The London Eye is the main landmark associated with London’s New Year’s Eve fireworks.
London’s official fireworks display is staged along the River Thames, with the London Eye serving as its most recognizable visual centerpiece. Fireworks are launched from barges on the river and from structures near the wheel, creating a display visible from many central London viewpoints.
The modern large-scale event developed in the early twenty-first century. London introduced a major organized fireworks display for the millennium celebrations in 1999–2000, and the annual event later became closely associated with the London Eye and the South Bank. Broadcast coverage has made the celebration familiar to audiences worldwide.
The display is separate from Big Ben’s clock chimes, although the two are presented together in many television broadcasts. Big Ben is the nickname commonly used for the Great Bell at the Palace of Westminster, while the Elizabeth Tower is the building that houses it. That distinction explains why the wheel, rather than the clock tower, is the fireworks venue.