Revelers gather in Times Square for 2026 New Year's Eve ball drop

Hundreds of New Year's Eve revelers gathered in New York City's Times Square by mid-day on Wednesday (December 31), bracing for more than a dozen hours in the cold - and without a bathroom access - to cheer the ball drop at midnight.   

"It has been on our bucket list to come as a family and to be part of this for many years," said Tanya Kopitin, 50, a homemaker from Norwich, Canada, who came with her daughters. "And this was the year we decided to do it. And I had no clue we were gonna be right up front!"

More than one million people are expected to pack Times Square for the 2026 New Year's Eve ball drop. 

-Aleksandra Michalska/Reuters