Dubai’s New Year’s Eve celebration features fireworks and spectacular lighting displays associated with the Burj Khalifa.
The Burj Khalifa, in Downtown Dubai, has been a central visual focus of the emirate’s New Year festivities since its opening-era celebrations. At 828 metres, it is the world’s tallest building, making its illuminated façade visible across much of the city. Public celebrations around the tower often combine fireworks, synchronized LED effects, music, and a large countdown.
Strictly speaking, descriptions of the event may distinguish fireworks launched around the tower from projections and lighting displayed directly on its exterior. News reports often describe the entire production together because the visual effects are synchronized into one show.
The tower opened in 2010 and was initially known as Burj Dubai before being renamed Burj Khalifa. That name change is a frequent source of confusion when older accounts of Dubai’s New Year celebrations are cited.