{"id":87495,"date":"2026-01-02T18:15:20","date_gmt":"2026-01-02T18:15:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/87495\/"},"modified":"2026-01-02T18:15:20","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T18:15:20","slug":"hundreds-waited-for-brooklyn-bridge-fireworks-that-never-came","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/87495\/","title":{"rendered":"Hundreds Waited For Brooklyn Bridge Fireworks That Never Came"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cActually quite scary that this many people don\u2019t fact check what they see on here.\u201d <\/p>\n


\n \"Photo <\/p>\n

Anna Good<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Posted on January 2 2026 11:00 am CST <\/p>\n

In the days leading up to New Year\u2019s Eve, AI-generated posts flooded social media, showing fireworks over the Brooklyn Bridge. These posts claimed the fireworks would be part of the city\u2019s New Year\u2019s Eve festivities. <\/p>\n

\n Featured Video<\/p>\n

The videos were apparently convincing enough that thousands of people showed up along the Brooklyn waterfront to see the display for themselves.<\/p>\n

\"In@duainitdua\/TikTok<\/a>AI ads mislead thousands about NYE fireworks<\/p>\n

The large crowd of people was duped by fake ads about a fireworks show at the Brooklyn Bridge. As midnight hit, nothing happened. No fireworks. The huge crowds waited for hours, only to be let down.<\/p>\n

Marco Abbiati, a New Yorker, took to Instagram to explain what went wrong. \u201cLast night, thousands of people went to DUMBO & the Brooklyn Bridge expecting New Year\u2019s Eve fireworks,\u201d he wrote on Instagram<\/a>. \u201cThey waited for hours in the cold\u2026 and nothing happened. Why? Because in the past few days, social media pages and AI-generated posts shared videos of fireworks at the Brooklyn Bridge, claiming they were for NYE. Those videos were actually from July 4th.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"In@mychristmasinnewyorkcity\/Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n

The AI posts were misleading, falsely suggesting that the Brooklyn Bridge would host a fireworks display similar to those in other major cities. However, no such event had ever been scheduled. In fact, Brooklyn does not typically have fireworks on New Year\u2019s Eve. Instead, a handful of other spots in the city are known for their smaller displays.<\/p>\n

\"In@zackgill02\/TikTok<\/a><\/p>\n

Abbiati, who also mentioned that many of the pages promoting the hoax were run by individuals outside of New York City<\/a>, pointed out how social media and AI can mislead users when not fact-checked properly. \u201cMany of those pages are run by people who don\u2019t live in NYC and have never experienced New Year\u2019s Eve here,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

Social media users quickly reacted to the viral misinformation. TikToker @alldaynyc posted a video<\/a> showing the disappointed crowd in Brooklyn, mocking the situation. \u201cYo, this is incredible. Look at all the people lined up in Brooklyn thinking they about to see fireworks on the Brooklyn Bridge,\u201d he said. \u201cThey came here because they follow a bunch of AI slop, TikTok, and Instagrams. [\u2026] Stop following these fugazy pages.\u201d<\/p>\n

@alldaynyc<\/a> <\/p>\n

HAAAAAAA\ud83e\udd23<\/p>\n

\u266c original sound \u2013 ALLDAYNYC<\/a> <\/p>\n

Some New Yorkers responded to the incident with humor. \u201cA real NY\u2019er knows there\u2019s no NYE fireworks<\/a> over there\ud83d\ude02\ud83d\ude02 only Coney Island and some other unofficial spots,\u201d one commenter joked. Another wrote, \u201cApril fools in December \ud83d\ude02\ud83d\ude02\ud83d\ude02\ud83d\ude02\u201d<\/p>\n

Others expressed concerns about the dangers of blindly trusting online content. \u201cThis is actually quite scary that this many people don\u2019t fact-check what they see on here \ud83d\ude2c,\u201d one TikToker said. Another questioned, \u201cHow did police not see this huge crowd and tell them there were no Brooklyn Bridge fireworks?\u201d<\/p>\n

The internet is chaotic\u2014but we\u2019ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot\u2019s newsletter here<\/a>.<\/p>\n