The only New Year’s Eve fireworks on display were a rogue pyrotechnic that fizzled out over the heads of the crowd and a modest show behind a hotel in the distance.
But warnings that a spectacular celebration in Birmingham’s Centenary Square was fake news did not stop hundreds of people from making a journey out in the cold.
The police had foreseen the scourge of misleading online content creating a big gathering for an anticipated December 31 show in one of the city’s focal destinations.
A similar non-event attracting thousands of people last year had also acted as a harbinger for another bout of fake news in a city of tightened public finances.
Huddled round in the freezing cold, the revellers nevertheless cheered at midnight as pyrotechnics rose from behind the hotel across a main road.
Sign up for all of the latest stories
Start your day informed with Metro's News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens.
Some TikTokers captured the bizarre scenes before expressing their bemusement and disappointment online.
A user named Sherways wrote, ‘Birmingham pranked us’ as he captured the scene by the city’s closed big wheel.
Another TikToker, Zhay Nab, said, ‘we went out to watch the fireworks…but plot twist’ after she captured the non-event.
Two days beforehand, West Midlands Police stated that there would be ‘no official fireworks or city-organised displays’ on New Year’s Eve.
The force referenced yearly rumours about big shows which ‘often lead to confusion and disappointment’, including thousands turning up in 2024.
On the ground, high-visibility patrols were tasked with informing people that there would be no fireworks display in the square.
Adverts that may have been written by AI and based on information from previous years nevertheless seem to have duped would-be revellers.
The error may have resulted from round-ups of shows that have happened many years previously being re-presented as fresh information.
Sherways saw the funny side after an unnecessary journey out in the cold as he responded to someone who accused those present as being ‘fools’.
The content creator replied: ‘We’re dumb bro that’s why we’re in Birmingham in first place 😊’
However the fake events present a real-world headache for the authorities tasked with keeping revellers safe.
The police warning read: ‘We’re here to help clarify and stop misinformation from spreading. Why does this matter?
‘Because misinformation can create real safety issues in the city.
‘When large crowds gather for an event that doesn’t exist, it puts pressure on public transport, emergency services, and can lead to congestion in the city centre. We’re asking you to please only share accurate information from trusted sources.’
People in Birmingham are far from the only ones to be tricked by fake online adverts, often involving AI.
In November, Metro reported on how people were falling for a fictitious Christmas market outside Buckingham Palace.
Images showed snow-covered stalls lined up in neat rows, selling hot chocolate and mulled wine to a stream of visitors, inspiring that cozy Christmas feeling in even the biggest of Grinches.
But visitors arrived to find nothing of the kind.
MORE: An AI-generated image of a collapsed bridge shut down a railway line – who’s behind it?
MORE: People are falling for a fake Christmas market outside Buckingham Palace – why?
MORE: Musician’s show cancelled after AI makes horrific false claims online
