Celebrate New Year’s Eve at Downtown Buffalo’s 37th Annual NYE Ball Drop & Fireworks Celebration at the Electric Tower – Presented by M&T Bank. That was the message of Mayor Christoper P. Scanlon, who gathered today with presenting sponsors, donors and other supporters, to extend a public invitation to this year’s celebration on Tuesday, December 31, 2024, from 10:00 p.m. to midnight, at Roosevelt Plaza in Downtown Buffalo. The NYE Ball Drop & Fireworks celebration includes live music, the ceremonial ‘Dropping of the NYE Ball’, and a spectacular fireworks display, starting at midnight.
“We hope families and friends from Buffalo and around the region will join us on Tuesday night, December 31st, as we ring in 2025 at the Electric Tower in Downtown Buffalo,” said Mayor Christopher P. Scanlon. “This is a longstanding tradition for many families and a great chance for us to come together, enjoy some wintry fun, while celebrating the start of a new year. Special thanks to our Presenting Sponsor M&T Bank and our other dedicated partners for their longstanding commitment to make this event possible.”
Buffalo’s New Year’s Eve gathering is the second largest such celebration in New York State and the City of Buffalo is proud to be the largest supporter of this annual event. Throughout New Year’s Eve, the city will have police officers, firefighters, parking and DPW crews stationed at Roosevelt Plaza to ensure that all remains safe and festive. The city is proud to partner on the production process for this event with a dedicated team that includes the Police Athletic League (PAL) of Buffalo, Buffalo Place and Iskalo Development Corporation.
“Buffalo Place Inc. and our Board of Directors are pleased to partner with Mayor Christopher P. Scanlon, the Buffalo Police Athletic League, and Iskalo Development to present the 37th Annual Buffalo Ball Drop and Fireworks event,” said Michael T. Schmand, Executive Director of Buffalo Place Inc. “Thanks to the generous support of our Presenting Sponsor, M&T Bank, this cherished New Year’s tradition will light up Downtown Buffalo and ring in 2025 in spectacular fashion.”
“The Iskalo family and the dedicated staff at Iskalo Development are excited to welcome in the New Year at the Ball Drop at the Electric Tower again this year,” stated Paul B. Iskalo, founder and CEO of Iskalo DevelopmentBCorp. “This year will mark the 37th consecutive year of the Ball Drop at the Electric Tower event and Iskalo Development’s 21st year as host. This joyous annual gathering of residents and visitors in Roosevelt Plaza not only salutes the end of 2024 and celebrates the beginning of a new year, but it’s one of our community’s great traditions.”
The NYE Ball Drop & Fireworks Celebration in Downtown Buffalo is presented by M&T Bank. “As M&T continues to grow across the northeast, we have not forgotten our roots. Our focus on our hometown remains as strong as ever,” said Keith Belanger, M&T Bank Senior Executive Vice President of Corporate Services. “We remain deeply committed to Buffalo. The New Year’s Eve Ball Drop is a chance to celebrate our hometown city with hope, reflection, and connection, all which couldn’t be more important as we come to the close of 2024 and ring in 2025.”
DJ Jickster of 97 Rock will serve as the host of the 37th Annual NYE Ball Drop, which will feature live stage performances, beginning at 10:00 p.m. by some of Buffalo’s Best musicians, including Will Holton, a smooth and savvy saxophonist with an international reputation on the jazz scene. Buffalo’s own The Strictly Hip will also perform. The Strictly Hip are the Masters of the music of The Tragically Hip and have spent years and thousands of performances respectfully and accurately recreating the music of Canada’s most popular rock band. The event will include the dropping of the New Year’s Eve Ball from atop the historic Electric Tower, followed by fireworks at midnight. Skylighters of WNY will shoot the fireworks show and choreograph it to classic rock and seasonal music favorites. The NYE Ball Drop is an important fundraiser for the Police Athletic League (PAL) of Buffalo. Proceeds will be used to support PAL’s year-round athletic and enrichment programs to help ensure thousands of City youth get the support they need to thrive and grow.
“The annual New Year’s Eve Ball Drop is an exciting occasion where families across Buffalo can ring in the New Year together”, said Nekia Kemp, executive director of The Police Athletic League of Buffalo. “On behalf of the PAL Board of Directors, chaired by Mayor Chris Scanlon, we are grateful to the Ball Drop sponsors for supporting our continued efforts in raising significant funds that will directly benefit PAL youth who take part in our year-round sports, education, and enrichment programs in safe, City-wide recreation facilities in partnership with the Buffalo Police Department.”
Entertainment and concert sponsors are as follows: Development, Frey Electric, National Fuel and National Grid. AAA’s Safety Foundation, Carmina Wood Design, Douglas “Every 39 minutes in this country, a life is taken in a drunk driving crash. The latest numbers from 2022 show an uptick with 13,524 deaths that could have been prevented,” said Elizabeth Carey, Director of Public Relations at AAA Western and Central New York. “There’s a lot of excitement as we prepare to ring in 2025, but first, AAA is reminding partygoers to pause and plan ahead for any celebrations with ride sharing, taxi, designated driver, or an overnight stay. Anyone using alcohol or drugs should not get behind the wheel. Let’s wrap up 2024 with joy and excitement rather than sorry and regret.”
Carmina Wood Design President and CEO Steve Carmina said, “The team at Carmina Wood Design is pleased to play a part in this year’s NYE Ball Drop & Firework Celebration. As in previous years, investing in the Police Athletic League of Buffalo remains a priority of ours, given the importance of this organization to the youth of Buffalo. We wish everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous 2025!”
“On behalf of National Grid, we wish our customers in the City of Buffalo a happy and prosperous New Year,” said National Grid Regional Manager Kenneth Kujawa. “We’re always looking forward to celebrating the Buffalo Ball Drop with the City of Good Neighbors. 2025 is a special year for Frey Electric. It will mark our 80th year in business!” said James Waddell, Marketing Communications Manager for Frey Electric.
Other sponsors include: 2025 Buffalo Auto Show, DiDonato Associates, Uniland Development, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.
“The Niagara Frontier Automobile Dealers and Buffalo Auto Show are very excited and proud to be a sponsor of the Ball Drop and PAL. PAL spearheads numerous initiatives that make a difference in the lives of countless youth in Buffalo. We commend the dedication of the organizers and volunteers of the NYE Ball Drop who promise yet another first-class event for all of WNY to enjoy,” said Paul Stasiak, President, NFADA “As we come together to celebrate the New Year’s Eve Ball Drop with Mayor Scanlon and the whole city, the Roswell Park family wishes everyone across our community a wonderful 2025,” said Ellen Grant, PhD, LCSW-R, Senior Executive Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.
“With an extra thought for those who are lonely or struggling right now, we wish you a healthy, peaceful new year full of meaningful, happy moments.”
For those holiday revelers planning to visit Downtown Buffalo for New Year’s Eve, City officials issued a reminder that the City of Buffalo provides several safe, accessible, and affordable parking options through Buffalo Civic Auto Ramps (BCAR). All are conveniently located in walking distance to downtown attractions, including the ball drop. For a complete list, visit: https://www.buffalony.gov/1733/Downtown-Parking-Ramps” 97 Rock and WKBW-TV are this year’s media sponsors. For those who don’t plan on heading downtown to attend the NYE Ball Drop in Buffalo, they can watch the NYE Ball descend live on 7 ABC just before midnight.
Both the Buffalo Ball Drop and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest will be highlighted on the screen. 7 News will live stream its coverage from the ball drop at midnight on the 7 News WKBW Facebook, WKBW.com, the 7 WKBW mobile app, and the WKBW app on your favorite streaming device.
The testing of the “NYE Ball Drop” is scheduled for Monday, December 30th at noon, at Roosevelt Plaza.