Another year, another New Year’s Eve from home. After the highs and lows of 2021, we’re right back where we rang in the year — at home under the recommendation of medical professionals owing to yet another COVID-19 surge. (You weren’t planning to go to that packed club, were you?) But New Year’s Eve has always been a good holiday to spend at home: Just take your pick of a TV special, put on your pajamas, pop a bottle of Champagne, and you’re set. And speaking of the specials, they’re bountiful this year, from the usual suspects in Times Square to Miley Cyrus in Miami. (One casualty of the Omicron surge? Fox’s Toast & Roast, which was set to return for a second year with hosts Joel McHale and Ken Jeong. Sorry, Community heads!) Here’s your guide to all the New Year’s Eve specials you can watch to ring in 2022.
Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve
Who: Ryan Seacrest, Liza Koshy, Ciara, Billy Porter, Roselyn Sánchez, and Jessie James Decker host; Chlöe, Avril Lavigne & Travis Barker, Daddy Yankee, Big Boi, Polo G, Karol G, Måneskin, Walker Hayes, French Montana, Journey, AJR & Daisy the Great, Don Omar & Nia Garcia, Masked Wolf, Macklemore, OneRepublic, and Mae Muller perform
What: The traditional Times Square performances and ball drop, plus celebrations from Los Angeles, New Orleans, and San Juan, Puerto Rico
Where: ABC
When: 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. ET
Why: If you’re one for tradition, there’s no better option than New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. And if you’re down to try something new, it’s got that covered too, with plans to ring in 2022 from San Juan, Puerto Rico, for the first time at midnight Atlantic standard time, or 11 p.m. ET. (Never can make it to midnight anyway? This is the special for you!) Just try not to pay too much mind to the thousands gathered to watch the ball drop in Times Square amid the Omicron surge.
Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party
Who: Miley Cyrus and Pete Davidson host; Cyrus, Saweetie, Jack Harlow, Billie Joe Armstrong, Brandi Carlile, 24kGoldn, Anitta, and Kitty Ca$h perform
What: Some surprises, given the team-up of Cyrus and Davidson and that it’s the special’s first year
Where: NBC, Peacock
When: 10:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. ET
Why: Why not? That seems to be the attitude of NBC, which booked the odd couple of Miley Cyrus and [checks notes] Pete Davidson, to host a special from [checks notes again] Miami, featuring performances by everyone from [checks notes yet again] Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong to Grammy–winning singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile to rapper Jack Harlow. You can’t honestly think it won’t be entertaining. (And maybe we’ll even get a new Miley cover.)
New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash
Who: Bobby Bones and Rachel Smith host; Miranda Lambert, Sam Hunt, Dierks Bentley, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Darius Rucker, Lady A, Zac Brown Band, Brooks & Dunn, Blake Shelton, Kelsea Ballerini, Jon Pardi, Gabby Barrett, Carly Pearce, Jimmie Allen, Cole Swindell, Ingrid Andress, Breland, Chris Janson, Lainey Wilson, Riley Green, and King Calaway perform
What: Country performances from across Nashville, including honky-tonks, rooftop bars, and the Bicentennial Mall, culminating in the city’s midnight music-note drop
Where: CBS, Paramount+
When: 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. ET
Why: Central time tends to be a second thought on New Year’s Eve specials. (And don’t get started on the poor folks out in Mountain time.) Not this year, with CBS betting big on Nashville for its first New Year’s Eve special in over two decades. Let’s just hope you like country music, because the network plans to pack in five hours of it.
CNN’s New Year’s Eve Live
Who: Anderson Cooper, Andy Cohen, Don Lemon, Alisyn Camerota, and Dulce Sloan host; Katy Perry, Patti LaBelle, Duran Duran, Earth, Wind & Fire, Patti LuPone, William Shatner, Amanda Gorman, Leslie Jordan, David Arquette, and Cheri Oteri perform
What: Cooper and Cohen host from Times Square; Lemon, Camerota, and Sloan host from a Central-time celebration in New Orleans; Perry headlines the performances from her Las Vegas residency Play; CNN reporters go live from celebrations across the country
Where: CNN
When: 8 p.m. ET
Why: Yes, we still miss Kathy Griffin, but the comedic power of watching usually serious news hosts like Cooper and Lemon get drunk on television is undeniable.
All-American New Year
Who: Pete Hegseth, Rachel Campos-Duffy, and Will Cain host; Emily Compagno, Judge Jeanine Pirro, the Gutfeld! team, Dan Bongino, Griff Jenkins, Lawrence Jones, Jimmy Faila, Ainsley Earhardt appear; John Rich, Eddie Montgomery, John Elefante, Ken Block & Drew Copeland, Lindsey Ell, and Sixwire perform
What: Fox News hosts helm a celebration from Nashville’s Wildhorse Saloon, complete with musical performances, comedy from Failla and the Gutfeld! team, line dancing, and a Times Square scavenger hunt
Where: Fox News
When: 10 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. ET
Why: If you’re a fan of Sister Hazel (two of the band’s members, Block and Copeland, are performing), a dedicated Gutfeld! viewer, or someone looking for fodder for a sick and twisted drinking game, here’s that special.
Phish: New Year’s Eve Live!
Who: Phish!
What: Three full sets streamed from Madison Square Garden in lieu of the Phish’s usual New Year’s Eve shows, presented as part of the jam band’s “Dinner and a Movie” series complete with lemon-themed recipes
Where: YouTube, SiriusXM Phish Radio, Phish.com
When: 8:30 p.m. ET
Why: Resolved to get into jam bands in 2022? Already planning to end the year by lighting up? Looking for an excuse to make some lemon bars? Regardless, might as well start the New Year with a good soundtrack.
