Celebrating New Year's Eve in Times Square - See the Complete Schedule!

By: Dec. 31, 2012
Enter Your Email to Unlock This Article

Plus, get the best of BroadwayWorld delivered to your inbox, and unlimited access to our editorial content across the globe.




Existing user? Just click login.

The most famous New Year's Eve celebration nationwide is in Times Square tonight. See the complete schedule below:

3:00 PM
The Revelers
Revelers start arriving late in the afternoon on New Year's Eve. By approximately 3:00 PM., the Bowtie 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.

6:00 PM to 6:03 PM
Lighting and Raising the Times Square New Year's Eve Ball
The celebration begins with the lighting and raising of the New Year's Eve Ball atop One Times Square. The Event Organizers will be joined by representatives of the Philips Lighting Company to 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.

6:03 PM to 6:13 PM
Opening Ceremonies - Chinese Cultural Performance, Panda Dance
The Sino-American Friendship Association ("SAFA") presents a spectacular Chinese cultural performance, the Panda Dance to begin the Times Square New Year's Eve celebration and bring us good luck in the New Year. The performance is on the Nivea Countdown Stage at Duffy Island between 46th and 47th Streets. The Panda Dance will conclude with red and gold pyrotechnic effects atop One Times Square.

6:14 PM to 6:17 PM
Times Square Ball App - Livestream, Photo Contest and Webcast Correspondents -- Our host, Allison Hagendorf, introduces the Official Times Square Ball App and the ability for everyone to have a front row seat at the celebration by watching the official webcast on their mobile device; and, the opportunity for users of the app to get their photo on the giant Toshiba Vision Screen atop One Times Square directly below the New Year's Eve Ball. Allison will be joined by our Webcast Correspondents Michael Abbot and Nicole Ryan who will be on the street bringing us the emotional, spiritual and just good ole fun stories of the people who make the pilgrimage from around the world to be at the Crossroads of the World on December 31st.

6:20 PM
Times Square 2013 Hats, Balloons and Scarves
The Times Square Alliance sanitation crew clad in bright red uniforms begins 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 along with useful Nivea Lip Care product to keep our lips looking and feeling beautiful for that magical kiss at midnight. The Sino-American Friendship Association is providing beautiful red scarves to keep us warm through the night.

6:52 PM to 6:55 PM
Nivea Vignette
Mario and Courtney Lopez share their love story on the Nivea Kiss Stage at Turn Lane Island between 45th and 46th Streets.

6:57 PM to 7:00 PM
Hourly Countdown with Carson Daly
As we approach the New Year, Carson Daly will appear at the Nivea Countdown Stage to wish the Times Square revelers "Happy New Year"; and lead the ten second countdown to the 7 o'clock hour accompanied by colorful pyrotechnic effects atop One Times Square. Carson will also read some of the Confetti Wishes to be mixed into the confetti release at midnight and share his wish for the New Year.

7:18 PM to 7:28 PM
NBC's "New Year's Eve with Carson Daly": Musical Performance by Train
Train performs their new single Mermaid on the Nivea Kiss Stage.

7:57 PM to 8:00 PM
Hourly Countdown with Megyn Kelly & Bill Hemmer
As we approach the New Year, Megyn Kelly and Bill Hemmer will appear at the Nivea Countdown Stage to wish the Times Square revelers "Happy New Year"; and lead the ten second countdown to the 8 o'clock hour accompanied by colorful pyrotechnic effects atop One Times Square. Megyn and Bill will also read some of the Confetti Wishes to be mixed into the confetti release at midnight and share their wishes for the New Year.

8:12 PM to 8:17 PM
NBC's "New Year's Eve with Carson Daly": Musical Performance by Cassadee Pope / Cassadee Pope, recent winner of "The Voice", performs on the Nivea Kiss Stage.

8:34 PM to 8:40 PM
ABC's "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve": Musical Performance by Neon Trees -- Neon Trees performs a medley of their hit songs Animal, Lessons In Love and Everybody Talks on the Nivea Countdown Stage.

8:47 PM to 8:50 PM
Toshiba Executives introduce campaign "Helping the Helpers"
Representatives from Toshiba introduce their national campaign where nonprofit charities submit video entries to have the opportunity to win a Toshiba technology makeover.

8:52 PM to 8:55 PM
Nivea Vignette
Mario & Courtney Lopez present the winning couple of Nivea's #KissoftheYear contest on the Nivea Kiss Stage.

8:57 PM to 9:00 PM
Hourly Countdown with Anderson Cooper
As we approach the New Year, Anderson Cooper will appear at the Nivea Countdown Stage to wish the Times Square revelers "Happy New Year"; and lead the ten second countdown to the 9 o'clock hour accompanied by colorful pyrotechnic effects atop One Times Square. Anderson will also read some of the Confetti Wishes to be mixed into the confetti release at midnight and share his wish for the New Year.

9:15 PM to 9:25 PM
FNC's "All American New Year": Musical Performance by "Million Dollar Quartet" Cast -- The cast of the hit musical "Million Dollar Quartet" performs Blue Suede Shoes, Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On and Hound Dog on the Nivea Kiss Stage.

9:35 PM to 9:41 PM
ABC's "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve": Musical Performance by Carly Rae Jepsen -- Carly Rae Jepsen performs a medley of her hit songs This Kiss and Call Me Maybe on the Nivea Countdown Stage.

9:46 PM to 9:49 PM
Waterford Crystal Messages of Peace Toast
Waterford Crystal Master Craftsman, Jim O'Leary will give a toast sharing personal and meaningful messages of peace from people around the world. This year, 288 new Let There Be Peace crystal triangles engraved with the image of a dove with wings spread surrounded by a burst of sunlight were installed on the Times Square New Year's Eve Ball. As we welcome the New Year, doves are universal messengers of love and peace.

9:51 PM to 9:54 PM
Nivea Vignette
Two romantic revelers will be featured on the Nivea Kiss Stage for a special midnight practice Kiss ...3..2..1.., Kiss like a billion people are watching!

9:56 PM to 10:00 PM
Hourly Countdown Surprise Guest(s)
As we approach the New Year, a surprise guest(s) will appear at the Nivea Countdown Stage to wish the Times Square revelers "Happy New Year"; and lead the ten second countdown to the 10 o'clock hour accompanied by colorful pyrotechnic effects atop One Times Square. The surprise guest(s) will also read some of the Confetti Wishes to be mixed into the confetti release at midnight and share his/her wish for the New Year.

10:02 PM to 10:10 PM
NIVEA This Kiss Contest Winner: Musical Performance by Tiffany Alvord
Tiffany Alvord, winner of Nivea's unsigned artist contest and online sensation with more than 255 million video views, performs her winning rendition of This Kiss and her original song My Heart Is on the Nivea Kiss Stage.

10:20 PM to 10:25 PM
USO's Liberty Bells Performance
The USO's Liberty Bells perform their popular A Military Salute to honor our Armed Forces on the Nivea Kiss Stage.

10:37 PM to 10:43 PM
ABC's "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve": Musical Performance by PSY
PSY performs his hit song "Gangnam Style" on the Nivea Countdown Stage.

10:46 PM to 10:51 PM
WhyHunger and Hard Rock International's IMAGINE THERE'S NO HUNGER Campaign -- In his iconic song IMAGINE, John Lennon asked all of us to picture a world free from hunger, this resolve to end hunger lives on today through the global IMAGINE THERE'S NO HUNGER campaign. Representatives of WhyHunger talk about the campaign and their mission to end hunger and poverty by connecting people to nutritious, affordable food and by supporting grassroots solutions that inspire self-reliance and community empowerment.

10:57 PM to 11:03 PM
Hourly Countdown with Raúl de Molina
As we approach the New Year, Raul de Molina will appear at the Nivea Countdown Stage to wish the Times Square revelers "Happy New Year"; and lead the ten second countdown to the 11 o'clock hour accompanied by colorful pyrotechnic effects atop One Times Square. Raul will also read some of the Confetti Wishes to be mixed into the confetti release at midnight and share his wish for the New Year.

11:03 PM to 11:12 PM
Univision's "¡Feliz 2013!: Doce Uvas, Doce Deseos": Musical Performance by Yuri -- Yuri performs two of her hit songs on the Nivea Kiss Stage.

11:15 PM to 11:20 PM
The Associated Press Presents 2012 News Reel Highlights
The Associated Press, the world's oldest and largest news gathering organization, presents a news reel highlighting some of the major events of 2012.

11:38 PM to 11:46 PM
ABC's "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve": Musical Performance by Taylor Swift -- Taylor Swift performs a medley of her hit songs I Knew You Were Trouble and We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together on the Nivea Countdown Stage.

11:56 PM to 11:59 PM
Special Performance of IMAGINE by Train
Train performs a special rendition of Imagine at the Nivea Kiss Stage just before midnight.

11:59 PM
The Sixty-Second Countdown
The Times Square 2013 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 on the Nivea Countdown Stage.

The Times Square New Year's Eve Ball
The lighted Ball descends 70 feet in sixty seconds. The Ball is a geodesic sphere, twelve feet in diameter, weighing 11,875 pounds. The Ball is covered with 2,688 Waterford crystal triangles and lit by 32,256 Philips Luxeon Rebel LEDs.

12:00 AM -- New Year's Day
2013 Sign -- At the stroke of Midnight, the lights on the New Year's Eve Ball are turned off as the numerals of the New Year "2013" 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.



Videos