Times Square New Year's Eve Ball Drop
The Times Square ball drop is the anchor of New Year's Eve in New York City, and it is still free and open to the public. Viewing areas fill from the afternoon along Broadway and Seventh Avenue, with the crowd funneled into pens by the NYPD from side streets — once you are in a pen you cannot leave and return, and there are no public restrooms inside. Expect a long wait outdoors in winter weather in exchange for watching the Waterford crystal ball descend at midnight in person. The entertainment lineup for the 2026 broadcast has not been announced yet. We will add performers here only once the organizers confirm them. If standing for hours is not your plan, the surrounding blocks of Midtown hold hotel parties, rooftop events and restaurant countdowns that all sell separately.