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If you thought the Times Square ball drop was a one-and-done affair, think again. When New York rings in 2026 this New Year’s Eve, the iconic crystal sphere will pull off an encore, lighting up the sky a second time just minutes after midnight.
The surprise twist is tied to a huge birthday. As the clock ticks into January 1, the United States officially begins celebrating its 250th anniversary, also known (if you’re feeling fancy) as the Semiquincentennial. To mark the occasion, America250, a non-partisan organization tasked by Congress with organizing the nationwide celebration, has planned a post-midnight moment as a follow-up to the traditional countdown.
The ball will make its usual 60-second descent at midnight, signaling the start of 2026. Then, at around 12:04 am, it will be relit in red, white and blue with an America250 design and rise again above the glowing “2026” numerals in Times Square.
Organizers say the second lighting will be accompanied by a fresh confetti drop (this one in patriotic colors), a video titled “America Turns 250” and a pyrotechnic finale set to Ray Charles’ rendition of “America the Beautiful.” It’s also expected to be the first-ever confetti release to happen after midnight, rather than during the countdown itself.
Wednesday night's festivities will actually start well before midnight. At 6:04 pm, the America250 ball design will be revealed atop One Times Square during “The Star-Spangled Banner,” kicking off a series of themed moments throughout the night. Later in the evening, America250 chair Rosie Rios is slated to introduce “America Gives,” a national service initiative that’s aimed at making 2026 the largest year of volunteerism on record.
It’s also a rehearsal of sorts: America250 has confirmed that the Times Square ball will return on July 3, 2026, marking the first time in the tradition’s 120-plus-year history that the ball drops outside of New Year’s Eve. That Fourth of July moment will be the centerpiece of nationwide Independence Day celebrations leading up to the actual anniversary on July 4.
Major networks like ABC and CBS will carry the festivities, while a commercial-free livestream (with backstage access, captions and ASL interpretation) will also be available via Times Square’s official website and YouTube.