NEW YORK — The confetti has been tested for airiness. The giant numerals – 2 0 2 4 – are in place. And the luminous ball, bedazzled with 2,688 crystal triangles, is fixed to the pole from which it makes its 60-second descent at 11:59 pm.
With throngs of revelers set to usher in the new year under the bright lights of Times Square, officials and organisers say they are prepared to welcome the crowds and ensure their safety.
At a security briefing Friday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said there were “no specific threats” to the annual New Year’s Eve bash, which is expected to draw tens of thousands of people to the heart of midtown Manhattan on Sunday.
The celebrity-filled event will include live performances from Flo Rida, Megan Thee Stallion and LL Cool J, as well as televised appearances from Cardi B and others. Organisers said in-person attendance is expected to return to pre-Covid levels, even as foot traffic around Times Square remains down slightly since the pandemic.
Amid near-daily protests in New York sparked by fighting between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza, police said they would expand the security perimeter around the party, creating a “buffer zone” that will allow them to head off potential demonstrations.
Pro-Palestinian marches have disrupted recent events in New York, including the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the ceremonial lighting of the Rockefeller Centre Christmas tree.
“We will be out here with our canines, on horseback, our helicopters, our boats,” Adams said. Officials will also monitor protests with drones, he said. “But as we saw last year, after having no specific threats, we get a threat.”
