For 104 years, Times Square has been the center of worldwide attention on New Year's Eve, ever since the owners of One Times Square began in 1904 to conduct 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.
Schedule
The Revelers
4:00 PM
Revelers start arriving late in the afternoon on New Year's Eve. By approximately 4:00 p.m., 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, the 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.
Lighting and Raising the Times Square New Year's Eve Ball
6:00 PM to 6:03 PM
The celebration begins with the Philips Lighting Company lighting and raising of the New Year's Eve Ball atop One Times Square. Raoul de Molina and Angelica Vale along with a representative of the Philips Lighting Company will flip the giant Switch which lights the New Year's Eve Ball and begins its ascent accompanied by special pyrotechnic effects atop One Times Square.
Countdown Stage - Musical Performance TBD
6:04 PM to 6:19 PM
The Times Square New Year's Celebration gets started with a musical performance from the Countdown Stage at Duffy Island.
New Year's Eve Practice Kiss
6:45 PM to 6:47 PM
Two revelers will be featured on the NIVEA Kiss Platform at Fence Island practicing their midnight kiss.
Hourly Countdown with Carson Daly
6:58 PM to 7:01 PM
As we approach the New Year, Carson Daly will appear on the Countdown Stage to wish the Times Square revelers "Happy New Year", read some of the confetti wishes to be mixed into the confetti release at midnight, share his personal wish for the New Year and lead the revelers in counting down to the end of the hour.
Times Square 2009 Balloons, Hats, Scarves, and Pom-Poms
7:10 PM
The Times Square Alliance sanitation crews clad in bright red uniforms begin to distribute tens of thousands of fun handouts to the Times Square revelers for cheering in the New Year. Nivea is providing festive blue New Year's Eve hats and blue balloons tied with silver mylar ribbons. 3 Musketeers is providing pom-poms, confetti bags, and their delicious chocolate mini- bars. Pepsi is providing scarves to warm the revelers.
NBC's New Year's Eve with Carson Daly: Musical Performance by Ludacris
7:25 PM to 7:35 PM
Ludacris performs two songs on the Countdown Stage at Duffy Island.
New Year's Eve Practice Kiss
7:45 PM to 7:47 PM
Two revelers will be featured on the NIVEA Kiss Platform at Fence Island practicing their midnight kiss.
Hourly Countdown with Ryan Seacrest
7:58 PM to 8:01 PM
As we approach the New Year, Ryan Seacrest will appear on the Countdown Stage to wish the Times Square revelers "Happy New Year", read some of the confetti wishes to be mixed into the confetti release at midnight, share his personal wish for the New Year and lead the revelers in counting down to the end of the hour.
New Year's Eve Practice Kiss
8:45 PM to 8:47 PM
Two revelers will be featured on the NIVEA Kiss Platform on Fence Island practicing their midnight kiss.
Panasonic's Times Square Sing-Along Featuring the Liberty Belles
9:40 PM to 9:55 PM
The USO's Liberty Belles lead the annual Panasonic Sing-Along from the Countdown Stage at Duffy Island. The Times Square revelers will join the Liberty Belles singing classic songs.
Hourly Countdown with Anderson Cooper
9:58 PM to 10:01 PM
As we approach the New Year, Anderson Cooper will appear on the Countdown Stage to wish the Times Square revelers "Happy New Year", read some of the confetti wishes to be mixed into the confetti release at midnight, share his personal wish for the New Year and lead the revelers in counting down to the end of the hour.
ABC's Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve: Musical Performance by Taylor Swift
10:12 PM to 10:18 PM
Taylor Swift performs on the Countdown Stage at Duffy Island.
ABC's Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve: Musical Performance by Lionel Richie
10:47 PM to 10:54 PM
Lionel Richie performs on the Countdown Stage at Duffy Island.
Hourly Countdown with Raul de Molina
10:58 PM to 11:01 PM
As we approach the New Year, Raul de Molina will appear on the Countdown Stage to wish the Times Square revelers "Happy New Year", read some of the confetti wishes to be mixed into the confetti release at midnight, share his personal wish for the New Year and lead the revelers in counting down to the end of the hour.
New Year's Eve Practice Kiss
11:15 PM to 11:17 PM
Two revelers will be featured on the NIVEA Kiss Platform practicing their midnight kiss.
ABC's Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve: Musical Performance by Jonas Brothers
11:42 PM to 11:48 PM
Jonas Brothers perform a hit medley on the Countdown Stage at Duffy Island.
The Sixty-Second Countdown
11:59 PM
The Times Square 2009 Special Guest and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg 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 atop the Countdown Stage at Duffy Island, the center island on Broadway between 46th and 47th Streets.
Pepsi Balloon Release
Balloons featuring the words JOY, HOPE, and 2009 will gently drift down on the revelers below as they countdown the final seconds to the New Year.
The New Times Square New Year's Eve Ball
The lighted Ball descends __ feet in sixty seconds. The Ball is a geodesic sphere, twelve feet in diameter, weighing 11,875 pounds. The Ball is covered with 2668 Waterford crystal triangles and lit by 32,256 Philips Luxeon Rebel LEDs.
2009 Sign
12:00 AM -- New Year's Day
At the stroke of Midnight, the lights on the New Year's Eve Ball are turned off as the numerals of the New Year "2009" 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 ethereal Tribute in Light memorial was designed to help lessen the aching loss felt across the country since 9/11. It is a profound symbol of strength, hope and resiliency.
The New Yankee Stadium
New Yankee Stadium is the working title for a new stadium for the New York Yankees, currently under construction. It will open in 2009, replacing the third-oldest stadium in the Major Leagues.
The Bronx
In popular culture 'The Bronx' has often symbolized violence, decay, and urban ruin. In fact, there are guidebooks that say you must never go to the Bronx! Sheer ignorance, that is all we have to say! Interactive Bronx map
Interactive Bronx map
