The London Eye first hosted its famous New Year's Eve fireworks display in 2000.
The celebration accompanied the new millennium and helped establish the London Eye and the River Thames as the setting for London's modern public countdown. Fireworks are launched around the wheel and from nearby barges, creating a display visible from central London and widely broadcast internationally.
The London Eye itself opened to the public in March 2000. Its location on the South Bank, opposite Westminster and close to the Thames, made it a natural focal point for large-scale visual events. Later displays developed into carefully choreographed productions involving music, lighting, and fireworks.
The phrase “new millennium” can be used differently depending on whether someone counts from year 1 or focuses on the cultural celebration of 2000. For the London Eye's inaugural New Year's Eve fireworks event, the relevant calendar year is 2000.