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New Year’s Eve in New York: What to Do, See and Eat
Whether you brave Times Square, pop into a drag show or snuggle up in a heated igloo, we have you covered for this year’s countdown.
New Year’s Eve is right around the corner, which means now is the time to start planning your day (and night and the next morning). From oddball classes to inspirational concerts, splashy parties to silent hikes, here are a few ways to ring in 2025 around New York City.
The Ball Drop
If Times Square is your destination, visit the Times Square Alliance website for a primer on how to make the most of the chaos. If the couch is where you’ll hang, the Alliance offers a free live webcast starting at 6 p.m.; you can also stream the festivities at TimesSquareBall.net.
Old-school television works too. Choose from “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest,” with performances by Carrie Underwood and Lenny Kravitz (8 p.m. on ABC), or CNN’s New Year’s Eve show hosted by Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen, featuring music by 50 Cent, Sting, Meghan Trainor and others.
This month Mayor Eric Adams lifted the temporary citywide ban on fireworks following recent rainfall in the five boroughs, but it still won’t be fireworks as usual. Organizers of annual festivities at Prospect Park in Brooklyn are planning a light show that includes illuminated drones. New York Road Runners still plans to hold its annual Midnight Run in Central Park with a small drone show instead of fireworks, pending a permit.
Song and Dance
For its 40th anniversary, the New Year’s Eve Concert for Peace at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Manhattan will feature a 7 p.m. performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony by the Cathedral Choirs and Orchestra, commemorating the 200th anniversary of the piece’s premiere. The soprano Angel Blue takes on Verdi’s “Aida” at 6:30 p.m. at the Metropolitan Opera.
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