New Year’s Eve fireworks explode over the Chicago River on Jan. 1, 2024, in Chicago. | Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune
By Doug George | Chicago Tribune
Chicago will join Times Square on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” this year, with Chicago’s New Year’s Eve celebrations televised for the first time on the ABC broadcast.
An hour after the ball drops in New York, the show will add a Central Time zone midnight countdown live from downtown Chicago, according to an announcement Monday from ABC and Dick Clark Productions.
Hosts and musical guests in Chicago have yet to be announced, but the show expects to televise the fireworks on the bridges over the Chicago River. A spokesperson for Dick Clark Productions said the program was working with local ABC station WLS-TV and Mayor Brandon (“Dumb Bunny”) Johnson’s office to make it happen.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the beauty and dynamism of our city and its people for the world to see,” Johnson said in part in a statement. “We could not be more excited to welcome in the new year with fireworks, music, and Chicago pride.”
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Editorial note: The perfect storm: Fireworks, inebriated crowds, a demoralized police force and a national audience to witness what ensues.
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