First Night Boston

First Night Boston 2022: WATCH LIVE

The celebration was held online last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic

NBCUniversal Media, LLC

First Night Boston is holding its free, outdoor New Year's Eve celebration on Friday.

Organizers of the event, billed as New England's largest for the holiday, said they will follow COVID protocols set by the city and state and the events will be held outdoors at Copley Square and the Boston Common.

Crowds gathered to celebrate on New Year's Eve, but the festivities looked different amid this COVID surge.

"Guests are encouraged to wear masks in outdoor areas with crowds, and guests feeling unwell are encouraged to celebrate from afar by watching the event's livestream on www.nbc10boston.com," organizers said.

The festivities at Copley Square are being livestreamed on NBC10Boston.com, NECN.com and TelemundoNuevaInglaterra.com from 6:30 p.m. to 12:15 a.m. You can also watch live on all three stations' Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire apps.

Festivities are in full swing in Boston this New Year's Eve.

Last year's celebration was online-only, but First Night Boston for 2022 is returning to in-person events, bringing hours of performances back to the Back Bay along with ice sculptures, the People's Procession and fireworks.

After a solely online celebration last year, First Night will gather in-person throughout the Back Bay for hours of entertainment, ice sculptures, a parade and fireworks. The free, family-friendly event will run from 12 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 31, 2021 through 12:30 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022, and will feature a wide range of local musicians, artists, and performers. The Hub Today's Derek Zagami has all the details.

The free, family friendly event runs from 12 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 31, 2021, through 12:30 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022, and features a wide range of local musicians, artists and performers.

The city announced Thursday that vaccinations and COVID-19 tests will also be made available at the event.

Wu says the city will open walk-up vaccination sites to those who are in the city for First Night activities.

Indoor events from years past have been moved outdoors. See a full schedule of events here.

PHOTOS: Celebrating First Night Boston 2020

Centered in Copley Square with 12 hours of entertainment, First Night Boston will have additional performances at the Boston Public Library, Copley Place, Boston Common and surrounding churches.  

First Night Boston, produced in partnership with the City of Boston, is the longest-running First Night celebration in the world. Founded in 1977 and annually uniting tens of thousands of people in the city, the event showcases Boston in a night of light, music and ice.

For more information on First Night Boston 2022, visit www.FirstNightBoston.org or follow on First Night Boston on Facebook, @FirstNight on Twitter or @firstnightboston on Instagram.

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