CLT NYE returns to Truist Field with fireworks, family fun, and added security

CHARLOTTE — Thousands of people are expected to pack into the Queen City Wednesday night to ring in the new year.

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The city’s official celebration will be inside Truist Field in Uptown again this year in an effort to keep people safe.

Channel 9’s Miana Massey explains what visitors can expect at CLT NYE.

“We’re super excited to have it at the ballpark this year,” said Grace Harper, assistant general manager for Charlotte Knights Special Events & Entertainment. “We have our full Light the Nights Festival operating that night.”

The family-friendly festival features fireworks, holiday lights, ice skating and snow tubing.

Jason Burgess and his family are in town for a youth hockey tournament and in between matches, they’re getting a taste of the Queen City.

“(We are) getting an opportunity to come down and do something like this, be here for the fireworks on New Year’s and the fun stuff,” Burgess said. “We had a bunch of players here last night tubing and doing all the fun stuff here.”

The annual New Year’s Eve celebration moved to Truist Field after a man fired a gun into a crowd at nearby Romare Bearden Park during the 2023 activities, injuring five people.

“Safety is the No. 1 concern, so we’re all making sure we’re doing our part to contribute to that,” Harper said.

Organizers said hosting the event at a controlled venue allows for stronger safety measures.

“We knew how important CLT New Year’s is to the city of Charlotte, so we wanted to be a partner in that and be a safe ballpark option for families — anyone — to enjoy the New Year in a safe manner,” Harper said.

There will be increased law enforcement in and around the stadium.

“You have to go through our main gates screening process — bag check, scan your tickets and all of the standard protocol,” Harper said. “But then we have a great partnership with (the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department) and the Charlotte Fire Department.”

Tickets are still available for CLT NYE, which gets underway at 8 p.m. Wednesday at Truist Field. Organizers expect thousands and say safety is their top priority.

You can watch Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve on Channel 9 starting at 8 p.m. Wednesday. Join us for WSOC Tonight at 10 p.m. before Channel 9 takes you back to Times Square for the ball drop.

VIDEO: Uptown residents see benefits of changing venue for NYE celebration