3 days Ago By Elma Aksalic
An estimated one million people are expected to descend on Times Square in New York City to ring in the New Year, with preparations in full swing for the big celebration. “I look forward to it, I get excited every time we are about to watch the ball drop,” Seacrest said. The over five-hour-long broadcast will be filled with live performances from music’s biggest stars, surprise guest appearances, and crowd interaction, leaving Seacrest to be hands-on with pre-show preparation.
This involves running through the entire show beforehand and a delicious meal, which over the years, typically includes barbecue. Expecting the unexpected is also part of any New Year’s celebration, and on the East Coast, the weather can be unpredictable, something Seacrest says makes the show that much more interesting. “The weather is always a great memory because it creates a story.
I think it’s going to be warm but raining for the whole show this year. But when it is challenging outside, it makes for a little more fun,” he said. A fast-moving storm is anticipated to bring heavy rainfall to the area on Dec.
31, stretching anywhere from the mid-Atlantic to the Northeast but temperatures will be on the warmer side. In the hours leading up to midnight, rainfall amounts are expected to average up to an inch, the heaviest on New Year’s Eve in recent years. Notably, Underwood will be joining the event for the third time this year, and The Jonas Brothers are celebrating, like Seacrest, 20 years together as a band.
Seacrest shared why the celebration is so meaningful, and the impact it leaves on him. “We are all together, our differences don’t matter, for about a minute or two at the start of the year, and that is something that is so rare and so significant and so special. And it’s magical to watch.
” Meanwhile, the final crystal triangles were installed last week on the Time’s Square New Year’s Eve ball, replacing all 2,688 pieces for the first time in a decade. In years to come, a new ball will take its place and bring new patterns, shapes, and linear cuts to a revamped design and 117-year tradition. “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest” airs New Year’s Eve on ABC starting at 8 p.
m. ET, and will also be available for streaming on Hulu..
