First Night Boston Will Mark 50th Year With Fireworks, Parade

Now in its 50th year, First Night Boston will usher in 2026 with performances, fireworks, and programming. This free, family-friendly event runs from noon on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, until 12:30 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026.

The event will feature entertainment on the main stage at City Hall Plaza, with daytime programming in Copley Square and other city locations. 

Conventures, a Boston-based event producer, is organizing the event with support from the City of Boston. Additional performance locations will include Boston Public Library, Copley Place Mall, Boston Common, and many others to be announced in the weeks ahead. 

Programming will showcase local talent across hip-hop, country, jazz, and classical genres. A complete schedule is available on the First Night Boston website.

According to an NBC10 Boston report, First Night Boston is expected to attract more than 400,000 attendees, who can enjoy ice sculptures, the First Night Boston Parade, a laser and pyrotechnic show, and two sets of fireworks.

The first set of fireworks, provided by the Mugar Foundation, will dazzle the skies at 7 p.m. over Boston Common. Midnight fireworks, sponsored by Meet Boston, will light up the first hour of 2026 over Boston Harbor.

Meet Boston and the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority are serving as the lead sponsors for First Night Boston.