Low-key Paris New Year party gets the go-ahead

No fireworks, increased security: that’s the recipe for this year's “sober” December 31st street party, according to city authorities.

“We have decided to mark the change of year in a reflective and sober way,” Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo told JDD magazine.

The decision to stage the party is “a signal” that “we won’t give in” after the Paris attacks, she said.

The decision comes just after a month after terrorists murdered 130 people in the French capital, and was made only after several days of deliberation by the interior ministry and police.

The Champs-Elysées event will be France’s biggest since the attacks.

There won't be any fireworks though, over fears they might spark panic. Instead images will be projected onto the Arc de Triomphe. The display will last just ten minutes, starting at 11.50pm.

And for security reasons, four large screens will be placed along the famous bouvelard to avoid a large crowd forming around the archway.

France imposed a state of emergency after the November 13th attacks. This has yet to be lifted.

Last year, some 650,000 people gathered on the Champs-Elysées to usher in 2015.