access to a meaningful end-of-year experience” as communities continue their recovery from the devastating October 28 hurricane.

For more than two decades, the New Year’s fireworks staged by the UDC have provided Jamaicans with what it described as “a simple but cherished moment of togetherness”.

"This year, while the celebrations will take a more modest approach, the corporation believes it remains important to create opportunities for joy, reflection, and community spirit as Jamaicans

look toward 2026 with hope," the UDC said.

Each location will offer free public viewing of the midnight countdown and fireworks display.

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