London’s best-known New Year’s Eve fireworks are launched around the London Eye along the River Thames.
The display uses the London Eye and the surrounding riverfront as its visual centerpiece. Fireworks are launched from the wheel, nearby barges, and other positions along the Thames, creating a display visible from central London and broadcast internationally.
The modern organized display began in 1999 for the arrival of the year 2000 and later developed into an annual event. The celebration is staged near Westminster, with controlled access and ticketed viewing areas introduced as crowds grew.
The London Eye is a giant cantilevered observation wheel on the South Bank. The fireworks are not a display at Buckingham Palace, and Tower Bridge may appear in television views without being the principal launch landmark.