Goodbye, 2021! Must-watch New Year's Eve specials for every taste
If your idea of a solid New Year's Eve is kicking it from home, do it with some entertainment and check out these TV specials airing Friday night.
Just because New Year's Eve is known for being the quintessential party night of the year, hitting an NYE party or staying up at the bar until 2 AM isn't everyone's idea of a good time.
Maybe you're all about a New Year's bash whilst also being team get-home-by-10 PM, or perhaps you're trying to play it safe to round out the oscillating mess that was 2021.
If you're hitting a rager you plan to dip out early from or intend on welcoming the new year whilst laying horizontally on a couch, wrapped in a fuzzy blanket with a bag of Skinny Pop and a bottle of cheap sparkling wine within reach – there are plenty of TV specials that are banking on your viewership.
So get ready to say "Au revoir!" to 2021 and "Bonjour!" to 2022 with these New Year's Eve countdowns, concert specials, and more!
New Year's Eve TV specials
Miley's New Year's Eve Party with Pete Davidson
Miley Cyrus will take on primary hosting gigs alongside her co-host in Pete Davidson for the Lorne Michaels-produced NYE special, which will be broadcast live from Miami on NBC and the Peacock app.
The special will kick off at 10 PM EST and is slated to feature a slew of performances from the hottest names in music, such as Jack Harlow, Saweetie, 24kGoldn, and the legendary Brandi Carlisle.
New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash
CBS' inaugural NYE special will highlight the top names in country music while showing off all Nashville, Tennessee has to offer.
The five-hour broadcast itself will start at 8 PM EST on CBS, with live performances by artists such as Luke Bryan, Kelsea Ballerini, Zac Brown Band, Dierks Bentley, Sam Hunt, Gabby Barrett, Miranda Lambert, and more taking place at various locations across Nashville.
Dick Clark's New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest
The special of all NYE's special that's home to the infamous ball drop in Times Square might be scaled back this year due to concerns regarding the Omicron Covid-19 variant, but ABC is determined to hold its annual NYE event.
Unlike last year, the ABC special will host 15,000 guests to better adhere to social distancing requirements, and all guests must wear masks and be fully vaccinated to attend.
The six-hour special will get underway at 8 PM EST with a live broadcast on ABC and is set to feature performances by Avril Lavigne, Travis Barker, Chlöe, Macklemore with Ryan Lewis, and many more.
That's a no for me, dawg
On December 22, Fox announced it was calling its New Year's Eve Toast & Roast 2022 special off, citing the rapid spread of Omicron as a concern.
Fox Entertainment issued a statement on Twitter that read, "While we are confident in the health and safety protocols for Fox's New Year's Eve Toast & Roast 2022, the recent velocity of the spread of Omicron cases has made it impossible to produce a live special in Times Square that meets our standards."
While Fox had initially said it'd be replacing the special with something else, the network has yet to announce what that might be – if anything at all.
The show was set to be hosted by comedic geniuses in Joel McHale and Ken Jeong before Fox pulled the plug on the special.
Despite Fox removing itself from the list of NYE specials, there are still three solid options to watch whilst bidding adieu to 2021 in the comfort of your own home, with free snacks and drinks galore.
From the team at TAG24, we wish you a very happy and healthy new year!
Cover photo: IMAGO/MediaPunch