Sting and Christina Aguilera are among those set to perform in New York City’s Time Square for its new year celebrations.
Aguilera will serve as the night’s headliner, marking her first return to the Times Square stage since 2007. She’ll be joined by Bastille, Dan + Shay and New Kids On The Block as part of ABC’s long-running programme Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest (8pm to 2am EST), hosted this year by Seacrest and Jenny McCarthy.
On the West Coast, Ciara will host a series of performances by the likes of Shawn Mendes, Dua Lipa, Camila Cabello, Charlie Puth, Halsey, Bazzi, Ella Mai, Foster the People, and Weezer.
Meanwhile, NBC’s New Year’s Eve coverage (10pm to 12.30am ET/PT) will see Carson Daly, Chrissy Teigen, and Leslie Jones host live from Times Square, with a performance from Bebe Rexha just before midnight. Jennifer Lopez, Diana Ross, Kelly Clarkson, Andy Grammer, and John Legend will also all perform in Los Angeles.
Maria Menounos and Steve Harvey will host Fox’s New Year’s Eve celebrations (8pm to 12.30am EST) with performances from Sting, Robin Thicke, Florence + the Machine, Jason Aldean, Juanes and Why Don’t We.
CNN’s New Years Eve Live With Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen (8pm. to 1:05am EST) will feature a performance from Gwen Stefani in Las Vegas.
Last year’s Times Square event was one of the coldest on record at -12 degrees Celsius, although this year is expected to see mild temperatures and possible rain. Umbrellas, however, are banned for security reasons.
Official programming begins in Times Square at 6pm, with the lighting and raising of the New Year’s Eve Ball up a pole atop One Times Square. The Sino-American Friendship Association will flip the giant switch that lights the ball before presenting a Chinese cultural performance culminating in red and gold pyrotechnics.
The ball drops during the midnight countdown. This year, the ball is a 12-foot (3.5-meter) diameter geodesic sphere covered with 2,688 Waterford crystal triangles lit by 32,256 LEDs. The numerals “2019” will burst into light at midnight accompanied by pyrotechnics and the release of 3,000 pounds of confetti.
Mixed in with the confetti will be tens of thousands of wishes from around the world. People can write their wishes on pieces of confetti posted on a mobile “wishing wall” in Manhattan or submit them online. Some of the wishes will be read onstage throughout the evening.
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