The Burj Khalifa was illuminated during the first New Year's Eve celebration held in Dubai's Burj Khalifa district in 2010.
Dubai's inaugural New Year's Eve celebration around the tower followed the Burj Khalifa's official opening on January 4, 2010. The skyscraper became the centerpiece of a large public display involving lighting, fireworks, and synchronized visual effects. Its height made the building itself a giant vertical screen visible across central Dubai.
The tower was originally known during construction as Burj Dubai. It was renamed Burj Khalifa at the opening ceremony in honor of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. At 828 meters, it remains the world's tallest building, a fact that helps explain its prominence in global New Year's imagery.
The event is often casually described as happening at the tower's opening, but the dates are different: the building opened in January, while the first associated New Year's celebration came at the end of that year. Later celebrations expanded the projection and pyrotechnic technology.