New Year’s Eve in Times Square Will Look a Little Different This Year—Here’s What to Expect

The Times Square New Year’s Eve celebration is going to look a lot different than in years’ past, but the iconic ball, set to drop atop One Times Square at 11:59 p.m. ET on December 31st, will be just as sparkly—if not more so—thanks to a few new additions to the symbol of hope and new beginnings.

Yesterday, December 27th, 192 brand new Waterford crystal triangles were installed on the 12-foot sphere. The ball is paneled with a total 2,688 crystal triangles, of varying sizes, and 32,256 LED lights, and gets spruced up with new crystal triangles every year prior to the famous drop.

This year, however, the ball is getting a bigger, brighter upgrade. The 2021 crystal ball will feature a “Gift of Happiness” design, which will be represented by a sunburst of bright cuts radiating outward, as NBC New York reports.

New Year’s Eve at Times Square is best enjoyed at home this year due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which is currently spiking across the U.S. According to the official Times Square New Year’s Eve website, the annual ball drop celebration will not be open to the public this year for that reason, but there will still be socially distant performances from Gloria Gaynor, Andra Day, Jennifer Lopez, Billy Porter, and Pitbull with Jonathan Bennett playing host.

Furthermore, owner of One Times Square, Jamestown, has created a “first-of-its-kind” virtual New Year’s Eve experience that includes games, music, and art, which can all be accessed from now until the big night. Then, on December 31st, those taking part in the virtual experience can direct their own New Year’s Eve show by choosing from multiple camera feeds, and accessing celebrations from around the globe.

You can check out the full Times Square New Year’s Eve event lineup here to take part from the comfort of your own home. Hopefully, by next year, we can celebrate together again at Times Square under the glowing light of the crystal ball.