New Year’s Eve ball to make history in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary – UK Times

The iconic New Year’s Eve ball drop is getting an encore in 2026 — but this time on the Fourth of July.

Tourists and New York City locals will take over the streets of Times Square at midnight on January 1, to watch the multi-colored LED crystal ball, also known as the Constellation Ball, drop, in celebration of the new year.

America will also be marking a major milestone in 2026 with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. So America250 — the nonpartisan organization that commemorates the 250th anniversary — is launching a second ball drop July 3.

But a preview will be taking place in just a few days in Times Square.

At 12:04 a.m. on January 1 — four minutes after the regular New Year’s Eve Ball drop — the Times Square Ball will be relit in red, white, and blue, with an America250 design and rise above the illuminated “2026” numbers.

There will also ​be “a first-ever post-midnight release of 2,000 pounds of red, white, and blue confetti, and a dynamic pyro finale set to Ray Charles’ rendition of ‘America the Beautiful,’” as noted by America250.

New York City residents and locals can return to Times Square July 3, when the iconic ball will drop again, right before midnight strikes on the Fourth of July.

“America250 will kick off the Semiquincentennial year on New Year’s Eve in Times Square — the most watched celebration on the planet — signaling that the largest and most inspiring celebration and commemoration in our nation’s history is underway in 2026,” Rosie Rios, Chair of America250, said in a statement. “Our goal is to inspire all 350 million Americans to join in this moment to celebrate our country.”

However, according to a city hall spokesperson, the details for the second ball drop in July are still being figured out. “As the city continues to work on the details, nothing is finalized, and conversations are ongoing,” the spokesperson told the New York Post.

Still, Rios has teased that America250 has big plans in store to honor the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

“I’m telling you right now, whatever you’re imagining, it’s going to be much more than that,” he told the Associated Press. “It’s going to be one for the ages, the most inspirational celebration this country and maybe the world has ever seen.”