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.
