For the first time in more than five decades of confetti blasts, televised pop performances and Ryan Seacrest’s annual marathon, Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve is adding a brand-new live countdown—and this time, Chicago will take the spotlight. ABC and Dick Clark Productions announced today that this year’s broadcast will include a full Central time celebration live from the city, marking a huge expansion for the most-watched New Year’s Eve special in the country.

The show has long owned the East Coast midnight from Times Square in New York City and, in recent years, added a Spanish-language Atlantic Time countdown from Puerto Rico. Now Chicago joins that shortlist, bringing the riverfront’s skyline to ABC’s national audience. A new host, live performance and roving on-the

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