The Champs-Élysées is the traditional Paris gathering place for New Year's Eve celebrations near the Arc de Triomphe.
Paris's broad avenue runs northwest from the Place de la Concorde toward the Arc de Triomphe. On New Year's Eve, crowds commonly gather along the avenue for the midnight countdown, while the Arc de Triomphe and surrounding monuments are used for light or video projections in major celebrations. The avenue's monumental scale makes it one of the city's most recognizable public spaces.
The name Champs-Élysées comes from the Elysian Fields of Greek mythology, a paradise for heroes and virtuous souls. The avenue is part of Paris's historic Axe historique, a line of monuments and vistas extending through the city and beyond. It is sometimes confused with the nearby Avenue des Champs-Élysées's individual landmarks, but the avenue itself is the traditional crowd setting; the Eiffel Tower is another major Paris symbol, not the usual name for this gathering place.