headline a lineup stacked with local talent,<\/a> while CNN correspondents Sara Sidner and Cari Champion broadcast live from the park as part of \u201cNew Year\u2019s Eve Live with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen.\u201d Translation: Austin gets its moment, and it\u2019s being televised.<\/p>\nArticle continues below this ad<\/p>\n
Who’s performing \u2014 and who’s popping up on TV<\/p>\n
![\"Flavor\u00a0Flav]()
<\/p>\n
Flavor\u00a0Flav attends the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 22, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada.<\/p>\n
David Becker – Formula 1\/Formula 1 via Getty Images<\/p>\n
The night\u2019s music is Austin-forward, with performances by The Point, Tameca Jones and Chaparelle before a headlining set from The Head and the Heart. Just before midnight, the crowd gets a drone show followed by fireworks.\u00a0On screen, CNN\u2019s coverage brings a bigger celebrity orbit.\u00a0Sidner and Champion will anchor the Central Time Zone countdown live from Auditorium Shores, with interviews and appearances that include Flavor Flav and Ariana Madix.<\/p>\n
Elsewhere on CNN\u2019s nationwide broadcast, Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen will be bouncing between performances and cameos from a truly chaotic lineup that includes\u00a0Shakira, Florence + The Machine, Patti LaBelle, Hugh Jackman, Stephen Colbert and more.<\/p>\n
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When and where<\/p>\n
![\"Downtown]()
<\/p>\n
Downtown Austin fireworks closing out the 2016 and welcoming the New Year 2017 for the tens of thusands attending the festivities at Auditorium Shores on Saturday December 31, 2016. JOHN GUTIERREZ \/ FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN<\/p>\n
JOHN GUTIERREZ, JOHN GUTIERREZ \/ FOR AMERICAN-ST<\/p>\n
Gates open at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Schedule highlights include:<\/p>\n
7\u201311:45\u00a0p.m.: Live music (The Point, Tameca Jones, Chaparelle, The Head and the Heart)<\/p>\n
11:45\u201311:55\u00a0p.m.: Drone show<\/p>\n
11:30\u00a0p.m.\u2013midnight (TV): Fireworks and CNN broadcasts the Central Time Zone countdown live from Auditorium Shores<\/p>\n
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How to attend, what to know before you go<\/p>\n
Blankets and chairs are allowed at Auditorium Shores, but pets are not, except for trained service animals. The event will feature entrances on the east and west ends of the park, and all bags will be subject to search. Outside alcohol, glass, fireworks and sparklers are prohibited. A range of food trucks and bars will be on site \u2014 including Amy\u2019s Ice Cream,\u00a0Chi\u2019Lantro BBQ, Garbo\u2019s Lobster and T-Loc\u2019s Sonora Hot Dogs \u2014 with alcoholic beverages available for guests 21 and older.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Getting there is easiest without a car:\u00a0CapMetro is offering free rides after 5 p.m. on Dec. 31, with rail service extended until 2:30 a.m., and the hike-and-bike trail will be open for those walking or biking in. Parking will be limited and congested, with garages available at the Palmer Events Center, City Hall and One Texas Center, and no parking allowed in the Bouldin Creek neighborhood.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Expect road closures on West Riverside Drive from 6\u00a0p.m. to 1 a.m. and on South First Street between Cesar Chavez and Riverside from 10:30 p.m. to 1 a.m., while Lady Bird Lake will be closed to all watercraft from 10:30 p.m. until 1 a.m.<\/p>\n
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How to watch from your couch<\/p>\n
CNN\u2019s New Year\u2019s Eve coverage airs across TV, digital and social platforms.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The full broadcast \u2014 including the Austin countdown \u2014 will also stream on CNN\u2019s subscription platform<\/a> via CNN.com and the CNN app. Central Time Zone coverage from Auditorium Shores begins at 11:30 p.m. CT.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Fireworks are released over the downtown skyline during Austin’s New Year at Auditorium Shores, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":107661,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[132,4228,134,133,1223,1224,6980,15674,2633,1219,2786,18238,1972,11873,278,27],"class_list":["post-107660","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-austin","tag-austin","tag-austin-events","tag-austin-headlines","tag-austin-news","tag-austin-texas","tag-austin-things-to-do","tag-celebrities","tag-celebrities-entertainment-news","tag-celebrity","tag-concerts-music-festivals","tag-holiday","tag-holiday-traditions","tag-holidays","tag-holidays-seasonal-events","tag-music","tag-texas"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107660","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=107660"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107660\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/107661"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=107660"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=107660"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=107660"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}