Chicago will ring in 2024 in spectacular style, with the return of a New Year’s Eve fireworks show along the Chicago River at Wacker Drive.
The event will be held in partnership with Art on the Mart projections on the Merchandise Mart’s facade (222 W. Merchandise Mart Plaza), featuring highlights of artists’ works from the past five years.
The festivities begin at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 31 with the Mart showcase, followed by a countdown to the new year, which will also project onto the side of the iconic building.
Guests are invited to watch the show along Upper Wacker Drive from McClurg Court to Franklin Street, though riverfront access will be restricted beginning at 11 p.m.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter here.
Bridges on Franklin, LaSalle, Clark, Dearborn and State Streets will all close beginning at 11:45 p.m. The bridges are expected to reopen at 12:15 a.m. The bridge on Columbus will also be closed during that time.
Bridges on Wabash and Michigan Avenue will remain open.
A fireworks display and countdown at Navy Pier will take place at the lakefront as well.
Admission to Navy Pier for the show is free, but there is a cost for parking, according to officials.
“Chicagoans have the unique ability to find hope and resilience in each day and New Year’s Eve is the foundation of beginning a new year with the same unbridled optimism,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson, via the official announcement in conjunction with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.
The Mart projections will feature the following artists and works, according to Wednesday’s announcement:
- Jonas Denzel: “explore”
- Nick Cave: “Ba Boom Boom Pa Pop Pop”
- Derrick Adams: “Funtime Unicorn: Ruby Rides Through Four Seasons”
- Charles Atlas: “The Geometry of Thought”
- Wills Glasspiegel and Brandon Calhoun: “Footnotes”
- Jan Tichy: “Artes in Horto — Seven Gardens for Chicago”
- Jason Salavon: “Homage in Between (Chicago Art, 20th Century)”
- Spectralina: “Woven”
- Yuge Zhou: “Love Letters”
- Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project: “The Big Bang: Movement Theory + the Black Dancing Body”
For more info, visit Chicago.gov/NYE.
At Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave., a 10-minute fireworks celebration takes place at midnight following a countdown to the new year. Arrive early (crowd capacity may be reached as the evening goes on); admission to the pier is free, but there is a fee for parking. Visit navypier.org for more details.
‘A Very Chicago New Year': NBC 5 to welcome 2024 with Billy Corgan, other musicians
NBC 5's annual, Emmy-nominated "A Very Chicago New Year" will bring in an all-star lineup of hosts and performances, including Chicago music legend and Smashing Pumpkins founder Billy Corgan and his wife, fashion designer Chloe Mendel.
Beginning at 11 p.m. CT on Dec. 31, "A Very Chicago New Year" will feature celebratory parties throughout the Chicago area, with Chicago Today hosts Matt Rodrigues and Cortney Hall in Bridgeport at the newly-renovated Ramova Theatre, and NBC 5 anchor Evrod Cassimy and Country Music Television host Marley Sherwood at the iconic Palmer House in downtown Chicago. Contestants from the hit Netflix reality show "Love is Blind" will also make appearances.
Corgan and Mendel will offer an evening of performances from their popular teahouse, Madame ZuZu's in Highland Park, featuring sets from some of Chicago's most talented jazz musicians.
Special musical performances include singer-songwriter and three-time Latin Billboard Music Award winner Ivan Cornejo, indie rock sensation Mt. Joy and appearances from Billy Corgan & Friends.
