Here's where to watch the New Year's Eve countdown to 2025 live from Canada for free

You've got options! 🥂

​Rita Ora and Ryan Seacrest at the iconic Times Square ball drop. Right: Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper on New Year's Eve 2024.

Rita Ora and Ryan Seacrest at the iconic Times Square ball drop. Right: Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper on New Year's Eve 2024.

Senior Copy Editor

The countdown to 2025 is on, and if you're in Canada, you might be wondering where you can watch the clock tick down to midnight to ring in the New Year.

Whether you want to watch the iconic ball drop in Times Square or you're looking for a celebration in a different time zone, you have so many options for counting down to the New Year from right here in Canada — many of which don't require a cable account or any other subscriptions to watch!

Here's everything you need to know about watching the New Year's Eve countdown to 2025 live from Canada.

Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest

If you're looking for a longtime classic, get ready to ring in 2025 with one of the most iconic New Year's Eve celebrations: Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest. This star-packed party brings performances from Times Square, the West Coast, Puerto Rico and beyond to ring in the New Year in every time zone across North America.

The star-studded New Year's Eve special will serve up musical legends like Canadian icon Alanis Morissette, Lenny Kravitz, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Kesha, Luis Fonsi, Natasha Bedingfield, TLC and T-Pain.

Ryan Seacrest, joined by this year's co-host Rita Ora, will be live in New York City's Times Square as the ball drops. The event starts at 8 p.m. ET on December 31 and can be found in Canada on ABC or CityTV — and you can even stream it live for free on the CityTV website if you don't have a cable account.

New Year's Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen

Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen are teaming up again to bring their signature charm and hilarious banter to CNN's New Year's Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen. This year's celebration kicks off at 8 p.m. ET and features a star-studded lineup, including celebrity guests like Shania Twain, 50 Cent, Sting, Meghan Trainor, Patti LaBelle, Lil Jon, Diplo and more.

Cooper and Cohen will be live in Times Square to watch the ball drop, but the party doesn't stop there! CNN will take you around the world with live reports from London, Paris, Key West, and even Atlantis. You can catch the countdown on CNN in Canada.

New Year's Eve Live: Nashville's Big Bash

If you're a fan of country music, New Year's Eve Live: Nashville's Big Bash is the place to be! Hosted by Keith Urban and Rachel Smith, this five-hour celebration features over 40 live performances, including from Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Chris Stapleton, Post Malone and Lainey Wilson. It's all happening live from Music City, with Nashville's famous Music Note Drop at the Bicentennial Mall marking midnight CT.

The show includes epic collaborations and covers of iconic country hits, making it a must-watch for fans in every time zone. But if you're in Saskatchewan or Manitoba, this Central Time Zone countdown is especially perfect for you! Tune in on December 31 starting at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. Canadian viewers can catch it with a cable subscription or on Paramount+.

Canada Live! Countdown 2025

Looking for a truly Canadian way to ring in the New Year? CBC's Canada Live! Countdown 2025 has you covered with a night of comedy, music and live celebrations from coast to coast to coast. The festivities kick off with the 22 Minutes New Year's Eve Pregame Special at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, where the award-winning cast of This Hour Has 22 Minutes delivers a hilarious satirical sendoff to 2024, joined by special guests like Colin Mochrie and Alan Shane Lewis.

Then, it's time for the live countdown with Canada Live! Countdown 2025, hosted by Adrienne Arsenault and Jann Arden from Toronto's Harbourfront Centre, and Ian Hanomansing and Ali Hassan from Vancouver's VanDusen Botanical Garden. The broadcast will take you through celebrations in every time zone, complete with special messages, surprise moments and a spotlight on parties across the country.

Catch it live on CBC TV, CBC Gem, CBC Radio, or CBC's YouTube channel starting at 9 p.m. in each time zone. Perfect for connecting Canadians from Newfoundland to B.C., this is the ultimate way to ring in the New Year!

Happy New Year, Canada!

  • Avery Friedlander (she/her) is the Senior Copy Editor at Narcity and MTL Blog, specializing in service journalism and making complicated topics feel simple and digestible. A true copy editor and fact checker at heart — armed with a Bachelor of Journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University) — Avery loves doing deep dives into complex subjects and scouring the internet to round up all the important details so you don’t have to. From decoding government benefits and tax tips to letting you know what’s open on holidays, she’s all about giving readers practical info they can actually use. When she’s not simplifying the fine print or grammar-policing, you can find her uncovering the best local adventures in and around her hometown of Ottawa.

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