Elizabeth Tower is the London landmark whose clock is commonly called Big Ben and features in New Year's Eve broadcasts.
The tower stands at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London. Its clock faces and hourly chimes are widely used in televised images of the British New Year. At midnight, crowds and broadcasters focus on the tower as the United Kingdom moves into January 1.
“Big Ben” properly refers to the great bell inside the tower, not to the tower itself. The tower was originally called the Clock Tower and was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to mark Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee. The current tower was completed as part of the rebuilding of the Palace of Westminster in the nineteenth century.
The clock and bell have sometimes been silent during restoration or maintenance, so broadcasts do not always rely on live chimes. Even when the sound is recorded or delayed, the landmark remains a visual symbol of London's New Year's Eve countdown.