Bengaluru rings in 2025 with cheers and celebrations

Bengaluru welcomes 2025 with vibrant celebrations, police crackdown on illegal activities, and drug bust ahead of New Year.

As the final moments of 2024 ticked away, the bustling streets of M.G. Road, Church Street, and Brigade Road erupted into a vibrant frenzy. When the clock struck midnight, a chorus of cheers filled the air as the city embraced the arrival of 2025.

The city’s skyline shimmered with a dazzling array of lights, and festive decorations cast a magical glow over the revellers who spilled onto the streets. The excitement began to build gradually around 6 p.m. in the Central Business District area, with crowds gathering slowly. While the pubs saw bookings, business improved at the local bars after 9 p.m.

C.V. Vinod, owner of Bengaluru Bar, said, “Business was dull all day, but it picked up after 9 p.m. Compared to last year, overall business was dull.” He added that Church Street also saw fewer crowds than last year, which affected business, although footfall improved after 10 p.m.

Antony S., a college student, said he was visiting the Brigade Road celebration for the first time. Sharanya R. said it is always fun to revel in the CBD, as the crowd is lively.

Suhail Yusuf, secretary of The Brigade Shop and Establishments Association, said Brigade Road saw a family crowd, and the business was ok. “Last week, business fell by 50% after Bengaluru Traffic Police restricted parking owing to Christmas festivities. Parking resumed on Sunday. Compared to the previous year, business is lower,” he added.

Despite the police efforts to cordon off the entire stretch with barricades, guiding the flow of foot traffic, the crowds were overwhelming. People surged forward, pushing past one another. Some even leapt over the barricades and were caned by the police.

The area was swarming with police, volunteers, and security personnel. Drones hovered, and metal detectors scanned the crowd to ensure safety. While the celebrations were largely peaceful, an inebriated man who argued with police to go against the one-way on Brigade Toad was detained. In another incident, the Rani Chennamma all-women’s squad traced a baby who had been lost in the crowd for some time and reunited it with its mother.