Times Square numerals arrive in NYCPhotograph Courtesy of Countdown Entertainment

Few new years have been as highly anticipated as 2021. We’ve all simply had enough of 2020 and can’t wait to celebrate its end. Even though spectators are not allowed to watch the famous ball drop in Times Square, there will still be plenty of ways to celebrate, and celebrate we will! From ball drop live streams and virtual parties to new museum exhibits and a reading marathon, check out the best New Year’s Eve events in NYC to ring in 2021!

 

1. Virtually Explore Times Square

A screenshot from the Virtual New Year's Eve appImage Courtesy of Fly Studio

Times Square’s New Year’s Eve party is going virtual this year. Bring the party to your home with the Virtual New Year’s Eve (VNYE) interactive gaming experience. Accessible on phones, tablets, and PCs, this app allows users to place themselves (in the form of an avatar) right in the heart of Times Square to play games, view digital art, hear musical performances, play with augmented reality filters and watch a live broadcast of the ball drop.

 

From the app, you can also watch live streams of the countdown to 2021 from all over the world. By choosing different cameras, your stream is fully customizable. You can even watch from space via the EarthCam Rolling Live feed! The iconic ball drop will also be streamed onTimesSquareNYC.orgTimesSquareBall.net and livestream.com/2021.