CBS' 'Nashville's Big Bash' with Keith Urban, Dustin Lynch: Time, guests, where to watch
Keith Urban and Rachel Smith are hosting CBS' 'Nashville's Big Bash' to ring in the new year. Performers will include Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Post Malone and Shaboozey
2025 is less than a day away and Times Square is ready for its New Year's Eve celebrations.
Rapper Pitbull unveiled the New Year’s Eve Ball for 2025 on Friday and helped install the final tiles along in the gigantic orb.
This year's New Year’s Eve Ball, symbolizing "unity and enduring love," according to Times Square, is a geodesic sphere, measuring 12 feet in diameter and weighing 11,875 pounds. The ball is covered with 2,688 glass tiles and measures 12 feet in diameter.
Multiple networks will be hosting their own bashes, including CBS, which will have a country twang for its celebration. Here's what to expect and how to watch.
How to watch and stream CBS' NYE special
CBS' "Nashville's Big Bash" will be hosted by country recording artist Keith Urban and Miss USA 2007 Rachel Smith. The show, scheduled to air live on Tuesday, Dec. 31, will begin at 8 p.m. ET/PT and go on until 10 p.m. before taking a half-hour break and resuming at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT and going on until 1:30 a.m. The show will air on the CBS Television Network and will also be available to stream on Paramount+.
Country star Dustin Lynch and WCBS-New York weather anchor Lonnie Quinn "will count down with the East Coast at midnight ET for New York’s Ball Drop," CBS said in a news release.
CBS said the five-hour broadcast "will feature a staggering hit parade of more than 40 back-to-back performances live from the home of country music."
"Nashville will count down with the East Coast at midnight and keep the party going through midnight Central Time with the city’s renowned Music Note Drop at the Bicentennial Mall stage," the news release said.
Guests include Big & Rich, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Tyler Hubbard, Miranda Lambert, Post Malone, Parker McCollum, Shaboozey, Brittney Spencer, Chris Stapleton, Zach Top, Lainey Wilson, Alana Springsteen, Montana Jordan, comedians Bert Kreischer and Leanne Morgan, and Bunnie Xo.
Watch 'Nashville's Big Bash': Subscribe to Paramount+
When is the ball drop?
The Times Square Ball Drop celebration will kick off shortly before 6 p.m. ET on Dec. 31 and the New Year's Eve Ball will be raised to the top of the pole at One Times Square. At exactly 11:59 p.m. ET, the ball will make its 60-second descent down the flagpole to signal the start of the new year.
More than 3,000 pounds of confetti will also be dropped at midnight to mark the New Year.
Who is performing?
The Times Square New Year celebrations will include performances by Lenny Kravitz, Mark Ambor, Mickey Guyton, Carrie Underwood, Megan Moroney, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, the Jonas Brothers, TLC, Greeicy, De La Ghetto, Kapo, and the dance group AGNEW, among others.
Underwood will perform just before the ball drops at midnight with a medley of some of her biggest hits, followed by Guyton, who then perform the special Times Square New Year tradition of singing John Lennon’s “Imagine” moments before the ball drop.
How to watch Times Square ball drop
While multiple broadcasting corporations will be airing the New Year's Eve celebrations live on their TV channels and streaming platforms (details below) audiences can also catch the live webcast on Times Square's official website starting 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 31.
"Enjoy commercial-free, webcast coverage of the festivities leading up to the Ball Drop at midnight, including backstage access, behind-the-scenes stories and interviews with performers and other celebrities," Times Square says on their website.
A livestream with open captions and American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will also be available on YouTube.
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Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for Paste BN. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.