For the first time in 114 years, there will be no crowd in Times Square to cheer the famed New Year’s Eve ball drop.
In the latest COVID-19-induced blow to Big Apple traditions, officials announced major changes to the annual event Wednesday — saying that while the ball will still drop, the usual packed celebration will be a no-go
“One thing that will never change is the ticking of time and the arrival of a New Year at midnight on December 31st,” said Tim Tompkins, the president of the Times Square Alliance, in a news release.
Tompkins added to The Post that Times Square will be cordoned off from the general public by the NYPD and any event taking place inside the tourist hub will be for “broadcast purposes only.”
“There will be some socially distanced activities in Times square but it’s going to be primarily for a broadcast and streaming audience,” Tompkins said.
“There will be a very finite number of people in Times Square to sort of make that happen for the broadcast purposes but there’s not going to be crowds of the general public.”
It’s yet to be decided what live events will take place. The news release states there will be “an extremely limited group of in-person honorees, socially distanced, who will reflect the themes, challenges and inspirations of 2020.”
Fans of the event will have to tune in from home.
“More than ever in these divided and fear-filled times, the world desperately needs to come together symbolically and virtually to celebrate the people and things we love and to look forward with a sense of renewal and new beginnings,” Tompkins said.
Jamestown, the owner of One Times Square where the ball has dropped since 1907, has built a “virtual world of Times Square” along with a free app that’ll broadcast whatever celebrations end up happening and the iconic drop.
“We will miss everyone this year but we will bring our celebration to you, whether you want to turn off and turn away from the bad news of 2020, or turn to the new year with a sense of hope, renewal and resolution, you’ll be able to join us virtually like never before as part of the Times Square 2021 celebration,” said Jeff Strauss, the President of Countdown Entertainment, which co-produces the event alongside the Alliance.
The digital drop will include a celebration “of the best of the human spirit” that includes essential workers, first responders, doctors and scientists. The usual “emerging and established entertainers, musicians and artists” will also be part of the event.
Mayor Bill de Blasio commended the organizers for creating “a safe, creative and innovative way for all of us to continue to celebrate this century old-tradition.”
“A new year means a fresh start, and we’re excited to celebrate,” he said.
Credit: NY Post
If there ever was a time to welcome and celebrate a new year coming in, it’s this one. Can’t wait to say good bye to 2020.
Tom Crowell I sure hope 2021 is better but not so sure it will be
Kathy Ryan Neumann my thoughts exactly
Tom Crowell please tell me what a year difference will make? nothing will change COVID isn’t going away when the ball drops. 2021 will just start to suck Jan 1 not March
Lisa DeCarlo Kerr very sad but I am thinking the end of 2021. I do hope I am wrong
Good luck with that!
Enough vote these assholes out
Bahaha people will still show up. Protest are ok? Riots are ok. Fuck outta here.
Jessica Lynn Boccelli if you don’t know the difference between a protest ( a Constitutional right) and a riot ( illegal), you’re in no position to complain before taking a civics class.
I think she knows but they have become one in the same unfortunately.
Riots
Protests
Watching the ball drop
> All stupid things to do during a pandemic !
Maryann Madden I’m pretty sure we all know the difference. ????
Maryann Madden did she say anything about there not being a difference? Point is people being allowed to assemble for protests or riots but not celebration is a clear double standard. Also you might want to tell the democrats because they are funding rioters bail and getting them often released without charges
Maryann Madden rioting might be illegal but who is actually stopping it? Police hands are tied. If anyone is arrested they are released.
Jason Disbrow age lumped them together. Good enough. One is legally enforceable. The other is not. A celebration is not constitutionally protected. Right or wrong- that’s how it works.
Maryann Madden first amendment says ‘right to peaceably assemble’ doesn’t say it has to be a protest. But whatever they can all go and protest the fact that it was cancelled…now it’s a protest. Tbh though standing around for 12hrs in the bitter cold surrounded by people several who probably had to relieve or soil their adult diaper listening to crappy pop music isn’t my idea of fun in the first place.
Jason Disbrow have you ever seen it peaceful waiting for the ball to drop, with people 1000’s deep in all directions. Kinda defeats the purpose.
Additionally- the amount of PD and FDNY that have to be paid before, to secure the area, during, to protect the area, and sanitation- to clean up the area….Their ranks were hit hard back in early spring with the virus. Many were exposed and sickened. I honestly don’t think it’s worth the risk to spread it in close quarters like that, then have people take it home to where ever. It’s not like it’s only NYers. People gather there from all over. It’s reckless to expose the population, the first responders and clean up people. And the money spent on COVID care and PPE this year is astronomical. It’s not justified.
( not my idea of a fun time either).
Delisse Figueroa
Guess they have decided to keep us under there hilter ways, no social life unless they say so. Corrupt, they need to re paint f###$$ cumno and deblasio on the road again. And again and again all over the city of New york.
NO ONE in their right mind would have went to NYC under these two communists it is one of the most UNSAFE CITIES in the country… There is NO WAY the people would have been safe !
Linda Karen I can see it now. Riots happening during the live. Can’t stand the tyranny in the tri state smdh. So sorry I live here.
This doesn’t surprise me!
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!
Who cares, we don’t need that ball to fall! cancel it all together
Oh wow
We might have a vaccine by them so what are they gonna do then we gonna redo it I think you just taken it too far man we should be about to welcome the New Year in the way we have for a 100 plus years
If we do. I suggest everyone in the white house takes it first, and all of congress. But they have to pick a different person each time off the streets, each time a shot is to be given. And the person that gives the shot, also take the shot from the same vile. Cause I don’t trust them
People r still gonna go. Unfortunately thats not gonna stop them.
Unbelievable!!! Seriously this has been a tradition for so long!!! ????????????????????
Next the tree lighting will be cancelled..fast forward to 2021????????????????
GTFO SMH BULLSHIT
why would anyone be there at night anyway? bunch of thugs
O, yay virtual…said no one ever
Who cares ?
Only a moron or well armed person would go anyway.
Which are you ?
U mean on tv like I watch every year
Nicholas DeStefano exactly!!
Danielle Nicole ????
YALL ARE PATHETIC???????? y’all really think your guna stop New Years yeah okay goodluck!!! Protest this shit enough is enough!! We’re all sick of the mask sick of y’all controlling us Americans!!!
Marlene A Marques
Alyson McManus we should protest and go ????
So if Biden wins the virus will go away if not oh well another year of stay at home
Rosemary Tuscano what are you trying so hard to say? English please????
Donna Fusilli Hack Trump wins and the virus stays according to Democrats but ud Democrats win the virus will go away
Rosemary Tuscano got it. Agree
Rosemary Tuscano No it’ll just go away like a miracle
Donald Trump should
D
Donald Trump should move to another city
How about Seattle San Francisco or Portland
Rosemary Tuscano Maybe you should head over to those Cities and get the skinny on the well behaved democratic people. Sound good??
Frank Cameron Jr I meant they should have new years Eve there since NYC is going down tubes too
Yeah okay ????
I’ll celebrate even more when this year is over, it has just been horrible
Horrible.
Its virtual for us every year lol I’d never stand in Times Square in a diaper to see an underwhelming ball slide down a pole. ????
lmao ???????????? I say this every year! You’d never get me there unless I had a diaper ????????
Marissa Dragotti Krystal Lynn Frank Cameron Jr
???? Lol
New York city is pathetic lol
I just don’t see how they’re going to keep the people out of there
Merle Joy Sell-Mariano nothing to see except some of the very best of their 36,000 cops
Don’t bother !
Roseann Martinez
Kyle Martinez
Tyler Martinez
Alexa Aguiar I can’t!!!
Remember next year to boycott it
THIS IS SUCH BULLSHIT..
Ridiculous….
A long standing tradition shot to shit……
And its on the telly
What??
Was also suggested that Halloween be virtual. How the heck would that work???
And virtual NYE is like watching it at home on a tv.
NOT the same.
This has nothing to do with Carona, and everything to do with preventing large crowds gathering, drinking, etc while BLM protesters are running amuck. They don’t want NYC burning down.
That’s a bummer
Vera Arthurs
Just call it a protest.
Couldn’t pay me to travel to that shit hole
This has got to stop
If we all stopped playing into this, it would go away… how much longer are people going to wear masks while walking alone in the park or driving? So over this bs.
How ridiculous
Wrong. It will be filled with rioters and looters.
Dustin Heath Thomas Pritts looks like we will have to create our own ball drop
Matthew Ryan Chilcutt
Matthew Ryan Chilcutt
I could care less about the ball drop
Cindy Marie
There will be people in the streets in NYC on New Year’s Eve … the rioters who will use the falling ball as a reason to hold another “peaceful” protest. ????
Andrea Cottone Marsello “Protesting” is allowed during COVID! ????????????
Dave Frick We will see either a list of true New Year’s Eve revelers carrying protest signs or malcontents using the falling ball as an excuse to riot … maybe even try to destroy the ball set up … get rid of another ‘memorial/statue’
I never saw the fun in standing freezing to death with a full bladder completely sober when I could stay home and enjoy the night much better.
Yea, ok…