Jennifer Lopez To Headline Times Square New Year's Eve Show

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Times Square will sit empty when the ball drops to ring in the new year, but some famous faces are still set to perform during the televised event on Dec. 31.

Jennifer Lopez will headline this year's "Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2021," organizers announced Tuesday. The event will air on live from Times Square starting 8 p.m. Eastern on ABC.

Other performers will include Billy Porter, Cyndi Lauper and Jimmie Allen.

The event will be closed to the public due to the coronavirus pandemic, but Times Square will also host a commercial-free webcast on its website.

The one and only @JLo is returning to the #RockinEve stage to headline from Times Square! Join us LIVE December 31st at 8/7c on ABC. pic.twitter.com/Mf7nhO7KnH
— New Year’s Rockin’ Eve (@NYRE) December 15, 2020

The Times Square ball drop has taken place almost every year since 1907, when it was first held as a promotional event for the New York Times, which owned the building at One Times Square.

The drop was suspended in 1942 and 1943 during World War II, but crowds still gathered in Times Square and marked the new year with a minute of silence, according to the Times Square website.

The telecast will air until 2 a.m. on Jan. 1. Seacrest, who is hosting for the 16th consecutive year, will be joined by Porter and actress Lucy Hale. A separate broadcast from Los Angeles will be hosted by the singer Ciara.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

Related: Times Square New Year's Eve Goes Virtual Due To Coronavirus