As the clock ticks toward midnight on December 31, 2025, the world will once again gather around glowing screens and Times Square’s electric frenzy, ready to bid farewell to the old and embrace the new. For over five decades, Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest has been the soundtrack to America’s collective countdown—a glittering extravaganza where pop anthems collide with confetti storms, and strangers become sing-alongs under the iconic Waterford crystal ball. This year, marking its 54th edition and the 20th under Seacrest’s charismatic stewardship, the broadcast expands into uncharted territory: a historic Central Time Zone countdown from Chicago’s Riverwalk, live segments from Las Vegas’s neon pulse, and Puerto Rico’s tropical revelry. Amid this multi-city mosaic, one performer’s return stands as a beacon of resilience and reinvention: Demi Lovato, the Grammy-nominated powerhouse whose voice has weathered storms both personal and professional, will grace the stage with her signature blend of raw emotion and radiant pop. Announced on December 2, 2025, alongside a constellation of stars including Mariah Carey, Post Malone, Chappell Roan, and 50 Cent, Lovato’s slot promises not just a performance, but a poignant capstone to a transformative year. Tuning in at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on ABC—streaming live on Hulu and simulcast across 150 iHeartRadio stations—this Rockin’ Eve isn’t merely a party; it’s a portal to 2026, with Lovato as its unapologetic herald.

The spectacle’s evolution mirrors the cultural kaleidoscope it celebrates. Born in 1972 as a scrappy NBC alternative to Guy Lombardo’s staid big-band broadcasts—featuring Three Dog Night and a young George Carlin as host—New Year’s Rockin’ Eve quickly outgrew its roots. By 1974, it found a permanent home on ABC, with Dick Clark’s boyish charm transforming it into a youthquake: think Donna Summer’s disco infernos in the ’70s, Prince’s purple haze in the ’80s, or Aerosmith’s raw revival in the ’90s. Clark’s 2004 stroke handed the reins to Seacrest, who infused it with red-carpet polish while preserving the chaos—live ball drops, celebrity cameos, and enough musical firepower to rival a Coachella finale. The 2020s have amplified its scope: pandemic-proof virtual toasts gave way to hybrid extravaganzas, and 2025’s edition clocks in at a record eight hours, from 8 p.m. ET to 4 a.m., blending prime-time pomp with late-night lunacy. This year’s twist? A Chicago-centric Central Time feed, co-hosted by hometown hero Chance the Rapper along the frost-kissed Riverwalk, where fireworks will erupt from bridges and projections dance on The Mart’s facade. Las Vegas gets Rob Gronkowski and Julianne Hough corralling high-rollers, while Puerto Rico’s Bad Bunny (from last year’s triumph) echoes in spirit. With 38 acts spanning genres—from Goo Goo Dolls’ alt-rock nostalgia to KPop Demon Hunters’ synth-soaked futurism—the lineup is a sonic United Nations. Yet amid the frenzy, Lovato’s presence feels like a homecoming, her journey from Disney darling to dance-pop dynamo making her the emotional anchor.

Demi Lovato’s path to this glittering precipice is a masterclass in metamorphosis. Born Demetria Devonne Lovato on August 20, 1992, in Albuquerque, New Mexico—to former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Dianna De La Garza and engineer Patrick Lovato—she was a child forged in the fires of early fame. By age 10, she was a fixture on Barney & Friends, her precocious poise catching the eye of Disney execs. Camp Rock (2008) catapulted her into the stratosphere: as Mitchie Torres, the aspiring singer navigating summer camp cliques, she shared screen (and sparks) with the Jonas Brothers, her duet with Joe Jonas on “This Is Me” soaring to No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100. The film’s soundtrack went platinum, but it was Lovato’s solo debut, Don’t Forget (2008), that unveiled her vocal alchemy—a pop-rock elixir blending vulnerability with volcanic belts. Tracks like “La La Land” and the title cut chronicled a teen star’s isolation, foreshadowing the battles ahead. Sonny with a Chance (2009-2011) followed, casting her as a small-town girl thrust into Hollywood’s glare, its meta-humor masking the pressures that would soon erupt.

The cracks appeared in 2010. After Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam dominated Disney XD, Lovato’s bipolar disorder and substance struggles—rooted in childhood trauma and industry scrutiny—led to a stint in rehab and a departure from Jonas Brothers’ tour. Yet phoenix-like, she rose: Unbroken (2011) poured pain into power ballads like “Skyscraper,” earning a Grammy nod and cementing her as a survivor anthemist. Demi (2013) marked her pop pivot, “Heart Attack” a seismic No. 10 smash that showcased her four-octave range. But the ’10s were turbulent: overdoses, relapses, and a 2018 documentary Simply Complicated that bared her soul to 20 million viewers. Tell Me You Love Me (2017) blended R&B sensuality with rock edges, while her 2018 overdose—near-fatal, requiring Narcan—halted a world tour. Undeterred, Dancing with the Devils (2021) transformed tragedy into triumph, her near-death odyssey fueling a double album of cathartic confessionals.

2025, however, dawned as Lovato’s renaissance. Fresh from a December 2023 engagement to producer Jordan “Jutes” Lutes—her collaborator on Holy Fvck (2022)’s raw rock revival—the couple wed on May 25 at Santa Barbara’s Bellosguardo Estate, a sun-drenched affair blending bohemian elegance with intimate vows. “He’s my safe harbor,” Lovato gushed in a Vogue bridal spread, her gown a Vivienne Westwood cascade of lace and liberation. The union infused her ninth album, It’s Not That Deep, released October 24 via Island Records. Executive-produced by Zhone (of Kylie Minogue fame), the 11-track dance-pop odyssey—her first full embrace of euphoric electronica since Confident (2015)—debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200, her highest chart bow in years. Lead single “Fast” (August 1) pulsed with synth-driven seduction, a TikTok darling that amassed 150 million streams. “Here All Night” (September 12) followed, its shimmering hooks evoking early 2000s club nostalgia, while “Kiss” (October 10)—a queer-anthemic bop co-written at a late-night session with Lutes—exploded on queer playlists, hitting No. 15 on Dance Airplay. Critics raved: Rolling Stone called it “a glitter-bombed exhale,” praising its “celebratory shedding of skins.” Lovato, identifying as non-binary and queer since 2021, infused the record with unfiltered joy—tracks like “Feels So Right” teasing honeymoon heat, her cleared Instagram in July sparking a viral reset that hinted at this euphoric pivot.

The album’s rollout was a whirlwind of wins. Lovato headlined Lollapalooza’s intimate stage in August, her set a confetti-laced catharsis blending old hits (“Sorry Not Sorry”) with new fire (“Kiss”). September’s iHeartRadio Music Festival saw her duet with Ariana Grande on “34+35,” a playful nod to their shared Disney roots. October brought Tribeca Film Festival acclaim for Tow (June premiere), her dramatic turn as a resilient single mom earning Indie Spirit buzz alongside Rose Byrne and Octavia Spencer. Vogue World: Hollywood in late October captured her bridal-era glow—an all-white lace ensemble by The Attico, black lingerie accents defying demure, as she toasted her album amid Emma Chamberlain’s front-row cheers. By November’s Baby2Baby Gala, Lovato was plotting holiday traditions: sugar cookie bakes with Lutes and family, a cozy counterpoint to her arena-filling It’s Not That Deep Tour—her biggest headline jaunt yet, 23 dates from Miami’s Kaseya Center to Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena, kicking off March 2026 with openers like Reneé Rapp and Tinashe.

This crescendo makes her Rockin’ Eve booking poetic. Lovato’s history with the special is storied: her 2009 debut at 17, belting “La La Land” amid Ryan Seacrest’s confetti chaos; 2011’s “Give Your Heart a Break” tease; and 2018’s post-overdose return with “Anyone,” a vulnerable vow that trended nationwide. Now, at 33—newlywed, newly dancefloor-devoted—she steps back as a symbol of evolution. Unconfirmed whispers suggest she’ll perform “Kiss” with a Times Square twist—perhaps holographic flames syncing to the ball drop—or a medley weaving It’s Not That Deep into classics like “Cool for the Summer.” Joined by Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” (her perennial finale), Post Malone’s genre-blending grit, Roan’s campy catharsis (“Pink Pony Club”), and 50 Cent’s hip-hop thunder, the night pulses with diversity. Chicago’s feed adds local flavor: Chance the Rapper hosting with Shemekia Copeland’s blues howl and J. Ivy’s spoken-word fire. Las Vegas? Gronk and Hough corralling AJR’s indie pop and New Kids on the Block’s boy-band nostalgia. Puerto Rico echoes with Bad Bunny’s reggaeton remnants, while DJ Cassidy’s “Pass the Mic Live!” weaves hip-hop royalty—Busta Rhymes, T.I., Wyclef Jean—in a cypher supreme.

Beyond the beats, Rockin’ Eve 2026 is a cultural reset. Airing amid economic optimism and post-election exhale, it counters division with unity: 38 acts spanning K-pop (HUNTR/X’s “Golden”), country (Maren Morris, Little Big Town), and rock (Goo Goo Dolls, Rick Springfield). Seacrest, ever the emcee maestro, juggles from Times Square’s throng—where Ora corrals the crowd—while iHeart’s radio simulcast beams it to cars idling in blizzards and beach bonfires. For Lovato, it’s personal: her performance caps a year of milestones—album triumph, nuptial bliss, queer celebration—her voice a vessel for the unspoken. “New Year’s is about shedding and shining,” she posted on Instagram post-announcement, a teaser clip of “Fast” flickering like fireworks. Fans, from Swifties crossing aisles to Disney alums, flood comments: “Demi owning midnight? Iconic.” As confetti falls and Auld Lang Syne swells, her set will remind us: reinvention isn’t erasure—it’s elevation.

Tune in December 31 at 8/7c on ABC: from Chicago’s river glow to Vegas’s slot-machine symphony, this Rockin’ Eve promises the boldest bash yet. With Demi Lovato at its heart—belting anthems of love unbound and futures unfurling—2026 won’t just arrive. It’ll arrive dancing, unapologetic, alive.