Cooper and Cohen Ring In 2026 on CNN With Tequila Shots, Viral Banter and Big-Name Performances

Overview

• The ninth year of CNN’s New Year’s Eve Live began at 8 p.m. ET and ran past midnight on cable and via the CNN.com/AllAccess subscription service, as well as CNN’s apps.
• Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper opened with tequila shots and kept the hourly ritual going, reviving the tradition that briefly paused in 2022.
• Viewers lit up social media over the hosts’ outfits—especially Cohen’s metallic blue puffer—and the pair’s increasingly tipsy on-air antics.
• The special featured performances and appearances from Robyn, Shakira, Brandy and Monica, Bryan Adams, Florence + The Machine, Raye, Patti LaBelle, Michelle Williams, Brandi Carlile, Aloe Blacc, Stephen Colbert, B.J. Novak, Leanne Morgan and Sarah Sherman.
• Banter ranged from swapping notes on Ryan Seacrest’s texts to a lively exchange with Stephen Colbert, while CNN correspondents reported live from Times Square, New Orleans, the Bahamas, Greater Lauderdale and Prescott, Arizona.