Big Ben’s clock tower is illuminated above London’s official New Year’s Eve fireworks display.
The display takes place around the River Thames, with fireworks staged near the London Eye and visible from parts of the central city. Big Ben’s midnight chimes provide the most recognizable audio cue, while the illuminated clock tower helps frame the televised celebration. The tower is officially the Elizabeth Tower; Big Ben is technically the nickname of its largest bell.
The modern London fireworks event began in 2000, when fireworks were used to mark the start of the new millennium. It later developed into a major annual ticketed celebration, with spectators gathered along the Thames and large television audiences watching from home.
A common mix-up is calling the entire tower “Big Ben.” The clock tower was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012 in honor of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee, but the bell itself remains Big Ben. The display’s landmarks are also distinct: the London Eye is the prominent wheel, not the clock tower.