The annual Times Square ball drop begins at 11:59 p.m. on New Year's Eve.
At one minute before midnight, the illuminated ball begins its descent down the flagpole at One Times Square. It reaches the bottom exactly at midnight, marking the start of January 1. The timing creates the familiar final-minute countdown heard by the crowd and television audiences.
The descent is distinct from the broader evening program, which begins much earlier with performances, appearances, and the ceremonial lighting of the numerals for the coming year. The ball does not start falling at midnight; midnight is when the drop finishes.
Times Square's ball tradition began in 1907 after fireworks were prohibited for the newspaper's celebration. The ball has been redesigned several times, becoming larger, brighter, and more technologically advanced while preserving the one-minute descent as its central ritual.