First Night Boston has released its full schedule of performances for New Year’s Eve, which will fill City Hall Plaza and surrounding venues in the hours leading up to 2025.
Musicians, performers, and artists will perform in Boston’s downtown, with the stage, lights, and ice in City Hall Plaza serving as the event’s centerpiece. All events are free and open to the public.
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The festivities begin at noon with indoor performances at the Boston Public Market, CanalSide Food + Drink, and the Boston City Hall Civic Pavilion.
Little Groove will start off the performances at the Civic Pavillion, followed by the Boston Saxophone Quartet, The Lied To’s, and more. Fuller and Friends Organ Trio will kick-off performances at the Boston Public Market, while Chu Ling Dance Academy will showcase their traditional Chinese folk dances at CanalSide Food + Drink. Arts and crafts and cultural performances by the Greater Boston Chinese Cultural Association will fill the second floor of City Hall from 1-5 p.m.
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Beginning at 2 p.m., outdoor performances kick-off at the main stage with Hill House the Band, followed by Boston Music Project, Houston Bernard, and Koliba. The ice sculpture gallery will celebrate the 250th anniversary of Massachusetts.
The carousel on the Greenway offers free rides through the afternoon, and in Back Bay, the Organ Concert in the First Church of Christ Scientist begins at 3 p.m. Over at the Frog Pond in Boston Common, The Skating Club of Boston will put on its first of two figure skating shows at 3 p.m.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and others will speak from the main stage at 5:45 p.m., before the First Night Parade brings hundreds of performers to Boston Common for the 7 p.m. fireworks display above.
As the countdown continues, the tempo at City Hall picks up with Guess Method, DJ WhySham, and Nancia returning to First Night, joined by Veronica Robles, The Femmes, and STL GLD putting their local roots and vibrant sounds on display. The evening’s surprise headliner will be announced in the weeks ahead.
As the clock strikes midnight, a second fireworks display will set Boston Harbor aglow, with the best vantage points available at Christopher Columbus Park, the North End, and East Boston.
The fireworks and headlining performance will cap more than 12 hours of free entertainment, light shows, ice sculptures, and other family-friendly programming, ringing in 2025, and continuing the longest-running First Night celebration in the world.
For more information and to support First Night with a donation, the public is invited to visit www.firstnightboston.org.
Full First Night 2025 schedule below:
| Church of Christ Scientist | 250 Massachusetts Ave. | |
| First Church of Christ, Scientist – The Mother Church Extension | 10:00 a.m.- 6:00 p.m. | Enjoy free admission to the How Do You See the World? experience + Mapparium globe from 10:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m., a tour of The Mother Church at 11:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., and following the organ concert at 3:00 p.m. Visit the Christian Science Reading Room from 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. |
| First Night Organ Concert | 3:00 p.m.- 4:30 p.m. | Soul-touching performances from organists upon one of the world’s ten largest organs |
| CanalSide Food + Drink | 47 Cambridgeside Pl. | |
| Chu Ling Dance Academy | 12:00 p.m.- 1:15 p.m. | Chu Ling Dance Academy will perform traditional Chinese Folk Dances |
| Puppet Showplace Theater | 2:00 p.m.- 4:35 p.m. | Puppet Showplace Theater presents Magnificent Monster Circus, with three 20-minute shows at 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m., followed by 15-minute meet-the-puppets segments |
| Boston Public Market | 100 Hanover St. | |
| Fuller and Friends Organ Trio | 12:00 p.m.- 2:30 p.m. | Performances featuring jazz, funk, and soul music |
| City Hall Civic Pavilion | 1 City Hall Sq. (Entrance Congress St.) | |
| Little Groove | 12:00 p.m.- 12:40 p.m. | Little Groove will showcase their engaging music program designed for babies, toddlers and preschoolers |
| Boston Saxophone Quartet | 1:10 p.m.- 1:50 p.m. | Performing with Boston-area students and rising saxophone stars, BSQ is an experienced quartet of talented instrumentalists |
| The Lied To’s | 2:20 p.m.- 3:10 p.m. | Musicians Doug Kwartler and Susan Levine combine their soulful talents for an original set list |
| Chester Brezniak, Susan Jackson, and Adrian Jojatu | 3:30 p.m.- 4:10 p.m. | The trio will perform music of Beethoven, Muczynski, Ibert, Mozart, and Jobim |
| City Hall Second Floor | 1 City Hall Sq. (Entrance near Congress St.) | |
| Arts and Crafts Presented by Greater Boston Chinese Cultural Association | 1:00 p.m.- 5:00 p.m. | Arts and crafts for all to enjoy with Greater Boston Chinese Cultural Association |
| Performances by The Greater Boston Chinese Cultural Association | 1:00 p.m.- 5:00 p.m. | Opportunities to try out drumming and dulcimer, guzheng, and Chinese yo-yo. |
| Boston Common | ||
| Frog Pond Skating Spectacular | 3:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m. 5:30 p.m.- 6:30 p.m. | Two figure skating shows produced by The Skating Club of Boston |
| Family Fireworks | 7:00 p.m.- 7:15 p.m. | A spectacular Fireworks display over the Boston Common presented by the Mugar Foundation and the City of Boston |
| City Plaza Main Stage | 1 City Hall Sq. | |
| Hill House the Band | 2:00 p.m.- 2:40 p.m. | Performing a dynamic fusion of funk, soul, and pop |
| Boston Music Project | 3:00 p.m.- 3:40 p.m. | Creative youth development program highlighting students unleashing their musical creativity |
| Houston Bernard | 4:00 p.m.- 4:40 p.m. | A performance by a country artist with deep country music roots |
| Koliba | 5:00 p.m.- 5:40 p.m. | Bringing together musicians from two continents, Koliba will perform a blend of traditional and modern styles including West African rhythms, Hi Life, Reggae, Ska, Zouk, and more. |
| Zuleica Rosário | 6:30 p.m.- 7:00 p.m. | Performance by the up-and-coming singer from Cape Verde |
| Guess Method | 7:20 p.m.- 8:00 p.m. | Dance-inducing Indie-Funk powerhouse by the group, hailing from the Boston area |
| Veronica Robles | 8:10 p.m.- 8:30 p.m. | Performance by the Mariachi singer, musician, and Latin American folkloric dancer and choreographer |
| The Femmes | 8:50 p.m.- 9:30 p.m. | A performance by an all-woman and non-binary party band specializing in songs by female and non-binary artists |
| DJ WhySham | 9:35 p.m.- 9:45 p.m. 10:15 p.m.- 10:25 p.m. | Boston local whose eclectic music taste and innovative approach to music was formed right here in Boston |
| Nancia | 9:50 p.m.- 10:10 p.m. | Performance by Boston’s best R&B artist, including singing, dance, and energy |
| STL GLD | 10:30 p.m.- 11:10 p.m. | Performing songs that combine elements of Hip Hop, Rock, Punk, and Cinematic Orchestra |
| Headliner | 11:30 p.m.- 12:30 a.m. | Event headliner performance by an artist that will be announced closer to the event date |
| Boston Harbor | (Off of Long Wharf) | |
| Boston Harbor Fireworks | 12:00 a.m.- 12:30 a.m. | Breathtaking fireworks display over the Boston Harbor, brought to you by Meet Boston. |
