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Chicago Welcomes 2026 With Riverwalk Fireworks Under Tight Security

Expanded security followed recent incidents across downtown.

Overview

  • Fireworks launched at midnight from bridges between Orleans and Columbus along the Chicago River, closing the celebration’s main sequence.
  • The evening program featured live performances and ART on THE MART projections before the countdown.
  • Chance the Rapper headlined a segment carried on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, which featured the show’s first Central Time Zone countdown.
  • River traffic was shut from Franklin to Columbus from 11:30 p.m. to 12:15 a.m., with Dearborn, Clark, LaSalle, Wabash and Columbus bridges closed starting at 11:30 p.m.
  • NBC Chicago streamed the river display live, while FOX 32 aired local coverage from TAO Chicago, and CTA trains and buses were free from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.