The River Thames runs beside the London Eye during London's annual New Year's Eve fireworks display.
The London celebration is centered on the South Bank and the stretch of river around the London Eye, with fireworks launched from barges on the Thames and from nearby landmarks. The display is timed for midnight and is coordinated with music and a national countdown broadcast.
London's modern large-scale fireworks event began for the transition into 2000, when the city staged Millennium celebrations. The regular annual display associated with the London Eye began on December 31, 2003, welcoming 2004, and later grew into a major ticketed event.
The Thames is central to the visual design because it provides an open corridor for barges and clear sightlines from bridges and embankments. Viewers should not confuse the London fireworks with the separate New Year's Day Parade, which takes place on January 1 through central London streets.