How rockin' was Chicago's first rendition of 'Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve'?

While the people of the world were getting ready to head out to bars and basement parties, many set to kiss their loved ones at midnight, I was layering up for work.

I’m used to this by now. Holidays aren't really holidays in journalism. But this was the first time the city would be brought into the national broadcast to celebrate another loop around the sun, though there was a low chance pepper balls would be fired, meaning it had beat out a majority of my 2025 work days.

Unfortunately "Dick Clark's New Year’s Rockin' Eve" fell flat in Chicago during a disjointed, hours-long event during which technical difficulties and frigid weather made for a rough first go for the city.

Here's my own countdown to midnight recapping the event — I'm hoping it'll help Chicago give New York a run for its money one day.

6-8 p.m.: By the time I arrived at the Merchandise Mart station, I was a little shocked. I saw tents and lights, but not many people.

The wind was whipping as a disembodied voice read out cues at the lone stage to an audience of about 300, who had by then become aware they were nothing but a prop for this production.

“We don’t even feel the cold anymore,” host Val Warner said to the national audience, and she was right. I had lost track of most of my digits.

With nary a propane heater in sight, I began to wonder whether all 10 toes were really all that important.

8-9 p.m.: By this point about as many people were leaving as were coming in, and the number of those staying was rivaled by the number of cops. I headed to the food trucks to find some respite, though they too were empty. The trucks were relegated to outside the gates, meaning yet another security check when I returned.

Busta Rhymes' Las Vegas performance made it through onto the large screens with audio, inexplicably the only time any of the nationwide performances aired during the evening were heard by attendees on Wacker, and the lone moment of the evening that Chicago felt connected in the multi-city celebration.

Chance the Rapper asked repeatedly for music with even a smidgen of hype when he entered, though the playlist typically reserved for Art on the Mart reigned supreme for much of the night.

9-11 p.m.: This two-hour stretch is a blur even with time-stamped notes. The live music started half an hour late with DJ Mike Dunn. Later DJ Mike P took the stage and got people moving the most of any performer through the night.

11 p.m.-midnight: J. Ivy and Shameika Moore both put on phenomenal performances, and yet at times seemed to underwhelm a crowd in search of a bit more energy.

While the night's performers certainly turned things around, it was clear from the crowd's reaction that Chicago was lacking the star power of New York and Las Vegas' shows, which saw performances from Chappell Roan and Mariah Carey (though social media reports Chicago’s Adamn Killa was in attendance locally).

Midnight: This is when it was clear what people were here for all along: the fireworks. Thousands packed Wacker to watch the sky glow when the clock struck midnight, turned away from the Dick Clark's Rockin' event and toward what they know to be New Year's in Chicago.

Truly what made the evening special were the Chicagoans who turned out to brave the sleet and snow to celebrate together after enduring a year of serious tribulations. Not to get all sappy, but it was touching.

My peak enjoyment came from others simply having a good time doing TikTok dances and spending time with friends — and the more friends you had, the better. They were valuable sources of heat.

In that sense, Chicagoans ended the year protecting each other and coming together, just as they had for months prior.