As Chicago prepares for New Year’s Eve festivities, Mayor Brandon Johnson, during a press conference on Dec. 29, reiterated the citywide 10:00 p.m. curfew for young people.
“We want our young people to experience this event and the best of our city along with us, and we are encouraging families to make a plan with their children and teens,” Johnson said, referring to Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve celebration. “Parents talk to your children about their plans and help them identify a safe place where they can go if they get separated from the group.”
The 10:00 p.m. curfew for New Year’s Eve will be in effect for young people aged 12 to 17. If they are downtown or elsewhere after curfew, they must be with an adult.
The curfew announcement comes on the heels of two shootings in the Loop in late November after the Christmas tree lighting ceremony. Nine teens were injured, and one teen, Armani Floyd, 14, died.
“We have a lot of young people who go down there to do the right thing, and they’re enjoying themselves, and they’re responsible,” Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling said. “But then we have young people who show up and they’re down there for the purpose of causing problems, disrupting and using disruptive behavior. [The] Chicago Police Department is not going to tolerate that. As we’ve seen in the past, this has led to violence where people were hurt and even killed.”
Earlier this month, Hopkins introduced a “time and place” curfew ordinance, which, if approved, would allow Chicago police to declare temporary, four-hour curfews with 12 hours’ notice anywhere in the city. The proposed legislation was referred to the Rules Committee by Ald. Jason Ervin (28th) during a Dec. 10 Chicago City Council meeting.
In the spring, Hopkins was unsuccessful in his push for the passage of a “snap curfew,” which, if approved, would have given the Chicago Police superintendent sole authority to enact a “snap curfew” with a 30-minute notice. Johnson vetoed Hopkins’ ordinance in June, and in July, the Chicago City Council failed to obtain the votes needed to override Johnson’s veto.
Chicago Fire Department Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt also joined Johnson, along with Office of Emergency Management and Communications executive director Francisco Velez, and other city agency leads to discuss planned events, safety precautions, transportation options, and road closures for New Year’s Eve celebrations.
For the first time ever, Chicago will join the country’s biggest year-end party: “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2026.” The Chicago countdown will air live from Navy Pier on ABC-7 beginning at 7:00 p.m. central on Wednesday.
Chicago’s own Chance the Rapper will host it.
Chicago joins a lineup of now two other cities — New York City and Las Vegas — that will broadcast their NYE festivities.
New Year’s Eve festivities will include live performances, on-the-ground reporting, and a fireworks show on the bridges of the Chicago River instantly following the countdown.
