New Yorkers will ring in the New Year along with a million people who braved forecast rain to gather in Times Square and watch the iconic ball drop.
The festivities were well underway on Tuesday, ahead of the midnight fireworks display.
The iconic current New Year’s Eve ball falls for the final time tonight before being withdrawn to the museum at the newly restored One Times Square and replaced.
A total of 3,000 pounds of confetti rained down on revelers as the clock struck midnight with messages of hope, love, good health and peace for the year ahead.
Additional safety measures were put in place across the city to reassure tourists and locals that it was safe to attend celebrations.
Specialist units man roofs and hotels, while bomb-sniffing dogs roam and helicopter and drone teams watch from the air.
Designated pickpockets also patrol the Times Square area, doubling down on crowd control.
New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said New Yorkers can rest easy knowing there are no specific threats or concerns related to tonight’s event, although the department has been in action since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October. operates in a ‘heightened threat environment’. 7, 2023.
New Yorkers ring in the New Year along with a million people who braved the rain to go to Times Square and watch the iconic ball drop
People from all over the world traveled to party together at the iconic street venue, waiting patiently in the drizzle as they prepared for a long night of entertainment
Revelers were seen between the barricades donning their New Year’s attire, including glittery hats and waterproof ponchos.
As crowds gather in Times Square, spectators are warned not to grab their umbrellas despite rain being forecast.
AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Duff said crowds should expect to be soaked if they are out in the elements.
“The rain will be heavy at times and people standing in Times Square will get soaked in the evening.”
People from all over the world traveled to party together at the iconic street venue, waiting patiently in the drizzle as they prepared for a long night of entertainment.
Revelers were seen between the barricades donning their New Year’s best, including top hats and waterproof ponchos.
ABC’s ‘Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’ lineup features live performances from Rita Ora, the Jonas Brothers, Megan Moroney, Mark Ambor, TLC, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Carrie Underwood.
But before the clock strikes twelve, New York will celebrate its 400th anniversary.
The Times Square ball drop tradition began in 1907 and is a must-do bucket list item for people around the world, who flock to see the spectacle.
The event will attract around a million people in 2025, with more than a billion people watching at home.
ABC’s ‘Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’ lineup features live performances from Rita Ora, the Jonas Brothers, Megan Moroney, Mark Ambor, TLC, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Carrie Underwood
Additional safety measures were put in place across the city to reassure tourists and locals that it was safe to attend celebrations.
The event will attract around a million people in 2025, with more than a billion people watching at home
But before the clock strikes twelve, New York will celebrate its 400th anniversary
The ball drop marks the end of 2024; a year of highs and lows all over the world.
In 2024, the Paris Olympics united the world in July and August.
Athletes swam in the Seine, raced in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower and rode horses across the manicured lawns outside the Palace of Versailles.
Taylor Swift dropped the curtain on her Eras tour this year, pygmy hippo Moo Deng went viral and two astronauts were sent into space on Boeing’s Starliner – where they remain due to technical problems.
It was a global year of elections, with countless millions of people in more than sixty countries going to the polls.
Vladimir Putin prevailed in a Russian vote widely dismissed as a sham, while a student uprising in Bangladesh toppled the ruling prime minister.
However, no vote has been as closely watched as the November 5 election, which will soon see Donald Trump back in the White House.
Countries all over the world have already had their fireworks shows and celebrated the new year.
SYDNEY: Fireworks illuminate the midnight sky over Sydney Harbor Bridge and Sydney Opera House during New Year’s Day 2025 celebrations in Sydney on January 1, 2025
PARIS: Fireworks light up the sky around the L’Arc de Triomphe on the Avenue des Champs-Elysees in Paris early January 1, 2025
HONG KONG: Fireworks light up the midnight sky over Victoria Harbor during New Year’s Day celebrations 2025 in Hong Kong on January 1, 2025
More than a million people gathered in the Sydney Harbor area to watch around nine tonnes of fireworks being shot off from the famous Opera House and Harbor Bridge.
In South Korea, celebrations were quieter after the country was rocked in recent days by political unrest and the Jeju Air plane tragedy, with a moment of silence held for the 179 victims.
With Seoul’s famous Lotte Tower countdown called off and celebrations cancelled, the new year’s milestone was marked by somber crowds watching the traditional Bosingak bell being rung, without the performances that usually accompanied it.
In Japan, crowds gathered at Tokudai-ji in Tokyo to offer their prayers for the new year and participate in the annual ringing of the bells to mark the start of the new year.
The first place to ring in the New Year was Christmas Island, officially known as Kiritimati, home to more than 7,000 people and the farthest time zone in the world.
The island, which is part of the small country of Kiribati, was followed shortly afterwards by Tonga, Somoa and New Zealand’s Chatham Islands.
Chinese state media reported an exchange of New Year greetings between leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, a reminder of the growing closeness between the leaders facing tensions with the West.
TOKYO: Projections illuminate the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building to ring in the new year
DUBAI: Fireworks explode over the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, during New Year’s celebrations in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, January 1, 2025
EGYPT: Fireworks spark over the historic site of the Pyramids of Giza, just outside Cairo
Xi told Putin that their countries “will always move forward hand in hand,” according to the official Xinhua news agency.
China celebrated with an incredible drone show featuring a dragon twisting and turning across the night sky.
In India, thousands of revelers in Mumbai’s financial center flocked to the city’s bustling boulevard overlooking the Arabian Sea. In Sri Lanka, people gathered at Buddhist temples to light oil lamps and incense sticks and pray.
In Dubai, thousands of people attended a fireworks show at the Burj Khalifa, the tallest skyscraper in the world. And in Nairobi, Kenya, scattered fireworks sounded as midnight approached.