Times Square's New Year ball to drop twice this year — See the surprising twist as 2025 ends
The New Year’s Eve Ball Drop in New York City will undergo its first major redesign in over a century for 2026.
The world-famous New Year’s Eve Ball Drop in New York City is set to undergo its first major change in more than a hundred years as the city prepares to ring in 2026.
What's new this time?
For the first time in more than a century, the New Year’s Eve ball will receive a patriotic redesign to mark 2026, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States.
The ball will shine in red, white, and blue, with organizers also adding a second confetti release and other patriotic enhancements to the celebration.
Celebration at New York's Times Square
Every year, massive crowds fill Times Square to watch the illuminated ball slide down a flagpole at midnight, marking the end of one year and the start of another.
New Year's Eve Ball
The New Year’s Eve ball made its first descent in Times Square in 1907. Crafted by a young immigrant metalworker, Jacob Starr, the original ball weighed 700 pounds, measured five feet in diameter, and was constructed from iron and wood, illuminated by 100 bulbs of 25 watts each.
Last year, organisers revealed the Constellation Ball—the ninth and largest version to date—which spans roughly 12 feet in diameter and weighs nearly 12,000 pounds.
The only times the ball did not drop were in 1942 and 1943, when New York City enforced a nightly “dimout” during World War II to guard against potential attacks. Instead, crowds welcomed the New Year with a moment of silence, followed by chimes ringing from the base of One Times Square.
This year, midnight will also signal the official launch of America Gives, a nationwide service initiative led by America250. Organizers aim to make 2026 the year with the greatest total number of volunteer hours ever recorded in the United States.
“It went up, it came down, and we are ready for tomorrow,” said Jeffrey Strauss, president of Countdown Entertainment, as reported by ANEWZ.
Constellation Ball
The new Times Square New Year's Eve ball, called the Constellation Ball, is the ninth edition and the largest to date. Weighing 12,350 pounds, it features 5,280 circular Waterford crystals, replacing the triangular design of previous balls. Strauss explained that the circular crystals are meant to resemble stars, reflecting the ball’s constellation theme.
According to ANEWZ, organisers said plans for a record amount of confetti, with nearly three tonnes set to be released in stages. Purple and yellow confetti will fall during the countdown, multicoloured confetti at midnight, and red, white, and blue confetti shortly after midnight to celebrate the start of America’s 250th anniversary year.