New Year Countdown

The new year begins at midnight on January 1, and this countdown ticks to your local midnight to ring in 2027, wherever you are. Fireworks in Sydney, the ball drop in Times Square, grapes in Madrid: one moment, celebrated around the planet for 24 straight hours.

How many days until New Year Countdown?

New Year Countdown is on Friday, January 1, 2027, which is 162 days away. The live countdown above ticks down to the exact moment, to the second.

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New Year's story so far

1582Pope Gregory XIII's papal bull Inter gravissimas established the Gregorian calendar, correcting the Julian calendar's leap-year drift; Catholic countries adopted it within months, cementing January 1 as New Year's Day across most of Europe.

1920Times Square's original iron-and-wood ball was retired after over a decade of use and replaced with a 400-pound ball made entirely of wrought iron.

1955The iron ball gave way to a much lighter aluminum version weighing just 150 pounds, the design that would drop for the next four decades.

1972Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve premiered on NBC on December 31, 1972, with Clark reporting live from Times Square; it later moved to ABC and became the top-rated US New Year's special.

2000For the millennium, Times Square unveiled an entirely new ball covered in 504 Waterford Crystal panels, replacing the old aluminum ball's halogen bulbs for a global Y2K audience.

2008Marking the ball drop's 100th anniversary, a fifth redesign switched to LED technology, with 672 crystal panels lit by 9,576 Philips LEDs capable of millions of colors.

New Year's world records

Largest firework display810,904 fireworks — Iglesia Ni Cristo, Philippine Arena, Philippines, welcoming 2016

Fastest fireworks barrage479,651 shells fired in 6 minutes (~1,332/sec) — Dubai's Burj Khalifa/Palm Jumeirah, welcoming 2014

Largest New Year's Eve celebration (city)2.5 million people — Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, welcoming 2025

Largest drone light show at a New Year event6,500 drones in 9 formations — Sheikh Zayed Festival, Abu Dhabi, welcoming 2026

Why January 1?

January is named for Janus, the Roman god of beginnings who looks both backward and forward. Julius Caesar fixed January 1 as the year's start in 45 BC, and the Gregorian calendar carried it worldwide.

Midnight traditions

The Times Square ball has dropped since 1907 (originally made of iron and wood with 100 light bulbs). Spaniards eat twelve grapes at the twelve strokes of midnight; Danes smash plates on friends' doorsteps; Japan rings temple bells 108 times.

Quick facts

January 1 became New Year's Day under Julius Caesar in 45 BC
The Times Square ball first dropped in 1907
Sydney's fireworks reach a global TV audience of over a billion
“Auld Lang Syne” is a Robert Burns poem from 1788

A U.S. federal holiday

New Year Countdown is one of the 11 official U.S. federal holidays. Not sure which one comes next? The next federal holiday countdown always ticks down to whichever is soonest — and the next long weekend countdown tells you when you're off work for 3 days straight.

Ring it in right

Party supplies for midnight — and a little mercy for the morning after.

NYE party kit Champagne flutes Confetti poppers Yearly planner Electrolyte packets Disco ball

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Learn more

Times Square (official) Wikipedia

New Year Countdown — frequently asked questions

When is New Year Countdown?

New Year Countdown is on Friday, January 1, 2027.

How many days until New Year Countdown?

New Year Countdown is on Friday, January 1, 2027, which is 162 days away. The live countdown above ticks down to the exact moment, to the second.

Updated July 2026 · alarm-clock.org

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