Overview
- After the standard midnight descent, the Constellation Ball will relight in red, white and blue and drop again around 12:04 a.m. with an America250 design.
- The post-midnight moment will feature a patriotic pyrotechnic finale set to Ray Charles’ “America the Beautiful” with a shower of red, white and blue confetti.
- America Gives will debut at midnight as a national service initiative aiming to make 2026 the largest year of volunteer hours in the United States.
- The current Constellation Ball is the ninth and largest iteration, measuring about 12.5 feet in diameter, weighing roughly 12,350 pounds, and featuring 5,280 Waterford crystals with expanded LED lighting.
- A second public drop is planned for July 3, 2026, marking the first non–New Year’s Eve descent as New York City prepares broader semiquincentennial events.