Ready to Ring in 2026? Here’s Where to Watch All the New Year's Eve Specials
- - Ready to Ring in 2026? Here’s Where to Watch All the New Year's Eve Specials
Jordana Comiter, Emily KrauserDecember 31, 2025 at 6:00 AM
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Kristina Bumphrey/Penske Media via Getty; Taylor Hill/WireImage
Ryan Seacrest and Rita Ora hosting 'Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2025' in Times Square in New York City on Dec. 31, 2024; Andy Cohen (left) and Anderson Cooper hosting CNN's 'New Year's Eve Live' in N.Y.C.'s Times Square on Dec. 31, 2023.
The countdown to 2026 has already begun!
There are many ways to close out 2025, including streaming New Year's Eve specials with different celebrity hosts, entertainers and fireworks. No matter what program you choose to watch on Dec. 31, they'll all be leading up to the same big moment: The clock striking midnight on Jan. 1, 2026.
Longtime broadcast celebrations will return, with Ryan Seacrest once again hosting Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, while New Year's Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen will be back on CNN. Both specials will broadcast live from Times Square in New York City, featuring a star-studded lineup of guests and performances.
Additionally, CBS will broadcast its annual New Year's Eve Live: Nashville's Big Bash, this year hosted by comedian Bert Kreischer and country-rock singer-songwriter HARDY. There will also be celebrations on NBC, across Nexstar stations and a live concert and countdown with the Jonas Brothers on Samsung TV Plus.
Here's a guide to the New Year's Eve TV specials that will be here to help you wave goodbye to 2025 and welcome in 2026.
Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2026
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Ryan Seacrest hosts 'Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2023' in Times Square in N.Y.C. on Dec. 31, 2022.
Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve is returning for its 55th year, with hours of musical performances of this year's biggest hits and timeless classics, plus a look at celebrations happening around the globe.
Seacrest will be at the helm for this 21st time, joined again in Times Square by co-host Rita Ora, and he'll have celeb friends helping out across the country.
Chance the Rapper will host and perform from his hometown of Chicago, where he will lead the first-ever Central Time Zone countdown. Former NFL pro Rob Gronkowski will be back in Las Vegas with Julianne Hough, who's making her New Year's Rockin' Eve debut. Celebrations will also take place in Puerto Rico for the fifth consecutive year, with details being announced soon.
The show is expected to have a huge viewership, as the 2024 broadcast drew in 29 million total viewers at midnight, per an ABC Entertainment press release. This will also be the longest New Year's Rockin' Eve broadcast ever, with an extra hour and a half of programming and the soundtrack of the year.
Where to watch Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve
Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve airs on Wednesday, Dec. 31 (8 p.m. ET) on ABC.
For the third consecutive year, Dick Clark Productions has partnered with iHeartMedia, and the event will stream live on the iHeartRadio app and across 150 iHeartRadio stations.
The broadcast will also stream the next day on Hulu.
Who is performing on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve?
A slew of cross-genre musical acts is slated to join Seacrest for the celebratory night. Chappell Roan, Charlie Puth, Demi Lovato, Ciara, Post Malone, Zara Larsson, Russell Dickerson, Madison Beer and Maren Morris are some of the big names to make up the guest list.
Longtime favorites like Mariah Carey, 4 Non Blondes, 50 Cent, Goo Goo Dolls, Little Big Town, New Kids on the Block, Pitbull, OneRepublic and Rick Springfield are also on the lineup, among many others.
KPop Demon Hunters with be represented by the singing voices of HUNTR/X, which features Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami.
As 2026 nears, music legend Diana Ross will headline the night with a live performance of some of her biggest hits.
New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash
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Jelly Roll performs during 'New Year's Eve Live: Nashville's Big Bash' in Nashville on Dec. 31, 2024.
CBS is ringing in 2026 with the return of New Year's Eve Live: Nashville's Big Bash, a five-hour extravaganza packed with performances by some of country music's biggest stars.
The special will be hosted from Nashville by Kreischer and HARDY, with social media star Haley Baylee working as an N.Y.C. correspondent, per a CBS press release.
The celebration will span multiple time zones, starting with a countdown to midnight in Eastern time and continuing with Nashville's renowned Music Note Drop. Fireworks will bring the event to a close, ushering in the new year in Central time.
Where to watch New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash
Those in the downtown Nashville area can experience New Year's Eve Live: Nashville's Big Bash for free at Bicentennial Park's main stage, and an official watch party will be held at Category 10.
If you prefer to watch from the comfort of home, the event airs live on Wednesday, Dec. 31 (8 p.m. ET) on CBS.
It will also be available to stream on Paramount+.
Who is performing on New Year's Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash?
A packed lineup of country stars is set to celebrate the end of 2025 during New Year's Eve Live: Nashville's Big Bash.
Not only will HARDY be co-hosting, but he'll also perform in Bicentennial Park alongside headliners Jason Aldean, Lainey Wilson and Bailey Zimmerman, as well as special guests CeCe Winans and the Fisk Jubilee Singers.
Additional musical performances over the course of the five-hour party include Keith Urban — who co-hosted and performed last year — Dierks Bentley, Rascal Flatts, Marcus King, Riley Green, Zach Top, Megan Moroney, Brooks & Dunn, Gretchen Wilson and Stephen Wilson Jr., all hitting stages at different venues across Nashville.
There will also be special appearances by comedian Dusty Slay, Sirius XM host Buzz Brainard, UFC champion Kayla Harrison and Entertainment Tonight's Cassie DiLaura. The Category 10 watch party will enjoy entertainment from King and Dwight Yoakam, plus special guests Cody Alan and Caylee Hammack.
New Year's Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen
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Andy Cohen (left) and Anderson Cohen host CNN's 'New Year's Eve Live' in Times Square in N.Y.C. on Dec. 31, 2024.
Cooper and Cohen return for their ninth consecutive year as co-hosts of CNN's New Year's Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen. They'll be live from Times Square to celebrate the new year with comedy, music and superstar guests.
Ahead of the countdown, Cooper told Parade in December 2025 that the event is "the bright spot on my calendar."
The CNN anchor also shared that he's "more than happy" to let Cohen do the heavy lifting as far as planning is concerned, to which Cohen added: "Anderson has so much on his plate on a daily basis, so it's like let me and my team do the pre-work and let's loop him in a couple of days beforehand. That's my way!"
Luckily, Cohen noted they're "in a groove" with preparations.
"We have a plan in place, and we have a system," he told the outlet. "And right now, it's about putting a lot of puzzle pieces together. We try to go after people who had big years and who resonated in pop culture and who are good guests, and who I know that we can have a lot of fun with."
Some of those "good guests" include Stephen Colbert, Amy Sedaris and husband-and-wife duo Rebbeca Romijn and Jerry O'Connell.
Several other CNN broadcasters will provide live coverage of celebrations across North America, including Stephanie Elam in the Bahamas and Randi Kaye in New Orleans, while Richard Quest will be reporting from the crowds in Times Square.
CNN's Sara Sidner and Cari Champion will take over the festivities at 12:30 a.m. ET to ring in the new year for those on Central time, reporting live from Austin, Texas, with Vince Gill and The Head and The Heart performing. There will be additional celebrations around the world, with CNN correspondents covering festivities in more than a dozen cities worldwide, including Tokyo, Sydney and London.
Where to watch New Year's Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen
New Year's Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen airs on Wednesday, Dec. 31 (8 p.m. ET) on CNN.
The program will also stream live for the first time exclusively on CNN's new streaming subscription platform, as well as on CNN's mobile app and connected Smart TV apps.
Before Cooper and Cohen's broadcast, CNN will begin New Year's Eve coverage at 7 a.m. ET with two dozen anchors and correspondents reporting live from around the world. There will also be performances throughout the day by Hugh Jackman, Kate Hudson, Chris Isaak, OK Go, Flo Rida, Aly & AJ, Burna Boy and Cheat Codes with CeeLo Green.
Who is performing on New Year's Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen?
Many musical performances will buoy Cooper and Cohen. In N.Y.C., Robyn will perform live from Times Square, while Bryan Adams will be at Madison Square Garden. In other locales, Shakira will be at Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla., and Brandy and Monica will sing from their The Boy Is Mine Tour.
Florence + the Machine, RAYE, Brandi Carlile, Aloe Blacc, Patti LaBelle and former Destiny's Child singer Michelle Williams are also on the lineup. Comedians B.J. Novak, Leanne Morgan and Sarah Sherman will also join the broadcast, as will mentalist Oz Perlman.
A Toast to 2025!
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Hoda Kotb (left) and Jenna Bush Hager on 'Today with Hoda and Jenna' on Feb. 8, 2023.
NBC is bringing back an end-of-the-year retrospective with A Toast to 2025!.
According to the NBCUniversal press release, the two-hour special will look back on the year's fun and funny pop culture moments. Unlike last year's 2024 special — hosted by Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager — there will be various celebrity commentators stepping in as hosts for the night.
Per Deadline, A Toast to 2025! was announced as a replacement for a previously scheduled 2025 New Year's Eve special with Snoop Dogg. However, the rapper had to cancel due to obligations for the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics.
"Sometimes the calendar gets in the way of the celebration," Snoop said at the time.
Where to watch A Toast to 2025!
A Toast to 2025! airs on Wednesday, Dec. 31 (10:30 p.m. ET/PT) on NBC. The special will also be available to stream live on Peacock.
What guests will appear on A Toast to 2025!?
Viewers can expect appearances and commentary from Ethan Slater, Jim Gaffigan, Tiffany Haddish, Bobby Moynihan, David Alan Grier and more.
Nexstar's Coast-to-Coast Countdown 2026
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Chuck Panozzo (left) and Will Evankovich of Styx perform during the Brotherhood of Rock Tour in Alpharetta, Ga., on July 6, 2025.
Nexstar will air a classic rock-themed syndicated telecast featuring live musical performances, fireworks and "end of the year fanfare," per the company's press release.
Events will be filmed in four locations — New York, Dallas, Phoenix and Las Vegas — and a countdown to midnight will occur across all U.S. time zones.
JD Roberto and Marysol Castro will host the midnight ball-drop festivities in N.Y.C., while Brad Perry and Teresa Strasser will hold down the fort at Gila River Resorts in Arizona. Michael Yo and Nikki Novak will host from Las Vegas, where there will be a 10-minute fireworks show launched from the rooftops of nine hotels on the Las Vegas Strip, and there will also be fireworks in Dallas.
Where to watch Coast-to-Coast Countdown 2026
The telecast will air across 138 Nexstar-owned and partner stations in 116 markets, including N.Y.C., Philadelphia and San Francisco, on Wednesday, Dec. 31 (8 p.m. PT). It will keep going until thirty minutes after the clock strikes midnight. (The press release noted that local times may vary.)
The program will also be live-streamed online on the platforms of participating local TV stations.
Who is performing on Coast-to-Coast Countdown 2026?
With an emphasis on rock music, the performers include Styx, Foreigner, REO Speedwagon frontman Kevin Cronin, Cheap Trick, .38 Special and the Marshall Tucker Band.
Country music will also be represented by Mac McAnally and Bri Bagwell, as well as reggae with UB40.
Jonas Brothers' Samsung TV Plus New Year’s Eve
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From left: Nick Jonas, Joe Jonas and Kevin Jonas of the Jonas Brothers perform in Times Square for the New Year's Eve 2025 celebration in N.Y.C. on Dec. 31, 2024.
From New Jersey to Florida! The Jonas Brothers are capping off 2025, which saw them traveling the country on their Greetings From Your Hometown Tour, with one last show in the Sunshine State.
The trio is teaming up with Samsung TV for a special live performance and countdown party at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla.
"2025 will be a year we will always remember, and we couldn't think of a better way to kick off the new one than celebrating with our fans," the Jonas Brothers stated in a press release. "We can't wait to count down to midnight together, and welcome 2026 in Miami, as well as with our fans at home."
Where to watch the Jonas Brothers' Samsung TV Plus New Year’s Eve live special
The countdown party will stream live on Wednesday, Dec. 31 (10 p.m. ET), exclusively on Samsung TV Plus.
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