For New Year's Eve in NYC at Times Square, go only if you are happy to stand in a pen for many hours with no restroom. Last year the ball began its drop at 11:59 p.m. and the viewing areas opened at 3 p.m. No tickets were needed or sold. Take the subway to a station near Times Square, not to 42nd Street. All of this is last year's pattern from the Times Square Alliance's FAQ, which we read on 12 October 2026. The 2026 plan is not posted.
What the Alliance's page says now
The Times Square Alliance runs the event. Its FAQ page says "As we approach New Year's Eve 2025" and its main New Year's Eve page still shows the 2025 edition. The page mentions a 2026 webcast once, which looks like a leftover. We treat everything here as last year's pattern.
Hours: Ball: raised to the top of One Times Square at about 6 p.m., then a 60-second drop starting at 11:59 p.m. (Times Square Alliance NYE FAQ, last year's edition, read 12 Oct 2026)
Hours: Viewing areas: open at 3 p.m., first come, first served. Access points on 45th, 49th, 52nd and 56th Streets, from 6th and 8th Avenues (same page)
Note: Best view: along Broadway from 43rd to 50th Streets, and on Seventh Avenue as far north as 59th Street. The sound system is in the Bowtie, where Broadway and Seventh Avenue cross (same page)
The rules that decide whether you can do it
Booking: Tickets: none are needed or sold for the outdoor celebration. Tickets are needed only for private parties in Times Square hotels and restaurants (Times Square Alliance, same page)
Note: Banned last year: backpacks, large bags, umbrellas, lawn and folding chairs, picnic blankets, large coolers, alcohol, drones, weapons and large items that block a view. All bags are searched. Public drinking is illegal in New York City (same page)
Note: No portable restrooms and no licensed food or drink vendors in Times Square during the celebration. If you leave your viewing area to eat, you cannot return to your spot (same page)
If you need a restroom or must sit, do not plan to stand in the viewing area. Watch from a hotel or restaurant with a view, or on the webcast. The Alliance lists businesses that have a view of the ball, including the Renaissance New York, the Marriott Marquis and the Knickerbocker. Parties need tickets in advance.
Getting there by subway on 31 December
The Alliance says the best way to come is public transit. Its list of lines for the area is the 1, 2, 3, 7, A, B, C, D, E, F, M, N, Q, R, W and the S shuttle. Some trains do not run on weekends. 31 December 2026 is a Thursday.
| Station | Last year's change | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Times Square-42 St | 42nd Street entrances close. Use the 41st Street entrances | About 10 a.m. |
| 49 St (N, R, W) | Bypassed. The "Olive Garden" exit closes at 4 a.m. | Noon to about 12:15 a.m. |
| 50 St (1) | Bypassed | Noon to about 12:15 a.m. |
Subway: The MTA has told people in past years not to use 42nd Street on New Year's Eve and to use nearby stations and walk in. The MTA ran extra service on the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, C, D, L, N, Q, R and S lines (Times Square Alliance, same page). For live changes call 511 or use mta.info
Getting there: Entry on the evening of 31 December is from 6th or 8th Avenue only. No one crosses Broadway or 7th Avenue once the streets close. 6th and 8th Avenues closed at about 4 p.m. 7th Avenue closed from 42nd to 48th Streets at 4 a.m., and from 38th to 59th Streets at about 11 a.m. (same page)
Leaving is the hard part, and we have no official guidance for the walk out. The Alliance says the bypassed stations are skipped until about 12:15 a.m. Decide your exit station before you go in.
A car makes it worse
Streets close from the morning. A car, a taxi or a rideshare cannot get close. This is a night where the subway and your feet are the plan.
What is checked here and what is not
Checked on 12 October 2026: the Times Square Alliance's New Year's Eve FAQ page and its main New Year's Eve page, both showing last year's edition.
Not checked: the 2026 ball drop time, the 2026 viewing rules, which subway stations are bypassed in 2026, the NYPD's 2026 notice, any 2026 performer list, and whether the text alert service runs in 2026. Also not checked: any hotel or restaurant party, since each business sets its own tickets and prices. We did not attend for this page.
