Which London landmark is the main backdrop for the capital's New Year's Eve fireworks?

The London Eye is the main visual backdrop for London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks.

The fireworks are launched around the giant observation wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames, with nearby bridges and the city skyline forming part of the display. The event is organized by the Mayor of London and is watched by large crowds in designated viewing areas as well as by television audiences.

London’s modern ticketed fireworks tradition began for the transition from 1999 to 2000, when celebrations marked the start of the new millennium. Later annual displays made the London Eye a defining image of the city’s midnight celebration.

Big Ben is also strongly associated with the countdown because the clock’s chimes mark midnight, but it is not the landmark around which the principal fireworks are staged. The distinction matters because both landmarks appear prominently in broadcasts.