First Night Date in the current year: December 31, 2025

First Night was celebrated for the first time on December 31, 1975. A small group of Boston artists were looking an alternative way to celebrate New Year's Eve. They wanted a festive event where alternative artists and musicians could perform on outdoor and indoor stages. They also wanted an event that didn't emphasize the consumption of alcohol as a common form of New Year's Eve celebration.

The inaugural First Night was a huge success, and other communities and cities began celebrating it. By the 2000s, the artistic celebration was taking place in 260 cities across the United States. The event is organized entirely by activists, but during the Great Recession that began in 2007, the number of cities celebrating it declined.

Still, First Night exists in many cities across the United States, and anyone can join in the celebration as an alternative to New Year's Eve. Celebrate your local culture with music, art, dance, comedy, fireworks, ice sculptures, and parades!