Thousands of revelers in New York City welcomed the New Year on Sunday night with the traditional ceremony of the descending crystal-clad ball in Times Square. After standing in the square for over a dozen hours, many celebrants had arrived early in the morning to secure a spot in barricaded pens set up by the New York Police Department. The festivities included musical performances by Megan Thee Stallion and LL Cool J before the final countdown to midnight.
Nadja Sjostrom, 44, expressed her excitement, saying, “This is my first time celebrating the New Year in Times Square.” She had traveled from Stockholm, Sweden, a few days earlier and had been standing amidst the giant illuminated billboards of Times Square since about 8 a.m. Markus Washington, a 49-year-old Brooklyn resident, also attended the Times Square celebration for the first time.
Antonio Ruz, 51, had flown in from Granada, Spain, to fulfill a lifelong dream, joining the crowds to enter the barricaded area around 8:15 a.m. “Since I was a kid, I saw on TV this spectacular show, so I had to live it,” he said. He considered it a “once in a lifetime” moment, emphasizing that he did not plan to return, stating, “I love New York, but 15 hours is too long to wait for a moment.”
While people crowd into Times Square or around their devices to watch the ball drop at midnight on New Year’s Eve, several fireworks displays will light up the skies over New York City, like Central Park, the Statue of Liberty, Grand Army Plaza, and Luna Park.
