Bubba Gump’s New Year’s Eve party, from the inside.
1501 Broadway. An open bar, food flying around all night, a warm room with restrooms — and the ball drop itself, live from the street outside. This is my complete review of the 2025–2026 Moonlight Masquerade, told the way the night actually felt: in the videos I captured as it happened.
From the barricades to 2 AM, at a glance.
Three New Year’s Eves in Times Square, three different ways — and this one ran like clockwork. Here is the shape of the night, hour by hour. Every stop below gets its own chapter (and its own footage) further down.
- 8:30 PMMeet at the designated NYPD crossing with your badge and ID.
- 9:00 PMDoors. The party begins with a welcome cocktail in hand.
- All nightPassed apps, walking stations, raw bar, carving station, open bar.
- 11:45 PMGuests line up downstairs to head out to the street.
- MidnightThe Constellation Ball drops. Hello, 2026.
- Moments laterA second drop for America’s 250th. Red, white and blue confetti.
- 12:15 AMBack inside for the after-party. Desserts still going.
- 2:00 AMParty ends. Streets mostly clear. Uber a few streets over.
1501 Broadway. Right there.
Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. sits in the heart of Times Square, which is the single biggest advantage this party has on the night. You are close enough to feel the energy of the crowd outside while enjoying the comforts of an indoor venue: food, drinks, seating, restrooms and a warm place to celebrate all evening long.
In the clip beside this, filmed while standing directly underneath the ball, I show exactly how close Bubba Gump is — and compare it to where I stood at Olive Garden’s party two years earlier. For anyone who has wondered what New Year’s Eve in Times Square is like without standing outside for twelve-plus hours, this is a compelling alternative.
Filmed live0:21 
Three ball drops, three different ways.
Watching the ball drop from the heart of Times Square is a bucket-list experience for a lot of people. Getting to witness it three years running — three different ways — is something I will never take for granted. Never in my wildest dreams.
Getting in.
By far the question I get most in my Instagram DMs, all year long, is about the ticket process. It is simple — but it is not the same as booking a table.
- 01
Buy early
Tickets typically go on sale around the end of November or early December. Watch for the drop — this party sells.
- 02
Pick up your badge in person
A day or two before the party, go to the restaurant to collect your badge. The team meets you, gives you a rundown of what to expect and all the need-to-know info. You will not cross the NYPD barricades without it — security in Times Square on New Year’s Eve is elevated.
- 03
Arrive at the designated crossing, on time
Bring the badge and an ID (license or passport). With those in hand it is a streamlined process through two or three NYPD checkpoints, and then you are standing in the heart of Times Square. The energy inside the barricades is unlike anything I can describe. You have to see it.
- 04
Build in cushion time
We met at the meetup spot at 8:30 PM for a 9:00 PM start and the timing worked out perfectly — but I know the city inside and out. Streets are congested and everyone walks slowly. Getting to the barricades is as much of a challenge as getting through them. Mark my words.
Filmed live0:28 
Welcome to the Moonlight Masquerade.
Once we made it through the checkpoints, the team welcomed us inside, confirmed our admission and pointed us into the party. The theme changes every year; this year the whole restaurant was transformed for a Moonlight Masquerade, and I could not stop admiring the attention to detail in the decor.
0:16 
0:07 A drink in hand before your coat is off.
Check-in on arrival is a smooth and seamless process, and this year they added a little touch that set the tone for everything that followed: special cocktails handed out immediately upon entry. After navigating the crowds, barricades and security outside, stepping into the warmth with a celebratory drink in hand felt like the official beginning of the night.
Understand one thing going in: this is not an ordinary restaurant reservation. It is a full-scale party. The restaurant is rebuilt around food service, entertainment, bar access and the Times Square viewing experience. Depending on your group size you may share a table — and frankly, I like that. It makes the night more social. The room feels busy, and that busyness is most of the energy.
Staff are positioned at stations all around the restaurant, and once you have settled in you will want to stroll around and find them all:
Inside, but never disconnected.
Lively from the moment we arrived. Music, conversation, food being served, drinks flowing, and an unmistakable sense that everyone in the room was counting down toward something enormous. From the windows inside you could see the new Constellation Ball positioned right outside. Clear as day.
What makes the party especially exciting is that you never feel cut off from Times Square. The lights, the crowds, the screens, the music and the live television production happening just outside remain part of the experience. At different points through the night we could see portions of the live New Year’s Eve broadcast and the activity unfolding in the streets below. That balance is one of the strongest parts of the event.
- You have warmth.
- You have food.
- You have drinks.
- You have restrooms.
- And you are still part of it.
0:15 
Food everywhere.
Admission includes an all-you-can-eat menu served throughout the evening. Rather than ordering from Bubba Gump’s standard menu, guests get a special event selection designed to feed a big party: passed appetizers, walking stations, a raw bar, a churrasco carving station, a late-night empanada station on the dance floor and cannoli piped to order. Bubba Gump’s menu is NEXT level. No one can top it.
0:12 
0:35 
0:12 
0:04 
The mix of buffet-style stations and passed appetizers is what makes the party so much fun: there is food flying around everywhere, all night. Desserts were still being served when we came back inside after midnight. This does not feel like a party where food is included as an afterthought — there is enough variety to make the meal feel substantial, and being able to eat all evening adds real value to the ticket, considering the price.
Premium open bar.
The ticket also includes access to a premium open bar, and we certainly made use of it. Bubba Gump’s spicy mango margaritas are SO GOOD — that is my drink of choice, and it was my drink of choice all night.
Can you see the ball drop from Bubba Gump?
Bubba Gump offers guests a live view of the Times Square ball drop. The ball is visible from the street immediately outside the restaurant, and the restaurant is extremely close to One Times Square — you saw how close in the clip under the ball. That proximity is what makes you feel completely immersed in the event.
Even before midnight, the illuminated Constellation Ball could be seen glowing above the crowds as the screens around Times Square cycled through advertisements, performances and countdown messages.
Filmed live0:24 
0:05 
The final countdown.
There is something incredibly surreal about watching the final seconds of the year disappear from the screens in Times Square. Even after experiencing the ball drop before, the countdown still gives me chills. The music gets louder. More phones rise into the air. People start hugging before the count even begins. Everyone knows they are moments away from a celebration being watched around the world. I had tears in my eyes already.
Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three. Two. One.
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year.
Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three. Two. One. The ball lands, the roar goes up, the confetti comes down, and 2026 begins — with the whole party standing in the middle of it.
Filmed live0:37 
Filmed live0:22 
Filmed live0:06 Then it dropped again.
Moments after midnight we saw a second ball drop — something totally new. As 2026 began, America officially entered its 250th anniversary year, and the confetti turned red, white and blue. There was LOTS of it.
This was also the first New Year’s Eve featuring Times Square’s brand-new Constellation Ball, which had made its debut just days earlier. It went on to drop a second time (technically a third) on the Fourth of July for the Semiquincentennial — the first time in history the ball has dropped twice in a single year.
Filmed live3:22 The party keeps going.
The celebration does not end when the ball lands. Around 12:15 AM guests head back inside for the after-party, which continues until 2:00 AM — more drinks, photos, conversation and music, while thousands of people clear out of Times Square below. That timing is a real help, because the whole area tries to leave at once.
Nobody wants the party to end, but by 2:00 AM the streets and sidewalks are mostly clear. We scheduled an Uber pickup a few streets over and it worked out nicely.
- Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. event t-shirt
- Coupons to come back
- Water to rehydrate
- On-theme goodies and treats
- A few other thoughtful extras
0:05 
0:30 
A major shout-out to the staff.
The Bubba Gump and Landry’s teams put an enormous amount of planning into an event of this scale. From credential pickup to check-in to service throughout the night, the staff plays a major role in keeping the whole experience organized.
I never felt there was a single thing missing, and I think that speaks to the level of care and attention to detail they put into this celebration. Best of all, the staff joins in on the party — so it feels like one huge celebration with everyone in the room.
Is it worth it?
At approximately $1,015 per person the year we attended, this party is undeniably expensive. There is no point pretending otherwise. But nearly every ticketed celebration in the heart of Times Square commands a premium on New Year’s Eve, so the better question is not whether the ticket is cheap. It is what you receive for that price, and whether those things matter to you.
Your admission includes
- Entry into a secured Times Square celebration
- An indoor venue
- Heat and restroom access
- Food throughout the party
- An open bar
- Entertainment
- A photo booth
- A view of the live ball drop
- Times Square without standing outside all day
Who this party is best for
- First-time visitors who want to experience the ball drop.
- Couples, families and groups celebrating a milestone.
- Travelers who value indoor comfort and restroom access.
- Solo travelers wanting an epic experience.
- Guests who want food and drinks included.
- Anyone who wants to stay in the heart of Times Square without spending the full day outdoors.
For someone whose lifelong dream is to see the ball drop in person, this may be worth saving for as a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It is also worthwhile for people who want the excitement of Times Square but know they would not be comfortable standing outside in the cold for twelve or more hours. And yes — we have even seen someone propose at it.
0:26 
0:25 
No two nights are the same.
After three consecutive New Year’s Eves in Times Square, two of them at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., I can tell you that no two celebrations have felt alike. But when the lights blaze across Times Square, the countdown begins, the ball starts to descend and you realize you are standing in the center of a moment watched around the world, it is hard not to understand why people dream about doing this at least once.
Above everything else, Bubba Gump gave me a comfortable and exciting way to experience Times Square. That is something no menu item, drink package or price comparison can fully capture. I remain incredibly grateful to Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., Landry’s, the management team and every staff member who made the evening possible.
Happy New Year from Times Square! 🪩🦐🎊
