Big Ben's bell is traditionally heard during the midnight New Year's Eve broadcast from London.
Big Ben is the nickname commonly used for the Great Bell of the clock at the Palace of Westminster. Strictly speaking, the name refers to the bell, not the entire clock tower. The tower was renamed the Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee, but the bell retained the familiar name Big Ben.
The clock tower was completed in 1859, and the Great Bell weighs more than 13 tons. Its quarter bells play the Westminster Quarters, while the Great Bell strikes the hour. Radio and television broadcasts have made its midnight sound a familiar part of British New Year celebrations.
The landmark is sometimes incorrectly called simply “the Big Ben clock.” The clock, tower, and bell are separate parts of the structure. Big Ben's sound has also been affected by maintenance and periods when the tower was being restored, so broadcasts may use recordings or scheduled live chimes depending on the year.