The London Eye is traditionally the focus of London's midnight New Year's Eve fireworks.
London's major public celebration uses the London Eye and the River Thames as its central visual setting. Fireworks are launched from barges on the river and from positions around the wheel, creating a display visible across central London. Big Ben's clock chimes mark midnight and provide the familiar audio signal for the countdown.
The event is organized as a large public spectacle, with ticketed viewing zones and extensive transport and crowd-management measures. The fireworks are often accompanied by music and a coordinated lighting display on the London Eye.
The London Eye is sometimes mistaken for the location of Big Ben because both landmarks appear in broadcast footage. They are separate structures: the London Eye is a giant observation wheel on the South Bank, while the clock tower commonly called Big Ben stands across the river at the Palace of Westminster. The name “Big Ben” properly refers to the great bell inside the tower.