New Year's Eve Performers, Schedule 2021: Times Square, Hollywood and New Orleans

By James Crowley On 12/30/20 at 8:00 AM EST

Culture New Year's Eve TV New year Television

Champagne, countdowns and fireworks are all staples of New Year's Eve, but musical performances are often the highlights of the night. Whether it's the familiarity of Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve on ABC or the humorous Toast and Roast on Fox, each network has their own spin on how to welcome in the New Year, with tons of performances and celebrity appearances.

Now, because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, televised performances will of course be more limited than in years past. But there will still be plenty to keep you entertained while you're waiting for the clock to strike midnight and for the ball in Times Square to drop.

The TV networks will feature a fair share of performers from various locations, but most of the performances appear to be broadcast from New York and Los Angeles. The entire list of hosts and performers who will help ring in 2021 can be found below, along with scheduling notes.

Times Square

The most famous place to ring in the New Year will undoubtedly seem strange this year. People will not be allowed to congregate in Times Square, like in normal years when the Manhattan district's streets are flooded with tourists. That doesn't mean that the area will be completely empty, though.

Actor Jonathan Bennett will host a special New Year's Eve webcast from Times Square. The show will be commercial-free and streamed on a number of sites, including TimeSquareNYC.org. Viewers should also expect a tribute to the "Heroes of 2020," honoring the first-responders and essential workers who were integral during the COVID-19 pandemic. And Gloria Gaynor is slated to take the stage as well, to perform a handful of her songs, most notably "I Will Survive."

Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve (ABC)

As usual, Ryan Seacrest will host ABC's annual NYE event. He will be joined by actress Lucy Hale and actor Billy Porter, the latter of whom had hosted the 2020 special's New Orleans event.

R&B star Ciara will handle the West Coast event, and musician Big Freedia will host the New Orleans bash, where Maroon 5 keyboardist PJ Morton will welcome the New Year with a rendition of "Auld Lang Syne."

Musical performers for this sprawling show include Kinky Boots composer Cyndi Lauper (whom Porter will join), country singer Jimmie Allen, Nelly, Miley Cyrus, Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion, according to Billboard. Dick Clark Productions has also announced that Jennifer Lopez will headline the musical portion and perform just before the ball drops.

Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve will begin at 8 p.m. ET and run until 2 a.m. ET.

New Year's Eve Toast and Roast (Fox)

Comedians and actors Ken Jeong and Joel McHale will team up to kiss 2020 goodbye on Fox's New Year's Eve programming. The show will feature The Masked Singer winner Leann Rimes, Gloria Estefan, and viral star Doctor Elvis. It's also expected to boast performances from Ava Max, Gabby Barrett, Green Day and John Legend, as well as appearances by Cheyenne Jackson, Jane Krakowski, Leslie Jordan, Mayim Bialik, Morris Chestnut, Randy Jackson, Tim Allen and Tom Payne.

The pair will broadcast from Los Angeles beginning at 8 p.m. ET until 10 p.m., and then pick back up at 11 p.m. and go until 12:30 p.m.