More than a million people crowded into New York City's Times Square
under heavy security on Thursday Dec 31,2015 to celebrate the arrival of 2016 with
the traditional dropping of the New Year's Eve crystal ball.
Throngs of
people began streaming into the area early in the day, preparing to
spend hours outdoors before the official festivities begin with the
lighting of the ball at 6 p.m. EST.
With memories of the deadly attacks
in Paris and California still fresh, police took extraordinary measures
to ensure security at an event that has come to define the New York
experience for many visitors to the largest U.S. city.
Demi Lovato took to the stage in a stunning flapper-style jumpsuit and
knee-high boots as New Yorkers counted down the minutes to 2016
Carrie Underwood seen here warming up before her performance in New York's Times Square in the last few hours of 2015
Wiz Khalifa performed See You Again on stage with Charlie Puth towards the beginning of the festive night
British songstress Jessie J headlined the spot from 11.51pm-11.58pm, singing John Lennon's Imagine, before the ball dropped
Before
entering Times Square, visitors had to pass through tight security
checkpoints. Police were prepared to stop visitors from carrying
backpacks and large bags into the area, and searched smaller bags and
scanned people with metal detectors
More than 100 million Americans and one billion people worldwide watched the festivities on television