The Freedom Ball: raised at 6, dropped at 11:59
August 21, 2026
The Freedom Ball is the signature of Charles Pedota's Spectacular New Year's Eve. It rises at 6:00 PM ET as the broadcast opens, sits above LaMonica Tower through the night, and drops at 11:59 PM to bring in 2027.
The ball raise is immediately followed by the opening welcome and the National Anthem, performed this year by Chelsea Pedersen.
The drop itself is sixty seconds long — the final countdown of the six-and-a-half hour show. Red Tomato Urban Pizzeria is this year's Ball Drop sponsor.
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