On Dec. 31, 2025, Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest staged its annual multi-city celebration, broadcasting live from New York City and satellite locations including Chicago, Las Vegas and Puerto Rico. The program, anchored by Ryan Seacrest with co-hosts Rita Ora, Rob Gronkowski, Chance the Rapper and Julianne Hough, featured performances and on-site arrivals from high-profile artists. Headliners and guest performers included Mariah Carey, Demi Lovato, 50 Cent, Charlie Puth, Madison Beer and K-pop group Le Sserafim, among others. The evening combined red-carpet arrivals, staged sets and on-air segments as the nation welcomed 2026.
Key Takeaways
- Event date and reach: The broadcast took place on Dec. 31, 2025, transmitting live from New York City with simultaneous coverage from Chicago, Las Vegas and Puerto Rico.
- Primary hosts: Ryan Seacrest led the special with Rita Ora present at promotional events; Rob Gronkowski, Chance the Rapper and Julianne Hough served as co-hosts on the broadcast.
- Notable performers: Mariah Carey, Demi Lovato, 50 Cent, Charlie Puth, Madison Beer and Le Sserafim were among the artists who performed during the special.
- Legacy acts and collaborations: Legacy artists including Diana Ross and New Kids on the Block appeared, reflecting a mix of contemporary pop, hip-hop and classic acts.
- Visual coverage: Deadline’s gallery documented arrivals and onstage moments with credited photography from Penske Media photographers on Dec. 30–31, 2025.
- Format continuity: The show maintained its established multi-site format, blending Times Square ball-drop coverage with satellite concert segments.
Background
Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve has been a staple of U.S. televised New Year’s Eve programming for decades, traditionally centered on the Times Square ball drop and anchored by high-profile hosts and musical acts. Since Ryan Seacrest joined as a principal host in 2006, the program expanded its scope, adding co-hosts and satellite broadcasts to broaden its entertainment offerings and audience reach. The 2026 edition continued that evolution by integrating televised sets from multiple cities and featuring both current charting artists and established stars to appeal to a wide demographic.
Producers have used the multi-city approach in recent years to diversify the musical lineup and manage production logistics across time zones. That model allows the show to showcase different genres and fan bases—pop, hip-hop, country and K-pop—within a single broadcast night. Media coverage and photo galleries typically highlight both red-carpet arrivals and performance moments, offering viewers a sense of the evening’s scale and celebrity participation.
Main Event
The live broadcast unfolded across several hours on Dec. 31, 2025, with Ryan Seacrest guiding viewers through performance packages, presenter segments and the climax of the Times Square ball drop. Rita Ora appeared at pre-show press events and joined Seacrest on-camera for segments, while co-hosts Rob Gronkowski, Chance the Rapper and Julianne Hough contributed on-location coverage and artist introductions. Camera crews cut between Times Square and satellite stages in Chicago, Las Vegas and Puerto Rico, keeping the energy varied and the pacing brisk.
Performances spanned generations and genres. Mariah Carey, a perennial New Year’s Eve presence, delivered a headline performance in the Times Square segment; other artists including Charlie Puth and Madison Beer performed live sets that were interspersed through the evening. K-pop group Le Sserafim represented the global pop contingent, while hip-hop representation included 50 Cent and guest appearances by artists connected to rap and R&B traditions. The show also featured legacy performances from Diana Ross and a full set from New Kids on the Block, offering nostalgia alongside contemporary fare.
Red-carpet arrivals provided additional spectacle. Deadline’s photo gallery captured a broad range of attendees—performers, presenters and celebrity guests—documenting arrivals on Dec. 30 and Dec. 31, 2025. Photographers credited in the gallery recorded moments from pre-show junkets through onstage performances, giving the public a behind-the-scenes view of logistics and celebrity interactions on the night.
Analysis & Implications
Programming strategy: The mixture of legacy stars and current charting artists is a deliberate programming choice designed to attract multiple demographic segments simultaneously. By featuring household names like Diana Ross and Mariah Carey alongside contemporary artists and K-pop acts, the broadcast sustains broad appeal—an important factor for advertisers and network reach on a high-viewership night.
Industry impact: For artists, performing on New Year’s Rockin’ Eve remains a valuable visibility moment. The show’s multi-city format increases the chance that a given act will be seen by a national television audience and amplified through social media highlights and photo galleries. For K-pop and international acts, the slot can mark increased penetration into U.S. mainstream broadcast events.
Production and logistics: Staging simultaneous live segments across cities carries higher coordination costs and operational complexity, from set design to satellite feeds. The continued use of this model suggests networks consider the investment justified by audience engagement and promotional value for featured artists. It also reflects broadcast TV’s adaptation to event-based programming as a counterpoint to streaming habits.
Future outlook: Expect the program to continue blending legacy and new talent while exploring more cross-platform integration—short-form clips, exclusive social content and tighter promotional tie-ins—to maintain relevance among younger viewers who consume highlights online rather than live on linear TV.
Comparison & Data
| Role | Person | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Main host | Ryan Seacrest | Anchored Times Square coverage |
| Co-host / Promo | Rita Ora | Appeared at junket events and on-air segments |
| Co-hosts | Rob Gronkowski, Chance the Rapper, Julianne Hough | Provided satellite and in-studio segments |
The table summarizes on-air roles credited during the Dec. 31, 2025 broadcast. Deadline’s photo coverage supplements this by documenting arrivals and on-stage moments from Dec. 30–31, 2025. While the special’s core remains the Times Square ball drop, satellite locations continue to expand the event’s musical and geographic breadth.
Reactions & Quotes
On-air and social reactions reflected a mix of celebration and commentary on the lineup and production scale.
“Happy New Year—let’s celebrate together.”
Ryan Seacrest (on-air)
This on-air sentiment framed the broadcast’s celebratory tone as viewers crossed into 2026. Seacrest’s role as guiding host continued to center audience-facing moments such as the countdown and transitions between segments.
“What a night for music and celebration.”
Rita Ora (press/junket remarks)
Rita Ora’s remarks at pre-show events underlined the show’s role as both a promotional platform for artists and a public celebration. Reaction to the lineup on social platforms emphasized performances by marquee names and the presence of cross-generational acts.
Unconfirmed
- Exact setlists for each performer: Full song lists performed by each artist have not been published in the gallery and remain unlisted.
- City-by-city performance assignments: While the broadcast covered New York City, Chicago, Las Vegas and Puerto Rico, precise mapping of every artist to a specific location was not fully documented in the photo gallery.
- Audience and ratings breakdown: Final viewership and demographic ratings for the Dec. 31, 2025 broadcast were not available in the Deadline gallery at the time of publication.
Bottom Line
Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve 2026 upheld its role as a national New Year’s showcase by combining Times Square spectacle with satellite performances and wide-ranging star power. The roster blended legacy acts and contemporary artists to maximize cross-generational appeal, while the multi-city format preserved the event’s logistical and promotional advantages.
For artists, the broadcast remains an important visibility platform; for viewers, it continues to offer a compressed, varied entertainment experience keyed to the midnight countdown. As broadcasters refine cross-platform strategies, expect future editions to deepen social integration and expand the mix of global acts to sustain relevance across audiences.