For the first time ever, Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest will count down to midnight live from Chicago, and the national broadcast will be hosted by Chicago native and 3-time Grammy Award-winner Chance the Rapper.
Chance will also be performing on stage with Shemekia Copeland, J. Ivy, DJ Mike Dunn and DJ Mike P. on the main stage on the corner of West Wacker Drive and North Franklin Street. The show starts at 7pm tomorrow night with performances beginning at 9pm and Chance will take the stage for his national countdown and performance shortly before midnight.
He talked to Val Warner at ABC7 yesterday, saying, "I think our Chicago performers and our crowd out there is going to be excited. It's the world stage, all the cameras pointed at Chicago... I get to introduce this global city to the world."
If you want to see this historic event in person, gates to the viewing area open at Wacker at Wells or Lake Street at 5pm. There will be increased security downtown and limits on what you can bring into the area.
CTA, Metra & Pace are all offering free late-night rides on New Year's Eve in their service areas around Chicagoland.
