Times Square is all set to welcome 2026 with historical celebration, as a dazzling new centerpiece as the iconic New Year’s Eve ball gets its biggest upgrade yet.
Called the Constellation Ball, the latest design is the biggest ever used since the event started in 1907.
The dazzling centerpiece measures up to 12.5 feet in diameter and weighing just over 12,000 pounds, the ninth Times Square ball features 5,280 Waterford crystals in three circular sizes.
It marks a major shift from triangular crystals used since 1999. The incorporated LED light pucks enable vivid, dynamic displays.
As per the organizers at One Times Square, the new crystal designs celebrate “eternal positivity.”
The ball has been hanging since November. Operator of One Times Square and president of Jamestown Michael Phillips stated, the design symbolises interconnectedness, tradition, and the relationship between past, present and future.
The ball drop remains the focal point of New Year’s Eve celebrations in New York and for millions anticipating the phenomenal celebrations.
The celebration will start at 11:59 p.m., with the illuminated ball descending gradually as crowds count down the final 60 seconds of the year.
At midnight, countdown, cheers, and colourful fireworks will start as confetti rains down and the world will celebrate the new year with plenty of hopes, best wishes, and happiness.
The tradition began when New York Times publisher Adolph Ochs commissioned metalworker Jacob Starr to create a visual alternative after fireworks were banned.
Over the decades, the ball has undergone several changes from a simple iron-and-wood structure into a captivating and high-tech crystal sphere.
