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It’s New Year’s Eve, and Gossip Cop is counting down the final hours of 2014! All night Wednesday we’ll have a live stream of the festivities leading up to the 2015 ball drop in Times Square, where thousands of people are anxiously awaiting for the clock to strike midnight.
The annual event, easily the most famous New Year’s celebration in the world, dates back to 1907, when revelers ushered in 1908 long before television cameras were around to document the experience live. As technology has changed over the years, so too has the ball itself. This year’s edition (pictured above) weighs a whopping 11,875 pounds and is made up of more than 2,500 crystal triangles.
Since 2010, the ball drop has been preceded by a performance of John Lennon’s “Imagine.” Past performers have included Cee Lo Green, Train, and Melissa Etheridge. O.A.R. will take the stage this year. And since 1996, a special guest has been chosen to activate the actual dropping. Actor-musician Jencarlos Canela will do the button-pushing honors this year, along with a group of refugees who emigrated to New York City. Joining them will be Mayor Bill de Blasio.
The live stream, which runs commercial-free for six hours, begins at 6 p.m Eastern with the ball being raised more than 700 feet in the air. Stay tuned! And Happy New Year!