The London Eye is used as a launch platform for many fireworks in London's New Year's Eve display.
The London Eye, a giant observation wheel on the South Bank of the River Thames, became a central part of London's televised New Year's Eve fireworks. Pyrotechnics are attached to or launched around the wheel, creating a circular focal point beside the river. Fireworks are also fired from barges and other locations along the Thames.
The display is organized by the Mayor of London and is watched by large crowds in central London and by viewers internationally. Big Ben supplies the famous midnight chimes, but the clock tower is not the principal fireworks launch platform. The London Eye opened to the public in 2000 and was originally known as the Millennium Wheel. Its role in the New Year's display reflects how a modern landmark can become paired with an older timekeeping tradition.