Watch CBS News

Taylor Swift, Idina Menzel Among Stars Ringing In 2015 In Times Square

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- For those braving the cold in Times Square for New Year's Eve, organizers have a show for you.

"We've got Taylor Swift, Florida Georgia Line," Jeffrey Straus with Countdown Entertainment told WCBS 880's Jim Smith. "We've got Idina Menzel, OAR, American Authors, Alejandra Guzmán, Jencarlos Canela."

The performances kick off at 6 p.m. And there will be practice countdowns every hour.

Taylor Swift, Idina Menzel Among Stars Ringing In New Year At Times Square

The celebration is on a much larger scale than decades ago, Straus said.

"I've been doing this for 20 years, and when I started, it was just a ball coming down a flagpole," he said. "And now we have 6 1/2 hours of multimedia entertainment."

MORE: Times Square New Year's Eve Live Event Schedule

Times Square Alliance President Tim Tompkins said there's nothing quite like that moment at midnight.

"You really feel blessed to be in New York and to be part of this global celebration of the good things in life, no matter how crazy the world is," he said.

Straus noted that the party is not just confined to Times Square.

"There's over 190 million Americans counting down together at the same time," he said. "I can't think of any other time in our lives where we're all doing the same thing at the same time."

Tompkins said that's because so many people believe in the power of hope.

"There's a possibility of something being a little better next year," he said.

You May Also Be Interested In These Stories

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.