New Year’s Eve celebrations: Festivities will be different

In any other year, huge crowds would jam-pack cities big and small to ring in the New Year, but for 2020 the celebrations will be different.

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Instead of throngs of revelers shoving together to watch the ball drop in the heart of New York City, Times Square is expected to be relatively empty, with guests being limited to first responders and essential workers watching the Big Apple ring in 2021 from private, well-spaced areas around the normally crowded city streets, The Associated Press reported.

The live performances that normally fill the time until midnight will still go on but will be geared more to television audiences who are celebrating the new year at home, organizers announced in September, according to WCBS.

Performers include Andra Day who will sing “Rise Up,” “Forever Mine” and John Lennon’s “Imagine” just before midnight. Gloria Gaynor will sing “I Will Survive” and two other songs.

There will also be performances by Jennifer Lopez, Billy Porter, Cyndi Lauper, Jimmie Allen, Machine Gun Kelly, Anitta, Pitbull, The Waffle Crew and the USO Show Troupe.

Click here for the schedule of performers.

Streets around Times Square will be closed to not only vehicles but also pedestrians and spectators, New York City Police warned earlier this week.

One thing that won’t change will be the flurry of confetti being fired as the clock strikes midnight. Tuesday night was the dress rehearsal for the confetti release, with it being thrown from the marquee of the city’s Hard Rock Cafe, UPI reported.

A literal ton of bits of colorful paper will be released Thursday night, WCBS reported. The slips of paper will include thousands of wishes submitted either in person or digitally over the past few weeks.

New York isn’t the only city that will look and feel different as 2020 ends and 2021 begins due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

There will be no pyrotechnic show at the Brandenberg Gate in Germany, the AP reported.

London will not have fireworks set off over the River Thames, but there will be 12 bell rings at midnight by Big Ben.

The Netherlands has moved its national countdown from a park to a soccer stadium, but spectators will not be allowed to attend.

Rome will have fireworks, but concerts will be held virtually. Even Pope Francis has changed his traditional trip to visit a life-sized Nativity scene in St. Peter’s Square and has moved his yearly blessing inside.

Rio de Janerio officials will only allow residents in the Copacabana neighborhood instead of the massive amounts of party goers who would normally enjoy the now-canceled fireworks, concerts and parties.

Some countries have instituted an official lockdown as people in Poland have been told to stay home between 7 p.m. Thursday and 6 a.m. Friday, while Turkey will start a four-day lockdown starting Thursday, with security forces sweeping hotels for illegal parties, the AP reported.

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