Wikimedia Commons via Wikipedia: Bryant Park2:30 PM · 1 h
Bryant Park Winter Village
ParkFree artisan shops and rink views under the lights
4.6(2,125)Googlefree
New Year's Eve in Times Square (Dec. 31, 2026)
New Year's Eve in New York
Times Square for the ball drop, or Brooklyn fireworks and dinner instead
⏳ In 2 months · Jan 1, 2027 Remind me
- The plan: Dec 30 – Jan 13 days around New Year's Eve in Times Square (Dec. 31, 2026)
- New York City17 places · Couple
- Facts checked Oct 31, 20266 sources, listed below
See the Rockefeller Center tree, catch a Broadway show, ring in New Year's Eve with Brooklyn fireworks, then finish with Central Park and late jazz in the Village.
Day 1 is on us
3 days · 17 stops
What it's like in DecemberExpect highs around 7°C (44°F) and lows near -1°C (31°F), with about 10 rainy days in December. Pack a warm coat, gloves and a light umbrella.
Day 1 · Wed, Dec 30 · Free
Holiday lights and Broadway
Winter shops, the Rockefeller tree, then a Broadway show.
Wikimedia Commons via Wikipedia: Bryant Park2 min
Wikimedia Commons via Wikipedia: Bryant Park11 min
Photo: Praneeth Thalla / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.04:36 PM · 40 min
Rockefeller Center
Historical landmarkThe iconic Norway Spruce glowing at dusk
4.7(202,771)Googlefree
4 min
Photo: Ajay Suresh / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.05:20 PM · 20 min
St. Patrick's Cathedral
ChurchGothic spire framed by the Fifth Avenue holiday windows
4.8(43,390)Googlefree
19 min
Wikimedia Commons via Wikipedia: Joe Allen (restaurant)11 min
Wikimedia Commons via Wikipedia: Broadway Theatre (53rd Street)7:25 PM · 2 h 30 min
Broadway Theatre
Performing arts theaterWed Dec 30: curtain 19:00 or 20:00; arrive 30 minutes early
4.7(5,663)Google$$$
The rest of the plan
11 stops
Day 2 · Thu, Dec 31
Met, Times Square and Brooklyn fireworks
6 stops · Upper East Side, Times Square, Park Slope
Day 3 · Fri, Jan 1
Central Park, Chinatown and jazz
5 stops · SoHo, Central Park, Chinatown, Greenwich Village
Get all 3 days
Everything below Day 1, plus offline maps and free updates until Jan 1.
- 3-day plan around midnight
- Times Square: how entry works
- The plan without Times Square
- Offline maps in the app
Apple Pay · Google Pay · card 7-day refund
Give it as a giftGood to know
- The Times Square Alliance FAQ (still written for the Dec. 31, 2025 edition) says viewing areas open at 3 p.m., the ball is raised around 6 p.m., and it makes its 60-second descent at exactly 11:59 p.m.timessquarenyc.org · checked Oct 31, 2026
- The same FAQ says entry is free, first come, first served, and no tickets are sold; viewing-area access points are at 45th, 49th, 52nd and 56th Streets from 6th and 8th Avenues.timessquarenyc.org · checked Oct 31, 2026
- The FAQ lists backpacks, large bags, umbrellas, folding chairs, picnic blankets, large coolers, alcohol, drones and weapons as not permitted, and says all bags will be searched.timessquarenyc.org · checked Oct 31, 2026
- The FAQ says anyone who leaves a viewing area, for example to eat at a restaurant, cannot return to their spot.timessquarenyc.org · checked Oct 31, 2026
- The FAQ says the NYPD begins closing Times Square from 43rd Street and Broadway as crowds arrive, with 7th Avenue closed to vehicles from 42nd to 48th Streets at 4 a.m., and 6th and 8th Avenues closing to pedestrians and vehicles around 4 p.m.timessquarenyc.org · checked Oct 31, 2026
- Prospect Park Alliance lists a free New Year's Eve fireworks show at Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn on Thursday, Dec. 31, with live entertainment from 10 p.m. and fireworks at midnight (listing runs 10 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.).eventbrite.com · checked Oct 31, 2026
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