In London's annual New Year's Eve celebration, the landmark clock shown at midnight is Big Ben.
Big Ben is the nickname for the great bell inside the Elizabeth Tower at the Palace of Westminster. In everyday speech, the name is often used for the entire clock tower, although the tower itself was officially renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012. The clock and bell remain among London's most recognizable symbols.
Television coverage commonly features the tower and its clock faces as the final seconds of the year pass. London's large public fireworks display takes place along the River Thames, with the London Eye forming a prominent part of the visual scene.
A frequent mistake is calling the London Eye the midnight clock because it appears in the fireworks broadcast. The Eye is a Ferris wheel, while Big Ben is the bell and clock landmark whose chimes mark the transition. Big Ben's first official chime sounded in 1859.