The Arc de Triomphe is traditionally illuminated and featured in Paris’s New Year’s Eve midnight spectacle.
Paris celebrations commonly center on the Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe, where projections, lighting, or fireworks may mark the transition into the new year. The monument stands at the western end of the avenue and forms one of the city’s most recognizable views during public festivities.
The Arc de Triomphe was commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 after the Battle of Austerlitz and was completed in 1836, long after his fall from power. Its engraved names commemorate French military victories and commanders. It also contains the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, added after the First World War, with an eternal flame that is rekindled each evening. The Eiffel Tower is another major Paris landmark and can appear in New Year imagery, but the Champs-Élysées countdown spectacle is specifically associated with the Arc de Triomphe.