Thousands welcome 2026 in Ocean City New Year's Eve gala

And you thought your New Year’s Eve party was big?

Ocean City hosted a grand New Year’s Eve celebration for about 10,000 guests to welcome the arrival of 2026.

The sprawling First Night celebration, as it is known, stretched out over 20 venues across town, offering 70 types of alcohol-free entertainment and activities for all ages.

A midnight fireworks display was scheduled to cap the festivities as the crowds said a final goodbye to 2025.

Now in its 33rd year, the First Night celebration is a beloved tradition allowing families to ring in the new year without having to spend a fortune. Admission buttons costing $25 each granted access to all of the shows and festivities in town.

“It goes to show the wholesomeness of family fun. We just do it right,” Mayor Jay Gillian said of the successful history of First Night.

Gillian said the 10,000 admission buttons were nearly sold out. Each year, attendance is capped at 10,000 and usually hits capacity.

“It’s close,” Gillian said of all 10,000 admission buttons selling out. “This is always a great family tradition. It ends the year in Ocean City on a high note.”

The celebration continues on New Year’s Day with a 5-kilometer run on the Boardwalk and the wildly popular First Plunge in the ocean. The First Day 5K starts at 1 p.m. in front of the Music Pier at Moorlyn Terrace and the Boardwalk, while the First Plunge goes off at 2 p.m. on the Eighth Street beach next to the Music Pier.

Although First Night’s attendance is capped at 10,000 guests, thousands of other New Year’s Eve revelers were expected to pour into Ocean City.

Gillian noted that the city’s New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day celebration provides an economic boost for the local shops, restaurants and hotels.

“This is a good shot in the arm,” he said. “It dictates how the year is going to go.”

    The digital sign outside the Ocean City Music Pier welcomes the arrival of 2026.
  

Gillian praised the army of city volunteers who help make First Night possible – along with the Downtown Merchants Association, the Boardwalk Merchants Association and the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Despite the chilly weather, the downtown shops were bustling with customers, some of the hotels were booked and the restaurants enjoyed brisk business. Big crowds also packed some of the entertainment venues that featured a total of 70 shows and events.

The celebration began with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Music Pier attended by Gillian and members of City Council. Pageant winners Antonella DiAntonio, Miss Ocean City, her sister, Arianna DiAntonio, Junior Miss Ocean City, and Harper Juelg, Little Miss Ocean City, were given the honor of snipping the ribbon.

The Mummers-style Pennsport String Band provided a lively musical backdrop for the ribbon-cutting ceremony and then remained on stage at the Music Pier as one of the headliner acts for First Night.

“This brings everyone together – from 2 to 102. Not many bands can say that,” said Charles Nicholas, a member of the Pennsport String Band who lives in Ocean City.

    The Pennsport String Band, one of the headliners for First Night, entertains the audience at the Music Pier.
  

Some families were savoring the First Night celebration for the very first time.

Ashley and Dan Russ were pulling their 2-year-old son, Trevor, in a wagon while heading to the Ocean City Civic Center to check out an array of kid-friendly inflatable games and bounce houses that filled the building.

The Russes, who live in Summit, N.J., recently bought a vacation home in Ocean City. They said the First Night celebration allowed them a chance to spend more time in the resort.

“This is a perfect opportunity for our family to get to know the town,” Ashley Russ said while noting that she is expecting her second child.

Carissa and Brandon Goodwin, of Quakertown, Pa., along with their daughters, Bailey, 13, Finley, 10, and Hadley, 8, were also enjoying their first time at First Night.

“We are very excited to try this out for the first time,” Carissa Goodwin said while crediting some of her friends for recommending First Night to her family.

Bailey, Finley and Hadley were all trying their luck on an artificial ice-skating rink set up outside the Civic Center as part of the New Year’s Eve activities.

“It’s really cold. It’s also really fun because you slide sometimes but can get back up,” Finley said of her ice-skating adventures.

    From left, sisters Bailey, Hadley and Finley Goodwin have fun on the artificial ice-skating rink.
  

People waited in line along the sidewalk for their turn on the artificial ice-skating rink, one of the many family-oriented activities and entertainment that have made First Night so popular over the years.

First Night in Ocean City was modeled after an alcohol-free New Year’s Eve celebration in Boston that marked the nation’s bicentennial in 1976. The first celebration in Ocean City in 1992 included 25 entertainment acts in five different locations, with admission buttons selling for $8. About 800 buttons were sold then, but the number has grown to 10,000 over the years.

“While other First Night events have faded, Ocean City’s has only grown more popular with families making it an annual tradition for a safe New Year’s Eve,” the city said in a statement.

    Line dance instructor Rob Holley shows the crowd some moves at the Ocean City High School gym.
  

    Ocean City mascots Martin Z. and Mollie S. Mollusk ham it up on stage at the Music Pier.

    Kids try out some of the inflatable games at the Civic Center.

 

    Dan and Ashley Russ and their 2-year-old son, Trevor, enjoy their first time at the First Night celebration.

    A choo-choo train waits to pick up passengers on the Boardwalk.
  

    The basketball courts outside the Civic Center are transformed into an artificial ice-skating rink.

    Shriver's and other Boardwalk stores stayed open for New Year's Eve business.
  

    The Civic Center is packed for the family-friendly New Year's Eve festivities.