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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Mark Kennedy

New Year’s Rockin’ Eve announces star-studded cast of co-hosts for this year’s celebration

Ryan Seacrest will be joined by a host of stars to usher in 2026 on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, with Chance the Rapper, Rob Gronkowski, Julianne Hough, and Rita Ora all confirmed to appear.

ABC announced that Seacrest and Ora will anchor the celebrations from Times Square in New York City, while Chance the Rapper will host from his native Chicago.

Former NFL star Gronkowski and Julianne Hough are set to broadcast from Las Vegas.

Details for a Puerto Rico segment are still to be revealed.

Former NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski will be one of the hosts on the night (AP)

Seacrest has been involved with ABC’s New Year’s Eve special since 2006, having inherited the role from Dick Clark.

Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2026 broadcasts live on ABC from 8 p.m. EST on 31 December, with streaming available on Hulu the following day. More performers are expected to be announced soon.

Last year’s event was headlined by country star Carrie Underwood.

The show also included performances from the Jonas Brothers, Alanis Morissette, Reneé Rapp, Blake Shelton, T-Pain, Teddy Swims, TLC, Thomas Rhett, Tinashe, Natasha Bedingfield, Kesha, Laufey, Lenny Kravitz, Luis Fonsi, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and more.

Singer Megan Moroney, who performed at last year’s show, shared the only way she’ll have a New Year’s kiss.

The 27-year-old singer recalled how she spent a lot of her childhood in New York City, in addition to growing up watching Dick Clark’s Rockin’ Eve.

“I’ve been to New York since I was a baby. My dad has six brothers, so I’ve been coming to New York forever,” she said. “And I remember being on my grandma’s couch in New Jersey and I would fall asleep around nine, but then I would wake up to see the ball drop and the performers and stuff. So it’s like a full-circle moment.”

Ryan Seacrest has hosted the New Year’s Eve show since 2005 (2024 Invision)

Ryan Seacrest has been hosting the televised event for 20 years. He first joined the coverage in 2005, after the late Dick Clark suffered a stroke that left him with lingering speech impediments. Seacrest co-hosted the event with Clark until the latter’s death in 2012 at the age of 82.

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