Join more than a million of your closet friends in Times Square on New Year’s Eve for the biggest party on the planet, including performances by Gloria Estefan, Mariah Carey, Rachel Platten, a tribute to US military, a video message from First Lady Michelle Obama, and more
For 112 years, Times Square has been the center of worldwide attention on New Year’s Eve, ever since 1904 when the owners of One Times Square began rooftop celebrations to greet the New Year. The first Ball Lowering celebration occurred in 1907, and this tradition is now a universal symbol of welcoming the New Year.
Allison Hagendorf, Global Head of Rock at Spotify, network television host, and Live Announcer of the MTV Video Music Awards and MTV Movie Awards, returns for her fifth year as the Times Square New Year’s Eve Event Host.
Here’s the minute-to-minute schedule, starting with street closings and the arrival of what the Times Square people call “The Revelers”. That’s you, folks.
3:00 p.m.
The Revelers – The Bow Tie of Times Square (42nd to 47th Sts. between Broadway & 7th Ave.) is fully closed to traffic. Revelers are directed by the NYPD to gather in separate viewing sections. As one section fills up, revelers are directed by police to the next viewing section. As the evening progresses, revelers continue to fill the Times Square neighborhood along Broadway and Seventh Avenue moving uptown from 43rd Street to as far as Central Park.
6:00 p.m. to 6:03 p.m.
Lighting and Raising the Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball – The celebration begins with the lighting and raising of the New Year’s Eve Ball atop One Times Square. Event organizers and representatives of the Philips Lighting Company flip the giant switch which lights the New Year’s Eve Ball. It makes its ascent accompanied by special pyrotechnic effects atop One Times Square.
6:04 p.m. to 6:07 p.m.
Intro of Webcast Host & Kiss Stage – Allison Hagendorf introduces Jonathan Bennett at the Kiss Stage between 44th and 45th Streets.
6:07 p.m. to 6:21 p.m.
Chinese Cultural Performance – The Sino-American Friendship Association (“SAFA”) presents its annual and a spectacular Chinese cultural performance, on the Countdown Stage at Duffy Island between 46th and 47th Streets. The Chinese cultural performance finale is red and gold pyrotechnic effects atop One Times Square.
6:25 p.m.
Times Square 2017 Hats, Balloons, and Scarves – The Times Square Alliance sanitation crew clad in bright red uniforms begins to distribute tens of thousands of fun handouts to the Times Square revelers for cheering in the New Year. Planet Fitness is providing festive purple and yellow New Year’s Eve hats and purple balloons tied with gold mylar ribbons. The Sino-American Friendship Association is providing beautiful red scarves.
6:53 p.m. to 6:56 p.m.
Good Riddance Day Highlights – Allison Hagendorf shares highlights from Good Riddance Day with the Times Square revelers, atthe Countdown Stage.
6:58 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Hourly Countdown with Anderson Cooper – At two minutes before each hour until Midnight, Anderson Cooper and others appear at the Countdown Stage to wish the Times Square revelers “Happy New Year”; and lead the ten second countdown to the 7 o’clock hour accompanied by colorful pyrotechnic effects atop One Times Square. Anderson will also read several of the Confetti Wishes to be mixed into the confetti release at midnight and share his wish for the New Year.
7:02 p.m. to 7:12 p.m.
Univision’s “¡Feliz 2017!: Performance by Luis Coronel – The popular Latin star performs a medley of his hit songs Tu Boca Me Hipnotiza, Cuando La Miro, Quiero Ser Tu Dueño and Me Voy de Rumba on the Planet Fitness Stage.
7:13 p.m. to 7:18 p.m.
Musical Performance by Jojo Abot – Jojo Abot was selected to perform as part of the inaugural New Year, New Voices platform for emerging New York City musical artists. She is a Ghanaian singer-songwriter who divides her time between Accra, Copenhagen and New York City. Her music features a worldwide sound with an experimental blend of electronica, afrobeat, jazz, neo-soul, house and reggae, on the Kiss Stage.
7:23 p.m. to 7:28 p.m.
Planet Fitness “Judgement Free” with Jenny McCarthy – The entertainer leads revelers in a fun “Judgement Free” moment.
7:57 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Hourly Countdown with Silentó – Silentó will appear at the Countdown Stage to wish the Times Square revelers “Happy New Year”; and lead the ten second countdown to the 8 o’clock hour accompanied by colorful pyrotechnic effects atop One Times Square. He will also read several of the Confetti Wishes to be mixed into the confetti release at midnight and share his wish for the New Year.
8:01 p.m. to 8:04 p.m.
Getting Ready For The Midnight Kiss! – Jonathan Bennett preps revelers for midnight kiss at the Kiss Stage and encourages revelers to send their photos to #BallDrop to be displayed on the Toshiba sign below the Times Square Ball.
8:11 p.m. to 8:23 p.m.
Musical Performance by Rachel Platten – Rachel Platten performs Beating Me Up, Stand By You, and Fight Song on the Planet Fitness Stage.
8:29 p.m. to 8:35 p.m.
ABC’s “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve”: Performance by Gloria Estefan – Estefan performs a medley of her greatest hits with the Broadway cast from “On Your Feet” on the Countdown Stage.
8:41 p.m. to 8:48 p.m.
The FYI Network Presents, “Kiss Bang Love” – This is a shameless live commercial promotion for a new TV series where singles choose a potential match based on blindfold kissing, on the Kiss Stage. You get to see this several times this evening. It’s repeated again 9:01 p.m. to 9:04 p.m and again at 10:18 p.m. to 10:21 p.m..
8:53 p.m. to 8:58 p.m.
The USO Show Troupe Performance – The USO Show Troupe performs a Military Salute to honor our Armed Forces on the Countdown Stage.
8:58 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Hourly Countdown with FNC’s “All-American New Year” – FNC hosts Kimberly Guilfoyle and Eric Bolling are at the Countdown Stage to wish the Times Square revelers “Happy New Year”; and lead the ten second countdown to the 9 o’clock hour accompanied by colorful pyrotechnic effects atop One Times Square. They will also read several of the Confetti Wishes to be mixed into the confetti release at midnight and share their wishes for the New Year.
9:05 p.m. to 9:08 p.m. – Waterford Crystal Toast
9:12 p.m. to 9:24 p.m.
Musical Performance by Gavin Degraw – DeGraw performs his hit songs I Don’t Want To Be, Not Over You and She Sets the City on Fire on the Planet Fitness Stage.
9:27 p.m. to 9:29 p.m. – Global Citizen Video Message
9:37 p.m. to 9:43 p.m.
ABC’s “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve”: Performance by DNCE – DNCE performs medley of Cake By The Ocean and Body Moves on the Countdown Stage.
9:52 p.m. to 9:55 p.m.
Toshiba and Bill Nye’s Happy New Year Message
9:57 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Hourly Countdown with Planet Fitness – Health club representatives ap ear at the Countdown Stage to wish the Times Square revelers “Happy New Year”; and lead the ten second countdown to the 10 o’clock hour accompanied by colorful pyrotechnic effects atop One Times Square. They will also read several of the Confetti Wishes to be mixed into the confetti release at midnight and share their wishes for the New Year.
10:02 p.m. to 10:12 p.m.
Univision’s “¡Feliz 2017!: Performance by Lupillo Rivera – Rivera performs medley of his hit songs on the Planet Fitness Stage.
10:13 p.m. to 10:16 p.m.
Barefoot Bubbly Toast
10:23 p.m. to 10:28 p.m.
Planet Fitness Presents the “Judgement Free” Marching Band Halftime Show – The Marching Cobras perform Uptown Funk on the Planet Fitness Center Stage.
10:34 p.m. to 10:41 p.m.
ABC’s “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve”: Performance by Thomas Rhett – He performs medley of his hit songs Vacation, T-Shirt and Die A Happy Man on the Countdown Stage.
10:46 p.m. to 10:51 p.m.
Musical Performance by Silentó – Silentó performs Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae) on the Planet Fitness Stage
10:57 p.m. to 11:01 p.m.
Hourly Countdown with Raúl de Molina – He is at he Countdown Stage to wish the Times Square revelers “Happy New Year”; and lead the ten second countdown to the 11 o’clock hour accompanied by colorful pyrotechnic effects atop One Times Square. Raul will also read several of the Confetti Wishes to be mixed into the confetti release at midnight and share his wish for the New Year.
11:02 p.m. to 11:09 p.m.
Univision’s ¡Feliz 2017!: Performance by Don Omar – He performs a medley of Danza Kuduro, Zumba, Hasta Que Salga El Sol and Te Quiero Pa´ Mi on the Planet Fitness Stage.
11:11 p.m. to 11:13 p.m.
First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama Video Message
11:16 p.m. to 11:19 p.m.
The Associated Press Presents 2016 Year-End Video Highlights – The AP, the world’s oldest and largest news gathering organization, presents a news reel highlighting some of the most memorable events of 2016.
11:38 p.m. to 11:44 p.m.
ABC’s “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve”: Performance by Mariah Carey – Mariah Carey performs medley of Auld Lang Syne, Emotions and We Belong Together on the Countdown Stage.
11:51 p.m. to 11:58 p.m.
Special Musical Performance by Rachel Platten – Rachel Platten performs Lonely Planet and John Lennon’s Imagine on the Planet Fitness Stage.
11:59 p.m.
The Sixty-Second Countdown – NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio and special guest United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon push the Waterford crystal button that signals the descent of the New Year’s Eve Ball, and lead the final sixty-second countdown to the New Year on the Countdown Stage.
The Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball – The lighted Ball descends 70 feet in sixty seconds. The Ball is a geodesic sphere, twelve feet in diameter, weighing 11,875 pounds. The Ball is covered with 2,688 Waterford crystal triangles and lit by 32,256 Philips Luxeon Rebel LEDs.
12:00 a.m.
New Year’s Day 2017 Sign, Confetti release and Pyrotechnic Display
At the stroke of Midnight, the lights on the New Year’s Eve Ball are turned off as the numerals of the New Year “2017” burst to life shining high above Times Square.
Times Square Confetti Release and Pyrotechnic Effects
The world-famous New Year’s Eve confetti is released from the rooftops of buildings throughout Times Square creating a celebratory blizzard of colorful confetti as revelers welcome the New Year accompanied by colorful pyrotechnic effects. The three thousand pounds of confetti includes tens of thousands of wishes from revelers around the world hoping for peace, love, good health and a better future in the new year.
12:15 a.m. – End of Show, and the NYC Dept. of Sanitation begins its monumental clean-up of 3,000 pounds of confetti and other things The Revelers have left behind.
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