Boston’s First Night will feature performances all day on December 31, beginning at noon and culminating with the Boston Harbor Fireworks Produced by the Friends of Christopher Columbus Park and the First Night Copley Countdown at midnight. The full First Night Schedule can be found at firstnightboston.org. Below are highlights from the schedule according to the website: 1pm: Emancipation Proclamation Concert at Trinity Church, 206 Clarendon St.—Handel and Haydn Society and the Museum of African American History co-present the Emancipation Proclamation Concert, a celebration of liberty and freedom.
Join H+H musicians to commemorate Boston’s historic central role in the abolition movement, to celebrate the spirit of progress for human rights, and to recognize the role of music in creating an alliance and belonging. 1:30, 2:15, 3:00, 3:45: Puppet Showplace Theater, Outside the Copley Place Mall, 100 Huntington Ave.—Take your family for an animated and family-friendly puppetry show by the Puppet Showplace Theater.
Showtimes between 1:30 – 4:15 p.m. They will be performing at an outdoor space outside the Copley Place Mall. 3 p.m. and 4 p.m: Boston Youth Chamber, Boston Public Library—McKim Building—The Boston Youth Chamber is a unique collection of young, talented, classically-trained musicians from around the Boston. They serve communities throughout Massachusetts by performing their repertoire of classical pieces and popular songs. Watch them perform at an outdoor space outside the Boston Public Library in Copley. 4pm: Greater Boston Chinese Cultural Association (GBCCA) Cultural Dance and Music Performance, Copley Square—Join the Greater Boston Chinese Cultural Association (GBCCA) to learn and celebrate Chinese culture through traditional and high energy dance & music performances. 5:50pm: Opening Ceremony and Celebrate Boston Procession, Copley Square—Giant puppets, motor vehicles, woodwind instruments. Join us again this year for the Celebrate Boston Procession featuring colorful and celebratory groups that will parade from Copley Square to Boston Common! 7pm: City of Boston’s Family Fireworks Produced by the Mugar Foundation & the City of Boston, Boston Common: Enjoy a spectacular Fireworks display over the Boston Common, brought to you by The Mugar Foundation and The City of Boston.
Midnight: Fireworks over the Harbor, Boston Harbor: Welcome the New Year with a breathtaking Fireworks display over the Boston Harbor at midnight, brought to you by The Friends of Christopher Columbus Park. First Night Copley Countdown, Copley Square—Celebrate the New Year with the highly anticipated Pyrotechnics & Light Show at midnight, with live music at the Copley stage and a multi-sensory display above the Fairmont Copley hotel.