Everyone is ready to kick 2020 to the curb, and while the revelry might – and should – be contained this year, an array of options is available to keep you in front of your TV or screen of some size.
While Times Square is closed to the public, that won’t prevent the location from maintaining its allure as the signature backdrop to ushering in the flip of the calendar.
Here are some viewing options, which feature musical performances ranging from Billy Porter and Cyndi Lauper to Josh Groban to Gloria Gaynor, to online fare from Kiss, Alabama and Justin Bieber.
All shows air, obviously, on Dec. 31.
For the 16th year, Ryan Seacrest will helm “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest.”
When: 8 p.m. EST.
Guests: Jennifer Lopez, Jimmie Allen, Ciara, Lucy Hale, Jessie James Decker and “Kinky Boots” pals Billy Porter and Cyndi Lauper, who will perform a duet.
Credit: Tony Duran
Credit: Tony Duran
“NBC’s New Year’s Eve 2020” beams in from Times Square with Carson Daly and Julianne Hough hosting, with DJ Stephen “tWitch” Boss from “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” on board as a correspondent.
When: 10-11 p.m. EST with a break for local news, then back from 11:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m.
Guests: X Ambassadors, Brett Eldredge, Ne-Yo, Leslie Odom Jr., Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani and The Struts. Keith Urban will join the telecast live from the Jack Daniel’s Music City Midnight: New Year’s Eve in Nashville event with a performance as well.
Credit: TNS
Credit: TNS
The Fox Network has tapped Ken Jeong and Joel McHale to host “New Year’s Eve Toast & Roast 2021.”
When: Part One 8-10 p.m. EST with Part Two from 11 p.m.-12:30 a.m.
Guests: LeAnn Rimes (the newly crowned winner of “The Masked Singer,” as well as Gloria Estefan and Instagram’s Doctor Elvis. The special also will feature iHeartRadio performances from John Legend, Ava Max, Green Day and Gabby Barrett, while Mayim Bialik and Cheyenne Jackson will perform a musical number, as will Jane Krakowski and Randy Jackson.
Credit: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
Credit: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
For the fourth year, Anderson Cooper will team with Andy Cohen for CNN’s “New Year’s Eve,” live from Times Square.
When: 8 p.m. EST (at 12:30 a.m., they hand coverage over to CNN’s Brooke Baldwin and Don Lemon, who will ring in 2021 for the Central Time Zone.
Guests: John Mayer, Snoop Dogg, Patti Labelle, Jimmy Buffett, Carole Baskin, Josh Groban, Leslie Jordan, Dulce Sloan, Desus & Mero, Kylie Minogue, Aloe Blacc, Goo Goo Dolls and Jon Bon Jovi.
The annual Times Square New Year’s Eve event – co-produced by The Times Square Alliance and Countdown Entertainment – will offer a commercial-free webcast on several sites, including TimesSquareNYC.org, NewYearsEve.nyc, Livestream.com/2021 and TimesSquareBall.net. Several networks will air elements of the Times Square celebration, including ABC (“Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest”), CNN (“New Year’s Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen), FOX (”New Year’s Eve Toast & Roast of 2021″), NBC (“New Year’s Eve with Carson Daly”) and Univision (“¡Feliz 2021!”).
When: 6 p.m. EST.
Guests: Gloria Gaynor (who will perform, among other songs, the ever-fitting “I Will Survive”); actor/TV personality Jonathan Bennett; and the events “special guests” - the “Heroes of 2020,” who will be represented on site by New York families of first responders, frontline and essential workers.
Credit: Autumn de Wilde
Credit: Autumn de Wilde
The PBS special, “United in Song: Celebrating the Resilience of America,” was filmed in front of a small, socially distanced audience at George Washington’s Mount Vernon and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
When: 8 p.m. EST (with a 9:30 p.m. encore showing). Also available on PBS.com and the PBS video app.
Guests: Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Renée Fleming, Anna Deavere Smith, Josh Groban, Morgan James, Jamie Barton, Joshua Bell, Denyce Graves, Soloman Howard, Juanes, Patti LaBelle, Yo-Yo Ma and Jean-Yves Thibaudet. The evening also features The American Pops Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Luke Frazier, and the National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Maestra JoAnn Falletta.
Justin Bieber will celebrate New Year’s Eve virtually with his first live show since 2017.
When: 11 p.m. EST (pre-show buildup begins at 10:15 p.m.) on justinbiebernye.com.
Tickets: $25; available through 3 p.m. EST on Jan. 1.
Credit: Ryan Fleisher
Credit: Ryan Fleisher
Kiss is hosting its “Kiss 2020 Goodbye” concert, live from Dubai, which will be held in front of a “live, Covid-screened and safe” audience from the Royal Beach at Atlantis Dubai.
When: Noon EST (9 p.m. Dubai time).
Tickets: Start at $49.99 at kiss2020goodbye.com.
Credit: Robb Cohen Photography & Video/
Credit: Robb Cohen Photography & Video/
Alabama has teamed with Camping World for an evening of hits spanning the band’s five-decade career. The show airs from Nashville.
When: 9 p.m. EST. on ultimatervshow.com.
Tickets: Free
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