Paris is the French city whose Champs-Élysées avenue traditionally draws New Year's Eve crowds.
The Avenue des Champs-Élysées runs through central Paris from the Place de la Concorde toward the Arc de Triomphe. On New Year's Eve, people have traditionally gathered along the avenue to celebrate, watch illuminated projections or displays, and welcome the new year. The Arc de Triomphe is often the visual focus of official celebrations, although event arrangements and crowd-control measures can change from year to year.
The avenue's name comes from the Elysian Fields of Greek mythology, a resting place for heroic or virtuous souls. It became a major Parisian boulevard through landscaping and urban development associated with the Tuileries Gardens and the westward expansion of the city. Its cafés, theaters, shops, and ceremonial role have made it one of France's most recognizable avenues.
The Champs-Élysées is sometimes confused with the Eiffel Tower as the location of Paris's New Year's imagery. Both landmarks feature in celebrations, but the named avenue is in Paris and stretches toward the Arc de Triomphe.