Thousands brave the rain to ring in 2023 in Times Square
Revelers wait in the rain at Times Square for the midnight ball drop for the New Year's Eve celebration on December 31, 2022 in New York City. Revelers return to a full scale event after two years of scaled-back celebrations in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Revelers wait in the rain at Times Square for the midnight ball drop for the New Year's Eve celebration on December 31, 2022 in New York City. Revelers return to a full scale event after two years of scaled-back celebrations in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
People gather to celebrate the new year and await the ball drop in Times Square, New York City, on December 31, 2022.
Revelers wait in the rain at Times Square for the midnight ball drop for the New Year's Eve celebration on December 31, 2022 in New York City. Revelers return to a full scale event after two years of scaled-back celebrations in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Revelers wait in pens after arriving more than 8 hours early ahead of New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square on December 31, 2022 in New York City. This year's New Year's Eve returned to pre-COVID-19 pandemic numbers with around 1 million people estimated to fill the Times Square area.
People gather to celebrate the new year and await the ball drop in Times Square, New York City, on December 31, 2022.
Revelers wait in pens after arriving more than 8 hours early ahead of New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square on December 31, 2022 in New York City. This year's New Year's Eve returned to pre-COVID-19 pandemic numbers with around 1 million people estimated to fill the Times Square area.
Revelers celebrate New Year's Eve in Times Square in the rain on December 31, 2022 in New York City. This year's New Year's Eve celebration returned to pre-COVID-19 pandemic numbers with around 1 million people estimated to fill Times Square.
A view of the crowd during the Times Square New Year's Eve 2023 Celebration on December 31, 2022 in New York City.
Revelers celebrate New Year's Eve in Times Square in the rain on December 31, 2022 in New York City. This year's New Year's Eve celebration returned to pre-COVID-19 pandemic numbers with around 1 million people estimated to fill Times Square.
A view of the crowd during the Times Square New Year's Eve 2023 Celebration on December 31, 2022 in New York City.
Revelers at Times Square wait for the midnight ball drop during the New Year's Eve celebration on December 31, 2022 in New York City. Revelers return to a full scale event after two years of scaled-back celebrations in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
A view of the crowd in Times Square for New Year's Eve on December 31, 2022 in New York City.
A view of the crowd in Times Square for New Year's Eve on December 31, 2022 in New York City.
A view of the crowd in Times Square for New Year's Eve on December 31, 2022 in New York City.
Revelers stand in the rain as they celebrate New Year's Eve in Times Square on December 31, 2022, in New York City.
Revelers stand in the rain as they celebrate New Year's Eve in Times Square on December 31, 2022, in New York City.
Revelers celebrate New Year's Eve in Times Square as confetti falls on January 01, 2023 in New York City.
Onlookers watch as confetti fills the air to mark the beginning of the new year, in Times Square, New York City, on January 1, 2023.
Revelers celebrate New Year's Eve in Times Square as confetti falls on January 01, 2023 in New York City.
Revelers celebrate New Year's Eve in Times Square as confetti falls on January 01, 2023 in New York City. This year's New Year's Eve returned to pre-COVID-19 pandemic numbers with around 1 million people estimated to fill Times Square.
Missed the 2025 Times Square ball drop and New Year's Eve celebration? Watch the highlights here
NEW YORK -- An estimated 1 million people packed Times Square to watch the New Year's Eve 2025 ball drop Tuesday night.
A Times Square Alliance live feed went live at 6 p.m. from the Crossroads of the World, and it will stay up as the clock strikes midnight. You can watch the feed in the video player embedded above.
Lonnie Quinn was in Times Square as part of "Nashville's Big Bash" on CBS at 8 p.m., and our stream had live shots from the ball drop countdown starting at 10:30 p.m. after an early edition of our late night news.
If you missed the celebration, you can watch a replay of our live stream in the video player below.
Viewing areas opened at 3 p.m. Entry was first-come, first-served at checkpoints located at 49th, 52nd and 56th streets on Sixth and Eighth avenues. One million people were expected to ring in 2025 in Times Square.
Organizers say the best views are along Broadway from 43rd to 50th streets, and along Seventh Avenue as far north as 59th Street.
The show officially started at 6 p.m. when the lights on the ball were flipped on and it was hoisted into place atop One Times Square.The evening featured live performances from Carrie Underwood, the Jonas Brothers, Mark Ambor, Mickey Guyton, Rita Ora, TLC and more.
At 11:59 p.m., the 60-second countdown began and the confetti started to fly. At the stroke of midnight, the lights on the ball were flipped off, and the "2025" numerals came to life.
The show wraps up at 12:15 a.m., when the cleanup effort begins. Sanitation crews will be standing by to remove more than 1 ton of confetti.
Here's our full guide for what to know about getting around the city.
Spectators began lining up before dawn, including one group of friends who flew in from Tokyo. Some packed blankets, ponchos and handwarmers, while others had snacks -- even a rotisserie chicken.
"I'm geeked out about it. I'm really excited to be here. I've never done it. I've always wanted to do it since I was a kid, so here I am," Los Angeles resident Shauntay Sheppard said.
"We're really excited. We waited for this trip for months because we really want to see what people talk about when you tell about, you know, New Year's Eve in New York," said Elisa Corliano, an Italian tourist.
"I come for the first time here to see. That it was my dream for one year, I just planned to come. I didn't expected to be so organized, and I am happy for that ... [I'm feeling] very safe. I want to dance tonight," said Carmen Hutuleac, a Romanian tourist.
Even the pouring rain couldn't dampen the spirits of the crowd.
"It was one of those things that we decided it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience," Florida resident Rita Civil said.
"Lifetime experience. Never again. But I'm glad I did it so I can be proud to see how crazy I am with my friend and my family," Upper West Side resident Samuel Do said.
The New York City Police Department says they had a "tremendous" amount of police resources around Times Square and beyond as the city prepared for the world famous New Year's Eve ball drop.
The department said there is currently no credit threat, and the agency is operating in what it calls a "heightened threat environment" to ensure the night goes off without a hitch.
"We're going to have plain clothes officers, as well as uniformed officers who are going to be doing persistent sweeps. We have our drones helping out with the aerial perspective and chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear detection and mitigation capabilities. Counter drones, heavy weapons teams, K-9s, you name it," NYPD Deputy Commissioner Rebecca Weiner said.
Meanwhile, despite rain in the forecast, those heading to Times Square were not allowed to bring umbrellas, backpacks or large bags past security checkpoints.
Who's performing at tonight's Times Square ball drop to ring in New Year's Eve 2025?
A variety of performers will take to the stage ahead of tonight's ball drop in New York's Times Square before a massive crowd of New Year's Eve revelers ringing in 2025.
Here's what you need to know about the performers in Times Square on New Year's Eve:
Pop singer-songwriter Mark Ambor was scheduled to perform in Times Square from 8:03 p.m. to 8:12 p.m. EST, according to organizers of the New Year's Eve festivities at the "Crossroads of the World." Ambor was set to sing his songs "Belong Together," "Good to Be" and "Our Way," and the performance was on a livestream of the event.
Country singer-songwriter Megan Moroney was scheduled to perform from 8:26 p.m. to 8:32 p.m. EST, according to organizers. She was set to sing a two-song medley from her album "Am I Okay?" on "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve" on ABC, according to the show.
A roaming street performance by the NYPD Marching Band is set between 9:03 p.m. and 9:13 p.m. EST, according to organizers.
Grammy-nominated country singer-songwriter Mickey Guyton is expected to perform from 9:16 p.m. to 9:27 p.m. EST and from 11:55 p.m. to 11:58 p.m. EST, according to organizers. During the first performance, Guyton will perform her songs "All American," "House on Fire" and "My Side of the Country." Just before midnight, she'll sing John Lennon's "Imagine." Both performances will be on the Times Square livestream.
British singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor is expected to perform from 9:37 p.m. to 9:43 p.m. EST, according to organizers. She'll sing her hit song "Murder on the Dancefloor" on "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve," according to the show.
Latin Grammy-nominated singer Greeicy is expected to perform from 10:01 p.m. to 10:07 p.m. EST, according to organizers. The performance is expected to air on Univision's "Feliz 2025."
Latin Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter De La Ghetto is expected to perform from 10:19 p.m. to 10:25 p.m. EST, according to organizers. The performance is expected to air on "Feliz 2025."
Members of '90s powerhouse TLC are expected to perform from 10:34 p.m. to 10:41 p.m. EST, according to organizers. They'll perform hits from throughout their career, including songs from 1994's "CrazySexyCool," on "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve," according to the show.
Latin singer Kapo is expected to perform from 11:02 p.m. to 11:08 p.m. EST, according to organizers. The performance is expected to air on "Feliz 2025."
Country superstar Carrie Underwood is expected to perform from 11:37 p.m.-11:46 p.m. EST, according to organizers. She'll perform a medley of some of her biggest hits on "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve," according to the show.
The reunited Jonas Brothers are expected to perform just after midnight EST on "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve," according to the show. The trio will perform a medley of songs from their career to mark 20 years since their debut.
Pop star Rita Ora is also expected to perform just after midnight EST on "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve," according to an ABC spokesperson. Ora is expected to perform a medley of her hit songs, organizers said.
The show in Times Square starts at 6 p.m. EST. Here's the schedule of performances:
Some of country music's biggest stars will celebrate the new year performing on CBS' "New Year's Eve Live: Nashville's Big Bash." The show will air from 8-10 p.m. EST/PST and 10:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. EST/PST on CBS television stations and stream on Paramount+.
The show will include over 40 performances. Here is a list of who's performing:
A brief history of the Times Square New Year’s Eve ball drop
Since crowds first began gathering in Times Square to commemorate New Year’s Eve over a century ago, it has been a ritual to flock to midtown’s brightly lit chaos to ring in new beginnings. At 11:59 p.m. a dazzling ball descends down a pole, while attendees — and millions of people tuning in from home — count down from 60. At the stroke of midnight, the crowd erupts into a cacophony of sound, often pulling their loved one in for a ceremonial kiss.
But how did this New Year’s Eve celebration start, and why do we commemorate the occasion by watching a ball descend down a pole?
The Times Square ball first dropped in 1904, and it came into being thanks to Jacob Starr, a Ukranian immigrant and metalworker, and the former New York Times publisher, Adolph Ochs. The latter had successfully drawn crowds to the newspaper’s skyscraper home in Times Square with pyrotechnics and fireworks to celebrate the forthcoming year, but city officials banned explosives from being used after just a few years of the festivities.
So Ochs commissioned Starr, who worked for sign-making firm Strauss Signs (later known as Artkraft Strauss, a company at which Starr served as president), to create a new visual display.
Over the past century, that display, and symbol of the New Year has evolved from a iron and wood cage adorned with light bulbs to a dazzling technicolor crystal sphere.
Their concept was based on time balls, nautical devices that had gained popularity in the 19th century. As time-telling became more precise, ship navigators needed a standardized way to set their chronometers. Each day, harbors and observatories would raise and lower a metal ball at the same time to allow sailors to synchronize their instruments.
Both Ochs and the New York Times’ chief electrician, Walter Palmer, have been credited with the idea, allegedly inspired by the downtown Western Union Building, which dropped a time ball each day at noon. But Starr’s granddaughter Tama, who joined Artkraft Strauss in 1982 and now owns the business, said in a phone interview that she believes it was her grandfather who came up with the concept of the ball being lowered and lit up with the new year numerals at midnight.
“The idea was to … have it illuminated with the brand-new electricity that had just come up to the neighborhood,” said Tama, who for many years served as foreperson at the Times Square ball drop. “And it was lowered by hand … starting at one minute to midnight, and that was the way it was done for many years.”
“It was an adaptation of an old, useful thing,” she added. “It was instantly popular. People just loved it.”
Though Manhattan had been partially illuminated by electricity since the early 1880s, the US National Park Service (NPS) notes that half of American homes were still lit by gas lights and candles until the 1920s. The sight of a glimmering ball lowering down from the dark skies would have seemed otherworldly.
When the ball reached the parapet with a sign displaying the numbers of the year, “the electrician would throw the switch, turning off the ball and turning on the numbers at the same time,” Tama said. “So it looked like the ball coming down transformed into the set of numbers.”
All of Times Square got in on the theatrics. In the first year, waiters in nearby restaurants and hotels wore battery-powered “1908” top hats that they illuminated at the stroke of midnight.
“It looked like magic to people,” said Tama.
There have been seven different Times Square balls since that first descent, from a 700-pound iron structure fitted with 25-watt light bulbs, to a lighter aluminum frame after World War II, to a “Big Apple” during the administration of the city’s former mayor Ed Koch.
In 1995, when the ball got a glitzy update with rhinestones, strobe lights and computer controls, traditional signmakers were no longer needed — which meant that Artkraft Strauss, the company that had brought the ball to Times Square, was no longer needed either. Today’s ball is a collaboration between Waterford Crystal and Philips Lighting, using 32,256 LEDs that can be programed to display millions of colors and patterns on its surface.
Nonetheless, Tama remembers her years as the timekeeper on the roof of One Times Square fondly.
When the last minute of the year arrived, workers lowered the ball down using a complex pulley system.
In performing this ritual year after year, Tama sees an intrinsic link between the countdown, which she calls “a minute outside of time,” and the making of New Year’s resolutions.
“When you’re concentrating really hard, time seems to slow down,” she said. “It felt like the longest minute in the world. It felt like you had time to wash your hair, call your mother, change your life. You really can change your life in one minute — you can decide to be different. You can decide to be kinder and better.”
A version of this article first published in 2021.
New Year’s 2025 live updates: New York City welcomes 2025, bids farewell to 2024 in Times Square
New York may feel like the center of the universe, but on New Year’s Eve the Big Apple is late to the party, with the US being one of the last countries in the world to see the start of a brand new year at the stroke of midnight.
Follow The Post’s live updates for photos and video from across the globe as revelers ring in 2025 — and in case you’re looking to bring a fun piece of trivia to your NYE get-together, the first country to celebrate a new year isn’t New Zealand like a lot of people think.
It’s the tiny island nation of Kiribati in the central Pacific Ocean.
New Year's Eve Revelers Get Drenched in Times Square Waiting for the Ball Drop amid the Rain — with No Umbrellas Allowed!
Not even a thunderstorm could stop the New Year's Eve partiers in Times Square from waiting out the ball drop.
On Tuesday, Dec. 31, thousands of people packed Times Square in New York City to send off 2024 and ring in the New Year. However, this year's festivities have proven to be a wet affair.
Earlier in the day, meteorologists predicted a rainy New Year's Eve, and their forecasts proved to be correct as rain poured down on attendees. Thunder could even be heard on broadcasts of the festivities, including CNN's New Year's Eve with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen and ABC's Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest.
According to CBS News New York, an estimated 1 million people have packed into Times Square, and they're not letting the weather get them down — even though no umbrellas were allowed into the festivities. The local channel's meteorologist, Vanessa Murdock, gave an update around 10:00 p.m. local time noting that New York City was experiencing lightning, wind and heavy rain with chilly 45-degree weather.
Despite the rain, the party has continued with performances from the Jonas Brothers, Megan Moroney and TLC, who performed their '90s classics "Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls" and "No Scrubs."
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Meanwhile, social media users watching from home couldn't resist commenting on the rainy event.
"Merry New Year everyone!" one person wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter). "I’m going to bed early just as the thunder, lightning and rain is starting…..hope the people in Times Square brought their rain ponchos."
Another person added, "It's pouring down rain in Times Square? 2024 is going out like a lion."
New York City ushers in 2022 with ball drop in Times Square
NEW YORK (AP) — New York City welcomed the new year — and bid good riddance to 2021 — as confetti and cheers spread across Times Square as a New Year’s Eve tradition returned to a city beleaguered by a global pandemic.
The new year marched across the globe, time zone by time zone, and thousands of New Year’s revelers stood shoulder to shoulder in a slight chill to witness a 6-ton ball, encrusted with nearly 2,700 Waterford crystals, descend above a crowd of about 15,000 in-person spectators — far fewer than the many tens of thousands of revelers who usually descend on the world-famous square to bask in the lights and hoopla of the nation’s marquee New Year’s Eve event.
It did so as an uneasy nation tried to muster optimism that the worst days of the pandemic are now behind it — even as public health officials cautioned Friday against unbridled celebrations amid surging COVID-19 infections from the omicron variant.
Last year’s ball drop was closed to the public because of the pandemic.
As the ball dropped and euphoria filled the streets, Maya Scharm, a dog trainer visiting from New Jersey, felt 2021 slide away.
“It’s symbolic of getting back to normal,” she said, just minutes after the stroke of midnight.
“Hopefully it’s different this year,” said her companion, Brandon Allen. “We already have that sense of stability. We know what’s going on — there’s a new strain going around now — but it’s like we’ve kind of been through it for two years at this point.”
Though the crowds were smaller, the throngs nevertheless stretched for blocks to soak in the celebration, with many traveling from afar to take part. Confetti lit up by electronic billboards swirled in a light wind on a mild winter night in New York City.
Mary Gonzalez stood a few feet behind a crowd, wanting to keep her distance from anyone unwittingly carrying the virus.
“I’m happy that 2021 is over because it caused a lot of problems for everybody,” said Gonzalez, who was visiting from Mexico City and wanted to take in an American tradition. “We hope that 2022 is much better than this year.”
The annual ball drop took place as the clock ticked into midnight and ushered in the new year, an occasion usually commemorated with the uncorking of Champagne, clinking of pints, joyous embraces and renewed hope for better times ahead.
Times Square is often referred to as the crossroads of the world, and city officials insisted on holding the marquee New Year’s Eve event to demonstrate the city’s resiliency even amid a resurgence of the coronavirus.
But 2022 begins just as the year prior began — with the pandemic clouding an already uncertain future.
Doubts swirled about whether the city would have to cancel this year’s bash, as the city posted record numbers of COVID-19 cases in the days leading to it, even as some cities like Atlanta had decided to cancel their own celebrations.
COVID-19 cases in the U.S. have soared to their highest levels on record at over 265,000 per day on average. New York City reported a record number of new, confirmed cases — nearly 44,000 — on Wednesday and a similar number Thursday, according to New York state figures.
Officials required those attending the spectacle would have to wear masks and show proof of vaccination. Organizers had initially hoped that more than 50,000 revelers would be able to join in, but plans were dramatically scaled back because of widespread infections.
Rap artist and actor LL Cool J was supposed to be among the performers taking the stage in Times Square on Friday night, but announced he would pull out of the event because he had tested positive for COVID-19.
But Mayor Bill de Blasio, who relinquished oversight of the nation’s most populous city at the stroke of midnight, said the festivities at Times Square would “show the world that New York City is fighting our way through this.”
New York City’s incoming mayor, Eric Adams, took his oath in Times Square soon after the ball drop. He made a brief appearance earlier on the main stage to affirm the city’s resiliency.
“It’s just great when New York shows the entire country how we come back,” he said. “We showed the entire globe what we’re made of. We’re unbelievable. This is an unbelievable city and, trust me, we’re ready for a major comeback because this is New York.”
That hopeful sentiment was shared by ordinary people.
“I look back and I see it as a sort of a stressful year, but it wasn’t a terrible year,” said Lynn Cafarchio, who braved the crowds to attend the festivities with her husband Pete.
A New York City tour guide, she was unemployed for a spell as the economy was shuttered and tourism tanked.
“We’re standing here glad that 2021 will soon be over,” she said, “but really positive about next year.”
Even if the crowds were considerably smaller, people gathered across block after block to witness the ball drop.
Nursing student Ashley Ochoa and her boyfriend, Jose Avelar, traveled from the central valley of California specifically to be at Times Square.
“COVID did hold a lot of stuff back for me,” Ochoa said, “but I mean, I’m here today, so that’s what I’m thankful for.”
