"The ball will make its usual 60-second descent at midnight, signaling the start of 2026. Then, at around 12:04 am, it will be relit in red, white and blue with an America250 design and rise again above the glowing "2026" numerals in Times Square. Organizers say the second lighting will be accompanied by a fresh confetti drop (this one in patriotic colors), a video titled "America Turns 250" and a pyrotechnic finale set to Ray Charles' rendition of "America the Beautiful.""
"Wednesday night's festivities will actually start well before midnight. At 6:04 pm, the America250 ball design will be revealed atop One Times Square during "The Star-Spangled Banner," kicking off a series of themed moments throughout the night. Later in the evening, America250 chair Rosie Rios is slated to introduce "America Gives," a national service initiative that's aimed at making 2026 the largest year of volunteerism on record."
New York City's Times Square will stage a post-midnight encore to mark the start of America's 250th anniversary. The ball will drop at midnight as usual and then be relit around 12:04 a.m. in red, white and blue with an America250 design. The second lighting will include a patriotic confetti drop, a video titled "America Turns 250," and a pyrotechnic finale set to Ray Charles' rendition of "America the Beautiful." Festivities begin earlier at 6:04 p.m. with the ball-design reveal during "The Star-Spangled Banner." America250 will also introduce a national service initiative called "America Gives."
Read at Time Out New York
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