The First Night lineup includes music, ice skating, and more
Enjoy more than 12 hours of activities before the evening's finale welcomes 2020 with a bang.
has been a fixture of the city’s New Year’s celebrations for more than four decades.
This year, between 11:45 a.m. on Dec. 31 and 12:30 a.m. on Jan. 1, you can attend an array of activities and performances by comedians, dancers, musicians, and puppeteers. The festivities culminate with a midnight fireworks show over the harbor.
Check out the schedule below and make a note of which events — all free, by the way — you don’t want to miss.
Main Events
6 p.m.
Opening Ceremony and People’s Procession from Copley Square to Boston Common
6 p.m. Frog Pond Skating Spectacular Presented by The Skating Club of Boston on the Boston Common
7 p.m. City of Boston’s Family Fireworks by the Mugar Foundation on the Boston Common
12 a.m. Midnight Fireworks Presented by Boston Harbor Now on the Boston Inner Harbor
Boston Public Library — Johnson Building
Commonwealth Salon
- 12 p.m. Dancing Buns Studios (Dance classes)
- 1:30 p.m. Drumming About You
- 2 p.m. Drumming About You
- 2:30 p.m. Drumming About You
- 3 p.m. Drumming about you
- 3:30 p.m. Drumming About You
- 4 p.m. Drumming about you
Rabb Lecture Hall
- 12 p.m. Responders (Musical performance)
- 1:15 p.m. Improv Boston
- 2:30 p.m. Improv Boston
- 3:45 p.m. Improv Boston
Newsfeed Café
- 12 p.m.The Stephen Bates Quartet
- 1 p.m. The Stephen Bates Quartet
- 2:15 p.m. Neptune’s Car (Musical performance)
- 3:15 p.m. Jesse McKellar (Musical performance)
- 4:15 p.m. Boston Youth Chamber
Boston Public Library — McKim Building
McKim Exhibition Hall
- 1 p.m. GBCCA: Arts & Crafts and Cultural Performances
Guastavino Room
- 12 p.m. Boston Sax Quartet
- 1 p.m. Boston Sax Quartet
Copley Place Mall
12 p.m.
Chu Ling Dance Academy (Dance performances)
1:30 p.m. Puppet Showplace Theater
2 p.m. Puppet Showplace Theater
2:30 p.m. Puppet Showplace Theater
3 p.m. Puppet Showplace Theater
3:30 p.m. Puppet Showplace Theater
Copley Square
11:45 a.m.
Dempsey Sisters (Musical performance)
12:20 p.m. Sweet Harmony (Musical performance)
1 p.m. Elliot Wren (Musical performance)
1:20 p.m. BAND, Inc. (Musical performance)
2 p.m. Amber Ais (Musical performance)
2:20 p.m. Morningbird (Musical performance)
3 p.m. Jonah Bencal (Music performance)
3:20 p.m. Paco (Musical performance)
4 p.m. Sam Chetkin (Musical performance)
4:20 p.m. Sensation (Musical performance)
5 p.m. Sol y Canto (Musical performance)
5:20 p.m. Vocal Revolution (Musical performance)
6:30 p.m. Maddi Ryan (Musical performance)
7:30 p.m. Alli Haber (Musical performance)
8:10 p.m. Daniel Laurent (Musical performance)
8:30 p.m. GreenLight Jazz Orchestra
9:10 p.m. Liz Bills (Musical performance)
9:30 p.m. Najee Janey (Musical performance)
10:10 p.m. Savasha (Musical performance)
10:30 p.m. Sons of Levin (Musical performance)
11:30 p.m. Copley Countdown with Single By Sunday
12 a.m. Midnight Pyrotechnics and Light Show
First Church of Christ, Scientist
4 p.m.
First Night Organ Concert
Old South Church
3 p.m.
The King of Instruments
6:30 p.m. Pipes and Pops Concert
8 p.m. Pipes and Pops Concert
Sheraton Boston Hotel
4 p.m.
New Year’s Eve Concert with Vere Hill
Trinity Church
1 p.m.
Handel and Haydn Society Emancipation Proclamation Concert
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