Which city’s annual New Year's Eve event is known as the ball drop?

New York City’s annual New Year’s Eve event is known as the Times Square ball drop.

The ceremony takes place in Times Square in Manhattan, where a large illuminated sphere descends from One Times Square during the final minute of the year. The drop began in 1907 and has continued as one of the most recognizable public countdowns in the world, although wartime restrictions caused interruptions to the normal celebration in the 1940s.

The event combines the ball descent with musical performances, a countdown, and confetti released over the crowd. Millions of people watch through television and online broadcasts, while hundreds of thousands may gather in the surrounding streets depending on the year.

The phrase “ball drop” can refer to other countdown events, but capitalized references to the New Year’s Eve ball drop most commonly mean New York City’s Times Square ceremony. It is distinct from the dropping of a time ball used historically to signal midday.