London’s official New Year’s Eve fireworks display is launched beside the London Eye.
The modern riverside celebration centers on the London Eye, the giant observation wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames. Fireworks are launched from the wheel itself, nearby barges, and locations along the river, creating a display visible from central London and broadcast internationally.
London’s major public fireworks tradition began at the turn of the millennium. The city staged a large New Year’s celebration for the arrival of 2000, and a dedicated annual fireworks event developed in subsequent years. The display is organized by the Mayor of London and has become one of Europe’s most recognizable New Year spectacles.
The London Eye is sometimes called the Millennium Wheel, its original popular name. It opened to the public in 2000. London’s celebration also includes a midnight chime from Big Ben, although the fireworks’ principal visual landmark is the London Eye rather than the clock tower itself.