NEW YORK CITY (WABC) — Thousands of people braved frigid temperatures in Times Square to celebrate and witness the dropping of the ball at midnight to welcome 2026!
Revelers wearing tall celebratory hats and light-up necklaces had waited for hours to see the 12,350-pound (5,602-kilograms) ball drop. The festivities also included Tones and I performing John Lennon’s “Imagine.”
Visitors came from places such as Florida, Mexico and South Korea.
Police in the city had planned additional anti-terrorism measures at the ball drop, with “mobile screening teams.” It was not in response to a specific threat, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
The Ball Drop tradition dates to 1904, with the first ball dropped in 1907. Built by a young immigrant metalworker named Jacob Starr, the 700-pound (318-kilogram), 5-foot- (1.5-meter) diameter ball was made of iron and wood and featured 100 25-watt light bulbs.
The only years when no ball drop occurred were 1942 and 1943, when the city instituted a nightly “dimout” during World War II to protect itself from attacks. Crowds instead celebrated the new year with a moment of silence followed by chimes rung from the base of One Times Square.
Over one ton of confetti was also released at midnight. The biodegradable confetti included personal wishes submitted by people around the world.
This year, the stroke of midnight also marked the official launch of America Gives, a national service initiative created by America250. Organizers hope to make 2026 the largest year of volunteer hours ever aggregated in the country.
After the ball dropped, it rose again, sparkling in red, white and blue, to mark the country’s upcoming 250th birthday.
At approximately 12:04 a.m. EST, the Times Square Ball was relit in a red, white, and blue America250 design and rose above the illuminated “2026” numerals. The moment included a new video “America Turns 250,” a first-ever post-midnight release of 2,000 pounds of red, white, and blue confetti, and a dynamic pyro finale set to Ray Charles’ rendition of “America the Beautiful.”
Also just after midnight and a few miles away, Zohran Mamdani became mayor of New York City after taking the oath of office at an historic, decommissioned subway station in Manhattan.
Mamdani, a Democrat, was sworn in as the first Muslim leader of America’s biggest city, placing his hand on a Quran as he took his oath.
America250 to Return to Times Square on July 3, 2026 for Fourth of July Ball Drop
The Times Square Ball will drop again on July 3, 2026, marking the first time in history the Ball drops outside of New Year’s Eve. The Fourth of July countdown moment will anchor America250’s nationwide Independence Day celebrations and reinforce New York City’s central role in the nation’s Semiquincentennial.
It will mark the first time in 120 years there will be ball drop in Times Square that doesn’t occur on New Year’s Eve.
America250 is the nonpartisan organization charged by Congress to lead the celebration of the 250th year of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
In 2016, Congress authorized America250, also known as the United States Semiquincentennial Commission, “to provide for the observance and commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and related events through local, State, national, and international activities planned, encouraged, developed, and coordinated by a national commission representative of appropriate public and private authorities and organizations.”
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