About New Year's Eve 2026
New Year's Eve 2026 falls on Thursday, December 31, 2026, 63 days from today. December 31 is the last day of the year. The night ends with a countdown to midnight, fireworks, a champagne toast and Auld Lang Syne as 2027 begins.
New Year's Eve is not a federal holiday. Most offices work a normal or short day, and many close early. In 2026 it falls on a Thursday.
The countdown above runs to the start of December 31 in your time zone. For the final seconds to midnight, open the New Year's Day countdown, which runs to 12:00 AM on January 1.
- Date
- Thursday, December 31, 2026
- Days left
- 63 (9 weeks)
- New Year's Day
- Friday, January 1, 2027
- Ball drop
- 11:59 PM ET, Times Square
- In Scotland
- Hogmanay
- Federal holiday
- No
How Many Days Until New Year's Eve 2026?
There are 63 days until New Year's Eve 2026, counting from today, Thursday, October 29, 2026. That is 9 weeks, with 9 weekends and 45 weekdays left.
Whole dates left, changing once a day at midnight.
Exact time left to the start of December 31, 2026, ticking every second.
Fix the two ends
Every count needs a start and an end. The start day itself is never counted.
Count each midnight crossed
Each square that lights up is one midnight passed. That is one day.
Split it into weeks and workdays
9 weeks · 45 weekdays and 18 weekend days.
Read the answer
New Year's Eve (Dec 31, 2026) is 63 days away.
When Is New Year's Eve 2026?
New Year's Eve 2026 is on Thursday, December 31, 2026. The date never moves: it is always December 31, the night before New Year's Day.
Only the weekday changes. New Year's Eve 2027 falls on a Friday.
In Times Square the ball starts to drop at 11:59 PM Eastern time and reaches the bottom 60 seconds later, at midnight. The first ball dropped there on December 31, 1907.
New Year's Eve Countdown in Different Time Zones
Midnight on New Year's Eve reaches Kiritimati in Kiribati first (UTC+14) and American Samoa last (UTC−11), 25 hours later. The table shows when each city rings in 2027, in your own time.
| # | City | UTC offset | Celebration | Midnight, your time | Time left |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kiritimati Kiribati | UTC+14 | First inhabited place to reach midnight | -- | -- |
| 2 | Sydney Australia | UTC+11 | Harbour Bridge fireworks | -- | -- |
| 3 | Tokyo Japan | UTC+9 | Temple bells rung 108 times | -- | -- |
| 4 | Dubai United Arab Emirates | UTC+4 | Burj Khalifa fireworks | -- | -- |
| 5 | London United Kingdom | UTC+0 | Big Ben chimes and Thames fireworks | -- | -- |
| 6 | Rio de Janeiro Brazil | UTC−3 | Copacabana Beach party | -- | -- |
| 7 | New York United States | UTC−5 | Times Square ball drop | -- | -- |
| 8 | Los Angeles United States | UTC−8 | Grand Park countdown | -- | -- |
| 9 | Pago Pago American Samoa | UTC−11 | Last inhabited place to reach midnight | -- | -- |
How to Plan Your New Year's Eve
Most of the work for a New Year's Eve party happens in the last 6 weeks of the year. Line each step up with the days left above.
- November 19
6 weeks outPick the venue or host at homeSend the invitesBook a babysitter - December 10
3 weeks outPlan food and drinksBuild the playlistCheck late-night transit - December 24
1 week outBuy champagne or sparkling ciderHats, noisemakers and confettiTest the TV stream - December 30
1 day outChill the drinksCharge phones and speakersPut the countdown on the TV - December 31
New Year's EveGuests arrive11:59 PM ball dropMidnight toast
Times Square coverage runs on network TV and streams from early evening. The drop starts at 11:59 PM Eastern, which is 8:59 PM Pacific.
TV and streams run a few seconds or more behind real time. Use this page or your phone clock for the last 10 seconds, so your room hits zero on time.
Many cities run late trains and buses on New Year's Eve, and ride-share prices jump after midnight. Plan the trip home before the party starts.
Eat 12 grapes at midnight as they do in Spain, wear something new, open the front door to let the old year out, or write down one goal for 2027.
New Year's Eve Dates for the Next Five Years
New Year's Eve 2026 is Thursday, December 31, 2026. Here are the dates through 2031, with the days left to each one.
| Year | Date | Weekday | Days away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | December 31, 2026 | Thursday | 63 |
| 2027 | December 31, 2027 | Friday | 428 |
| 2028 | December 31, 2028 | Sunday | 794 |
| 2029 | December 31, 2029 | Monday | 1,159 |
| 2030 | December 31, 2030 | Tuesday | 1,524 |
| 2031 | December 31, 2031 | Wednesday | 1,889 |
Related Countdowns
New Year's Eve closes the holiday season. These countdowns sit on either side of it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is New Year's Eve a federal holiday?
No. December 31 is a regular working day for federal offices. New Year's Day on January 1 is the federal holiday.
Are banks and stores open on New Year's Eve?
Most banks, stores and post offices open on December 31, often with shorter hours. Banks and post offices close on January 1.
What time does the ball drop?
The Times Square ball starts to drop at 11:59 PM Eastern time and lands at midnight, 60 seconds later. That is 10:59 PM Central, 9:59 PM Mountain and 8:59 PM Pacific.
Does this countdown run to midnight on New Year's Eve?
It runs to the start of December 31 in your time zone, when New Year's Eve begins. For the countdown to midnight and January 1, use the New Year's Day countdown.
Does this countdown use my local time zone?
Yes. The timer reads the time zone from your device and counts to midnight at the start of December 31, 2026 where you are.
Does the timer update without refreshing the page?
Yes. The seconds tick every second and the day count moves at your local midnight, with no refresh needed.
What happens when New Year's Eve arrives?
On the day itself the countdown shows that New Year's Eve is here. The next day it switches to New Year's Eve 2027, Friday, December 31, 2027. The same link works every year.