Times Square New Year’s Eve celebration going virtual this year

Time's Square's New Year's Eve celebration, an annual tradition which features hundreds of thousands of people (mostly tourists) crammed into a few New York City blocks, is unsurprisingly going virtual this year with the coronavirus pandemic still in effect. This will be the first time there won't be a NYE celebration in Times Square since World War II when the "dimout" rules kept it from happening in 1942 and 1943.

"One thing that will never change is the ticking of time and the arrival of a New Year at midnight on Dec. 31," said Tim Tompkins, president of the Times Square Alliance, in a statement. "But this year there will be significantly new and enhanced virtual, visual and digital offerings to complement whatever limited live entertainment or experiences—still in development—will take place in Times Square. And because any opportunity to be live in Times Square will be pre-determined and extremely limited due to COVID-19 restrictions, there will be the opportunity to participate virtually wherever you are. Because more than ever in these divided and fear-filled times, the world desperately needs to come together symbolically and virtually to celebrate the people and things we love and to look forward with a sense of renewal and new beginnings."

Stay tuned for what what the virtual Times Square celebration will look like, and what ABC might have in store for its annual New Year's Rockin' Eve.

Meanwhile, the 2020 East Village Halloween Parade has been canceled and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is not happening either.

See ya next year.