The Times Square New Year’s Eve ball drop for 2026 takes place at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on December 31, 2025, with the ball reaching the bottom exactly at midnight (12:00 a.m.) on January 1, 2026.

Key timing details

  • The ball begins its 60‑second descent at 11:59 p.m. ET on December 31, 2025.
  • Midnight (the moment 2025 turns into 2026) is when the New Year is officially “rung in” by the ball reaching the bottom.
  • Viewing areas in Times Square typically open in the afternoon (around 3 p.m. ET) for in‑person spectators.

Special 2026 “double drop”

  • For America’s 250th birthday (America250), the Times Square Ball is also scheduled to drop again on July 3, 2026, in a special Independence Day countdown.
  • This July 3 event marks the first time in the tradition’s history that the ball drops on a day other than New Year’s Eve.

TL;DR: The main New Year’s ball drop for 2026 happens from 11:59 p.m. to midnight ET on December 31, 2025, plus there is an extra commemorative drop on July 3, 2026, for America250.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.