NEED TO KNOW
- The Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball is being replaced for the ninth time in over a century
- Waterford, the Official Crystal of Times Square New Year’s Eve, is debuting a Ball that features 5,280 handcrafted circular crystals in November
- The first-ever New Year’s Eve Ball debuted back in 1907
The iconic Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball is getting a whole new look!
PEOPLE can exclusively reveal that, for the ninth time since the first-ever New Year’s Eve Ball debuted in 1907, Times Square will see a brand new crystal orb descend as millions of people watch on December 31.
Waterford, the official crystal of Times Square New Year’s Eve, will be returning after a two-year hiatus to debut a new ball adorned with 5,280 handcrafted Waterford crystals in November.
“The Times Square ball is more than just an icon of celebration. It’s a canvas for artistry and light. Each Waterford crystal disc is meticulously crafted to capture and reflect brilliance, creating a spectacle that transforms precision into poetry,” Emily Brophy, senior brand activation manager and global brand ambassador for Waterford, tells PEOPLE exclusively.
“To see our crystal illuminate one of the world’s most celebrated moments is to witness craftsmanship at its highest calling, where beauty, heritage, and innovation converge in a single, breathtaking display,” she adds.
Times Square’s New Year’s Eve Ball, circular crystal.
Waterford
Along with featuring 2,592 more crystals than last year’s, the new and improved New Year’s Eve ball will be the first to showcase circular crystals in three sizes instead of triangular ones.
Each crystal disk will feature a unique pattern meant to express the year’s theme — “Infinite Joy, Infinite Light, Infinite Beginnings” — and is intended to embody the balance between reflection and renewal.
One Times Square, the 26-story building the ball drop happens on top of, is also debuting a new Premium Ball Experience that will allow visitors to have a hand in removing one of last year’s crystals and replacing it with a 2026 facet. They’ll also get to take home a 2025 crystal as a souvenir.
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Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball, circular crystals.
Waterford
The first-ever New Year’s Eve ball in Times Square was lowered in 1907 to celebrate the opening of the new headquarters of the New York Times, now located just a few blocks away. The first iteration was made of iron and wood, weighed 700 lbs. and was covered in 100 25-watt light bulbs, per Waterford. The ball has been lowered every year since with the except of 1942 and 1943 during WWII, according to the Times Square Organization.
On the 100th anniversary of the ball drop in 2007, the lightbulbs were replaced with LED technology, dramatically increasing the brightness and range of colors on the ball. The current, permanent frame work for the ball is twelve feet in diameter and weighs about six tons.
