Thousands duped by AI misinformation into attending fake New Year's Eve fireworks at Brooklyn Bridge

A crowd showed up for a midnight New Year's Eve fireworks show. It never came.

A false social media post drew crowds to Brooklyn Bridge for fireworks that never happened. Crowds of people apparently duped by misleading social media posts braved the cold for a New Year's Eve fireworks show at New York's Brooklyn Bridge. The only problem? It was never actually scheduled. Videos posted on social media and obtained by USA TODAY show crowds bundled up and excitedly counting down the final seconds of 2025 with phone cameras aimed skyward before shouting "Happy New Year." Seconds later, they lapse into confused silence when the anticipated pyrotechnics fail to appear. Instagram user Marco Abbiati, who offers New York City Christmas tours, posted a reel saying social media videos posted in recent days had showed imaged of July 4 fireworks at the bridge. According to digital media outlet Daily Dot, the videos were AI-generated. "They misled thousands of people by promoting them as if they were for New Year's Eve," Abbiatti wrote. Officials for Brooklyn Bridge Park said they were not aware of the spurious posts until after the fact. "Our understanding is that an inaccurate social media post led a crowd to gather in a specific area of the park expecting fireworks at midnight," park officials told USA TODAY. "While visitors were disappointed, the crowd remained orderly and dispersed without incident." Other videos posted afterward show crowds lined up along the waterfront awaiting the nonexistent display, their stunned murmurs interrupted only by random party horns. "Any second now," said TikTok user zackgill02 in a video chronicling the fiasco. "Where are they? Did we get pranked?" Another TikTok user posted a video saying it was the first time they'd gone to see fireworks after living in New York City for eight years. "I parked my car, grabbed my camera and followed thousands of people walking toward the same spot," said user @dhruvsaha, whose perfect front-row spot would bring no fireworks. "Just confusion," they posted. "Super duper disappointed." New Yorkers were merciless in their comments, pointing out that the lack of police boats or any prior New Year's Eve events at the site should have been red flags, and questioning why attendees had failed to double-check the information. "Moral of the story: Social media and AI are powerful tools, but also dangerous when misused," Abbiatti wrote in his post. "Always be careful about what you trust online and make sure the people sharing information actually know what they're talking about. Otherwise, a dream trip can quickly turn into a nightmare."

Thousands duped by AI into watching non-existent NYE fireworks show...

Thousands of revelers were tricked by phony social media videos into gathering at Brooklyn Bridge Park to watch a grand fireworks display on New Year's Eve -- only to find out the event didn't actually exist. Accounts across TikTok and Instagram reportedly used AI videos to plug the supposed show as a perfect way to ring in 2026 -- prompting thousands to believe the online slop and show up, and even sparking an article in Time Out New York promoting the non-event as a hot thing to do on the holiday. "Did we get pranked? We got pranked. The amount of people who are misinformed here," said Zack Gill, who was tricked into going down to the park posted a viral video of the disappointed crowd. The clip shows a huge throng of duped revelers on the Brooklyn riverside counting down the second to midnight -- and then looking stunned as no fireworks went off on the bridge. "What does this say about 2026?" his friend responds. Other angles of the prank show thousands of eager celebrants with phones in hand, ready to capture the moment the light show went off over the Brooklyn Bridge. The group counted down together and cheered -- and then there was a noticeable silence when the sky stayed dark. The only waterfront fireworks show took place near the Statue of Liberty and down at Coney Island, both far from the views at the DUMBO piers. Central Park and Prospect Park also had fireworks shows. The thousands of revelers -- who braved below-freezing temperatures and frigid gusts for the opportunity -- were apparently fed false information on social media that came from ChatGPT, irresponsible content creators and ill-meaning pranksters. Perhaps the most shocking source of misinformation came from Time Out New York, which named the waterfront on its list of "best places to watch New Year's Eve fireworks in NYC for free." "If you want fireworks with a skyline backdrop, Brooklyn Bridge Park is the place to be. From Piers one through six along DUMBO's waterfront, you'll get sweeping views of the East River, Lower Manhattan and the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges framing the show. It's a prime location for photos, especially as fireworks reflect off the water. The downside is that it fills up fast. Aim to arrive before sunset to get the best spot," wrote Gerrish Lopez, a New Orleans native, whose bylines mostly consist of nationwide food listicles. The article has since been edited to remove Brooklyn Bridge Park, but Time Out did not order a correction. Secret NYC, which boasts itself as the "ultra-shareable online guide to news, events, and things to do" in the Big Apple, also listed the spot in a now-deleted Facebook post, putting Brooklyn Bridge Park in the No. 1 slot. Representatives for Time Out and Secret NYC did not immediately respond to The Post's request for comment. Some of the so-called victims admitted they relied on AI programs like ChatGPT for tips on how to ring in the new year. Social media was also rampant with pranksters advising tourists to count down from midnight at the park or in DUMBO. "The Brooklyn Bridge has a very good view of the fireworks and you can avoid the Times Square craziness," one troll wrote on Reddit. While the experience was a let-down for the thousands who braved the cold for nothing, it provided great fodder for others to start 2026 with a laugh. "who's going to tell them is not 4th of July?" one viewer commented.