Timessquareball
Times Square New Year Eve Ball timessquarenyc.org/handout

For 106 years, Times Square has been the center of worldwide attention on New Year's Eve, and became famous ever since the owners of One Times Square began Ball Lowering celebration in 1907, and this tradition is now a universal symbol of welcoming the New Year. Here is a schedule of the event provided by the organizers this year:

THE EVENT

4:00 p.m.

The Revelers

Revelers start arriving late in the afternoon on New Year's Eve. By approximately 4:00 p.m., the Bow Tie of Times Square (42nd to 47th Sts. between Broadway & 7th Ave.) is fully closed to traffic. Revelers are directed by the NYPD to gather in separate viewing sections. As one section fills up, the revelers are directed by police to the next viewing section. As the evening progresses, revelers continue to fill the Times Square neighborhood along Broadway and Seventh Avenue moving uptown from 43rd Street to as far as Central Park.

6:00 p.m. to 6:03 p.m.

Opening Ceremonies - Lighting and Raising the Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball

The celebration begins with the lighting and raising of the New Year’s Eve Ball atop One Times Square. The Event Organizers, Tim Tompkins and Jeffrey Straus will be joined by representatives of the Philips Lighting Company to flip the giant switch which lights the New Year’s Eve Ball and begins its ascent accompanied by special pyrotechnic effects atop One Times Square.

6:03 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.

FNC’s All American New Year’s Eve: Musical Performance by Rick Springfield

The Times Square New Year’s Celebration gets started with Rick Springfield performing Jesse’s Girl, Venus In Overdrive and Love Somebody at the Nivea Countdown Stage at Duffy Island between 46th and 47th Streets.

6:17 p.m. to 6:20 p.m.

Nivea Vignette

Bill and Giuliana Rancic share their long distance love story to warm-up the audience at the Nivea Kiss Stage.

6:40 p.m. to 6:48 p.m.

NBC’s New Year’s Eve with Carson Daly: Musical Performance by Greyson Chance

Greyson Chance performs Paparazzi at the Nivea Kiss Stage at Turn-Lane Island between 45th & 46th Streets.

6:51 p.m. to 6:54 p.m.

Toshiba Vignette

Representatives from Toshiba introduce the new Official Times Square Ball App and the opportunity for users of the app to get their photo on the giant Toshiba Vision Screen atop One Times Square.

6:57 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Hourly Countdown with Carson Daly

As we approach the New Year, Carson Daly will appear at the Nivea Countdown Stage to wish the Times Square revelers “Happy New Year”, and lead the ten second countdown to the 7 o’clock hour accompanied by colorful pyrotechnic effects atop One Times Square. Carson will also read some of the confetti wishes to be mixed into the confetti release at midnight, share his personal wish for the New Year, and what he wants to do for the first time in 2011.

7:10 p.m.

Times Square 2011 Hats and Balloons

The Times Square Alliance sanitation crew clad in bright red uniforms begin to distribute tens of thousands of fun handouts to the Times Square revelers for cheering in the New Year. Nivea is providing festive blue New Year’s Eve hats and blue balloons tied with silver mylar ribbons along with useful Nivea Lip Care product to keep our lips looking and feeling beautiful for that unforgettable kiss at midnight.

7:32 p.m. to 7:35 p.m.

Nivea Vignette

Bill and Giuliana Rancic introduce the winning couples of Nivea’s “Kiss The One You Love” reunion contest at the Nivea Kiss Stage.

7:48 p.m. to 7:55 p.m.

NBC’s New Year’s Eve with Carson Daly: Musical Performance by Broadway Cast of “American Idiot”

Broadway cast of the hit musical “American Idiot” perform a three song medley at the Nivea Kiss Stage.

7:57 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Hourly Countdown with Ryan Seacrest

As we approach the New Year, Ryan Seacrest will appear at the Nivea Countdown Stage to wish the Times Square revelers “Happy New Year”, and lead the ten second countdown to the 8 o’clock hour accompanied by colorful pyrotechnic effects atop One Times Square. Ryan will also read some of the confetti wishes to be mixed into the confetti release at midnight, share his personal wish for the New Year, and what he wants to do for the first time in 2011.

8:57 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Hourly Countdown with Anderson Cooper

As we approach the New Year, Anderson Cooper will appear at the Nivea Countdown Stage to wish the Times Square revelers “Happy New Year”, and lead the ten second countdown to the 9 o’clock hour accompanied by colorful pyrotechnic effects atop One Times Square. Anderson will also read some of the confetti wishes to be mixed into the confetti release at midnight, share his personal wish for the New Year, and what he wants to do for the first time in 2011.

9:10 p.m. to 9:20 p.m.

Bethany & Geoffrey’s Wedding Ceremony

After reviewing nearly 2,000 submissions, Get Married Media selected Marine Corps reservists Bethany & Geoffrey as the winning couple to Get Married in Times Square. The couple met each other in Iraq. They were engaged on a Bahamian beach, and will now Get Married in Times Square at the Nivea Countdown Stage.

9:20 p.m. to 9:23 p.m.

Waterford Crystal Wedding Toast

Waterford Crystal Master Craftsman, Jim O’Leary joined by the Times Square revelers will give the newlyweds a heart-warming Times Square wedding toast at the Nivea Countdown Stage.

9:26 p.m. to 9:37 p.m.

USO’s Liberty Bells Performance

The USO’s Liberty Bells perform a Seventies Medley and a special Service Salute at the Nivea Kiss Stage.

9:37 p.m. to 9:40 p.m.

Stand Up To Cancer

Representatives from Stand Up To Cancer and MasterCard Worldwide make a special announcement about their efforts to find a cure for cancer at the Nivea Countdown Stage.

9:51 p.m. to 9:54 p.m.

Nivea Vignette

Two romantic revelers will be featured at the Nivea Kiss Stage for a special midnight practice Kiss …3..2..1.., Kiss like a billion people are watching!

9:56 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Hourly Countdown with Carnival Cruise Lines

As we approach the New Year, Carnival’s Senior Cruise Director, John Heald will appear at the Nivea Countdown Stage to wish the Times Square revelers “Happy New Year”, and lead the ten second countdown to the 10 o’clock hour accompanied by a red, white and blue confetti release and colorful pyrotechnic effects atop One Times Square. John will also read some of the confetti wishes to be mixed into the confetti release at midnight, share his personal wish for the New Year, and what he wants to do for the first time in 2011.

10:09 p.m. to 10:15 p.m.

ABC’s Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve: Musical Performance by Taio Cruz

Taio Cruz performs a medley of his hit songs at the Nivea Countdown Stage.

10:25 p.m. to 10:28 p.m.

Nivea Vignette

Two romantic revelers will be featured at the Nivea Kiss Stage for a special midnight practice Kiss …3..2..1.., Kiss like a billion people are watching!

10:37 p.m. to 10:45 p.m.

ABC’s Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve: Musical Performance by Ke$ha

Ke$ha performs a medley of her hit songs at the Nivea Countdown Stage.

10:57 p.m. to 11:03 p.m.

Hourly Countdown with Raúl de Molina

As we approach the New Year, Raul de Molina will appear at the Nivea Countdown Stage to wish the Times Square revelers “Happy New Year”, and lead the ten second countdown to the 11 o’clock hour accompanied by colorful pyrotechnic effects atop One Times Square. Raul will also read some of the confetti wishes to be mixed into the confetti release at midnight, share his personal wish for the New Year, and what he wants to do for the first time in 2011.

11:03 p.m. to 11:10 p.m.

Univision’s Feliz 2011!: Musical Performance by Elvis Crespo

Elvis Crespo performs 15 Inviernos and Suavemente at the Nivea Kiss Stage.

11:38 p.m. to 11:46 p.m.

ABC’s Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve: Musical Performance by Backstreet Boys & NKOTB

Backstreet Boys & New Kids On The Block perform a medley of their hit songs at the Nivea Countdown Stage.

11:53 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.

Special Performance by Taio Cruz

Taio Cruz performs Falling In Love and a special rendition of Imagine at the Nivea Kiss Stage.

11:59 p.m.

The Sixty-Second Countdown

The Times Square 2011 Special Guest and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg push the Waterford crystal button that signals the descent of the New Year’s Eve Ball, and lead the final sixty-second countdown to the New Year at the Nivea Countdown Stage.
The New Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball

The lighted Ball descends 70 feet in sixty seconds. The Ball is a geodesic sphere, twelve feet in diameter, weighing 11,875 pounds. The Ball is covered with 2,688 Waterford crystal triangles and lit by 32,256 Philips Luxeon Rebel LEDs.

12:00 a.m. -- New Year's Day

2011 Sign

At the stroke of Midnight, the lights on the New Year’s Eve Ball are turned off as the numerals of the New Year “2011” burst to life shining high above Times Square.

Times Square Confetti Release and Pyrotechnic Effects

The world-famous New Year's Eve confetti is released from the rooftops of buildings throughout Times Square creating a celebratory blizzard of colorful confetti as revelers welcome the New Year accompanied by colorful pyrotechnic effects.

12:15 a.m. - End of Show