Special to the Sun
First Night Boston, New England’s largest New Year’s Eve party, returns to celebrate the start of 2023 in Boston’s Back Bay. The free and family-friendly event runs from 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 31, 2022 through 12:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 1, 2023, and resumes on New Year’s Day with live performances in Copley Square from 11:00 a.m. to 1:40 p.m. The event features a wide range of local musicians, artists, and performers at indoor and outdoor venues through the Back Bay.
Annually uniting hundreds of thousands of Boston’s visitors and residents, First Night brings dazzling ice sculptures, the “First Night Boston Parade”, a laser and pyrotechnic show, and two sets of fireworks to excited audiences. Local performers will step into the spotlights at Boston Public Library, Copley Place, Boston Common, and surrounding churches. From organ concerts to hip-hop, country music to figure skating, a full schedule and event details are now available at www.firstnightboston.org.
New for 2023, the event’s main stage in Copley Square will move across the park to the front of Boston Public Library. Dartmouth Street will be closed to vehicle traffic between St. James St. and Boylston St. during the hours of the event. The ice sculpture pavilion will be centrally set in front of Trinity Church, and built to honor the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party.
Steeped in tradition, the world’s longest-running First Night celebration showcases the beauty of Boston and its performers in a night of light, music, and ice. Among the event’s leading sponsors are the Greater Boston Visitors and Convention Bureau, Mass General Brigham, Amazon, and the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority. Interested donors are invited to visit www.firstnightboston.org, where donations of any amount can be easily made.
For more information on First Night Boston 2023 please visit www.FirstNightBoston.org or follow on Facebook, @FirstNight on Twitter, @firstnightboston on Instagram, or follow the conversation using #FirstNightBoston.
First Night Boston is a project of Boston Celebrations, Inc. Boston Celebrations is a 501 (C) (3) non-profit organization that hosts the annual New Year’s Eve celebration in the city of Boston. The citywide celebration features family-friendly traditions such as a parade down Boylston Street; handcrafted ice sculptures; performances from local musicians and artists, and of course, the highly anticipated “Copley Countdown” to the New Year, that kicks off the much-anticipated spectacular midnight pyrotechnic show. Family friendly entertainment options will be offered at Boston Public Library, at Old South Church, Trinity Church, the First Church of Christ, Scientist, and the Copley Place Mall. All First Night Boston activities are free and open to the public. For more information and a list of events, visit www.firstnightboston.org.