New Year’s Rockin’ Eve 2026 Details Revealed: Chance the Rapper and Julianne Hough Join the Star-Studded Lineup

If your New Year’s resolution is to watch famous people freeze in Times Square while pretending it’s totally glamorous, congratulations Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2026 is coming in hot. ABC and Dick Clark Productions dropped fresh details on the annual confetti-coated spectacle, and for once, the updates are genuinely worth popping the early champagne for. With new co-hosts, expanded city coverage, and enough star wattage to power the Times Square Ball, this year’s bash looks like it might actually shake up the long-running tradition.

The big headline: Chance the Rapper is stepping in as Chicago co-host, giving the Central Time Zone countdown a hometown hero upgrade. It’s the kind of booking that instantly adds personality to a segment that often feels like Times Square’s less glamorous cousin. Chance isn’t just dropping in; he’s leading the countdown and representing the Midwest with the kind of earnest charisma that might even convince viewers that Chicago in late December is a great place to stand outside.

Not to be outdone, Las Vegas is getting its own energy boost with Rob Gronkowski returning to co-host because of course he is alongside Julianne Hough, who joins the franchise for the first time. If anyone can match Gronk’s chaotic enthusiasm, it’s Hough, whose stage presence and hosting polish should give Vegas the glossy, high-voltage feel it’s been missing.

Back in New York, Ryan Seacrest holds down the fort with Rita Ora, who returns to help helm the main Times Square countdown. It’s a pairing that works as Seacrest brings reliability, Ora brings sparkle and together they anchor the multi-city celebration that continues to grow bigger every year. Puerto Rico’s details are still under wraps, but the franchise rarely misses with that segment.

With last year’s telecast pulling more than 29 million viewers at midnight, ABC clearly isn’t messing around with its 2026 slate. The show promises another hefty performer lineup (yet to be revealed), and if past years are any indication, expect the kind of pop spectacle that sparks half the New Year’s trending topics.

This year’s Rockin’ Eve looks more dynamic, more city-driven, and dare we say more fun than it’s been in a while. Whether you’re tuning in for the music, the countdowns, or just to judge everyone’s winter styling choices, the 2026 edition is shaping up to be a night worth watching. And yes, you can fully expect The TV Cave to be right there with you, snacks in hand and snark locked and loaded. Cheers to that.