The London Eye traditionally serves as the focal landmark for London’s midnight New Year's Eve fireworks above the River Thames.
The annual display is staged around the South Bank and nearby central London landmarks. Fireworks are launched from barges on the river and from positions around the London Eye, making the illuminated Ferris wheel a central visual feature of television coverage.
London’s large organized fireworks display began in its modern form for the transition into 2000 and became an annual event later in the 2000s. Public viewing areas, ticket rules, and the detailed launch locations can vary by year.
Big Ben is often heard during the countdown, but it is not the landmark that anchors the river fireworks display. The London Eye is also officially known as the London Eye observation wheel and was formerly called the Millennium Wheel.