The Times Square ball is ready to welcome visitors
A new viewing platform at One Times Square offers a fresh look at the crossroads of the world and lets visitors get up close to the famous ball.
The ball is ready to drop, and New York City’s Times Square is all set to welcome guests from far and wide for its New Year’s Eve celebrations to bid 2025 goodbye and welcome the new year with aplomb.
The iconic venue is ready for the celebrations after organizers tested the new and updated Constellation Ball, described as the “centerpiece” of the annual countdown celebration and “a universal symbol of the New Year,” at Times Square on Dec. 30. With 5,280 Waterford crystals and LED light pucks, the ball features nearly double the number of crystals as the previous ball, according to a One Times Square news release.
The ball drop tradition at Times Square began in 1907, though New Year’s Eve celebrations at the venue were first held in 1904.
“This proud tradition is now a universal symbol of the New Year,” Times Square says on its website. About 3,000 pounds of confetti with people’s wishes for the new year will also be dropped to celebrate the occasion.
While thousands gather to watch the massive shimmering ball make its 60-second descent down the flagpole and count down to the New Year at midnight, millions of others tune into the celebrations live from wherever they are.
Here’s what to know about the annual Times Square tradition and how to watch the celebrations on CNN and streaming.
How to watch and stream CNN’s 2026 New Year’s Eve special with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen
Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen will return for the ninth consecutive year as co-hosts of CNN’s “New Year’s Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen.” They will host the show live from Times Square, guiding “viewers into 2026 with an evening filled with music, laughter, and live coverage of celebrations from around the world,” according to a news release.
The show will begin at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Dec. 31, and will stream exclusively on CNN’s new streaming subscription platform, available to subscribers at CNN.com/AllAccess, and on CNN’s mobile app and connected TV apps on Smart TVs, according to the channel.
CNN reporters will also provide live coverage of the celebration throughout the night, with Richard Quest reporting live from the crowds in Times Square, Randi Kaye reporting from New Orleans, Louisiana, Stephanie Elam from Atlantis, Paradise Island in the Bahamas, Isabel Rosales from Greater Lauderdale, Florida, and Harry Enten from Prescott, Arizona.
What time is the 2026 ball drop?
The Times Square New Year’s Eve celebrations will kick off at 6 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Dec. 31, and the New Year’s Eve ball will be raised to the top of the pole at One Times Square. At exactly 11:59 p.m. ET, the ball will make its 60-second descent down the flagpole to signal the start of the new year.
This year’s Constellation Ball is the ninth iteration of the ball since its debut in 1907 and the largest one yet, measuring 12.5 feet in diameter and weighing 12,350 pounds, according to a One Times Square news release. Organizers said the ball also “features new modernized technology, with state-of-the-art lighting, motion, and control system, as well as a new signature sound and interactive capabilities.”
This year, the ball is also expected to mark America’s 250th anniversary. America250 announced on Dec. 27 the “surprise second post-midnight moment” and said the ball will be relit with an America250 design, rising above the illuminated “2026” numerals at approximately 12:04 a.m. ET.
Who is performing on New Year’s Eve on CNN?
Guests on CNN include Stephen Colbert, Florence + The Machine, RAYE, Oz Perlman, Amy Sedaris, Brandi Carlile, Aloe Blacc, Patti LaBelle, songwriter Michelle Williams, Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O’Connell, B.J. Novak, Leanne Morgan and Sarah Sherman, among others, with Robyn performing live at Times Square.
Brandy and Monica from The BPC (Black Promoters Collective) The Boy Is Mine Tour and Bryan Adams, meanwhile, will perform live from Madison Square Garden in NYC. Shakira will ring in the new year from Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
At Times Square, Jenn O’Hagan will perform the National Anthem followed by musical performances through the night including by B.o.B at 6:30 p.m. ET, Tones and I at 11:55 p.m., and a dance performance by New York dance group AGNEW at 8:41 p.m., Times Square said.
How to watch 2026 Times Square ball drop
While multiple broadcasters will be airing the New Year’s Eve celebrations live on their TV channels and streaming platforms audiences can also catch the live webcast on Times Square’s official website starting 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 31.
“Enjoy commercial-free, webcast coverage of the festivities leading up to the Ball Drop at midnight, including backstage access, behind-the-scenes stories and interviews with performers and other celebrities,” Times Square says on their website.
A livestream with open captions and American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will also be available on YouTube.
USA TODAY will also be streaming the New Year’s Eve celebrations from Times Square live.
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
