Come Tuesday night, let’s ring out the new year with typical Boston fashion, which means lots of live music, ice skating, fireworks and dazzling light shows. We’ve put together a list of events and activities that are happening over the long weekend, comedy shows, concerts, museum exhibits and more.
We wish everyone a happy and healthy 2021.
New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Eve parties
Celebration of the first night 2021
Tuesday 31 December
Since 1975, celebrating First Night First Day in Boston has been the most popular way to end the current year and start the next in Boston. This year’s event, which offers free family entertainment, is expected to attract more than 200,000 people. Most of the action takes place in and around Copley Square. Live musical performances, on the main stage of Copley Square, begin at 11:45 a.m. Tuesday with the performance of the three-part Dempsey Sisters harmony vocal troupe. Other bands performing include female singers Sweet Harmony, Boston-based retro rock group Morningbird and hip-hop / soul artist Daniel Laurent. You can also see a skating show sponsored by the Boston Skating Club at Frog Pond in Boston Common. And the central branch of the Boston Public Library in Copley Square will host free family activities and comedy events throughout the day.
The annual procession from Copley Square to Boston Common begins at 6 p.m., and will feature giant puppets, a Chinese dragon, and dancers. Be sure to stick to the Common after the procession for a fireworks display at 7 p.m.
As midnight approaches, Copley Square will come to life during its annual County Countdown, with live music by Liz Bills, Roxbury vocalist Najee Janey, and this year’s headliner, Single By Sunday, which rises to the stage at 11:30 p.m. and play until midnight. The countdown includes a fireworks and midnight light show. There will also be fireworks at Boston Harbor. The best viewing sites are in Christopher Columbus Park, Fan Pier and Piers Park.
Boston First Night is free to the public. Find a full calendar here.
Concerts
New Year’s Eve with the Boston Pops Swing Orchestra and the Hot Sardines
Tuesday 31 December
The annual Boston Pops New Year’s Eve concert features Hot Sardines, a New York-based jazz band. The two groups will come together to perform covers of jazz songs and originals, channeling the music of New York speakers, Parisian cabarets and New Orleans jazz venues. Doors open at 8:30 pm before the show starts at 9:30 pm and there will be a cash bar with several dining options.
Tickets, which range from $ 45 to $ 145, can be purchased here.
Boston Baroque New Year’s Eve and First Day Concerts
Tuesday 31 December and Wednesday 1 January
Head to Harvard University’s Sanders Theater on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day to hear the Grammy-nominated Boston Baroque, which tackles two masterpieces by Johann Sebastian Bach and “Nothing in mundo pax sincera ”by Antonio Vivaldi. The musical director and professor of music and historical performances at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Martin Pearlman, will conduct the orchestra. Tickets are almost sold out, so act fast.
The New Year’s Eve show begins at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 31. The New Year’s Eve show begins at 3 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 1. Tickets range from $ 25 to $ 105 and can be purchased here for both shows.
Lil Dicky
Tuesday 31 December
Lil Dicky, a Philadelphia suburban rapper known for hits such as “Professional Rapper (feat. Snoop Dogg)”, “$ ave Dat Money (feat. Fetty Wap & Rich Homie Quan)” and the “Earth” music video, He will perform at Big Night Live on New Year’s Eve, and the show is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m., and tickets are available for the standing rooms.
Tickets can be purchased here.
Theater and comedy shows
New Year’s Eve party at Laugh Boston
Tuesday 31 December
Laugh Boston, a comedy club in the Seaport district, will host a New Year’s Eve comedy show that will sound in 2021. The lineup features well-regarded local performances such as Will Noonan, Sean Sullivan and Laura Severse. The show will begin at 7:30 p.m., and Laugh Boston serves bar food, small starters and cocktails.
Tickets for Laugh Boston’s New Year’s Eve party can be purchased here.
Museums
The Polar Express 4-D experience at the Science Museum
Tuesday 31 December and Wednesday 1 January
The Science Museum brings the holiday classic The Polar Express to life in multisensory effects in 4-D. Based on the children’s book that won the Caldecott Medal, the short film tells the story of a boy who embarks on a magical adventure at the North Pole on Christmas Eve. An entrance ticket to the showroom and a time ticket are required, so check the website for available times.
General admission is $ 28 for adults, $ 24 for children ages 3 to 11, and $ 23 for seniors. Admission is free for members. 4-D theater tickets have an additional $ 6 supplement for non-members and $ 5 for members. Exhibition times vary from day to day – check the daily schedule and buy tickets here.
December holiday week at the Museum of Fine Arts
Thursday, December 26 to Tuesday, December 31
The museum invites people of all ages to participate in a series of light-based hands-on activities. This year, visitors will have the opportunity to emulate an artistic technique of Persian mirror glass mosaic, create rainbow art after learning how rainbows go and create a version of what they think it would be a place with endless light.
December holiday week activities are offered daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Dec. 26-31. Activities are free with admission to the museum. Admission hours and prices are here (free for BU students and faculty / staff with ID).
Ice skating
Boston Common Frog Pond
Surrounded by tree-lit holiday lights, Boston Common Frog Pond offers storage lockers, lessons, skate sharpening and rentals (visitors can also bring their own). The Frog Pond was chosen outdoor skating rink of the year by USA Today in 2018. Be sure to visit the cafeteria for hot chocolate and other delicious treats.
The annual First Night Skating Spectacular, sponsored by the Boston Skating Club, returns with a free show starting at 6 p.m. with the 2018 Mirai Nagasu Bronze Olympic Medal.
The rink is open to public skating from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. (10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays) throughout the holiday season, but closed on Christmas Day. (The track will close to the public at 3 p.m. on Dec. 31 for the Frog Pond Skating Spectacular and will remain closed after the show.) Children under 58 inches are allowed free, seniors pay $ 6. Skate rental costs USD 12 for adults and USD 6 for children. Box offices cost $ 5 and skate sharpening is $ 10 per pair. Ticket sales end 30 minutes before closing. You can find more information here.
Kendall Square
The outdoor ice skating rink of the @ Kendall Square community offers a great experience for skaters of all ages and skill levels. The track is open from mid-December to mid-March, weather permitting, so check out their Facebook page for updates. The rink offers skating lessons for beginners, skate rental, skate sharpening and a cafeteria. Here you will find a complete list of prices and services.
Kendall Square Ice Skating is located at 300 Athenaeum St., Cambridge. The hours for @ Kendall Square Community Ice Skating are here. Admission is $ 5 for adults, $ 3 for students with IDs and seniors, and $ 1 for children 13 and under; skate rental costs $ 8 for everyone except children under 13 ($ 5).
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