The city of Rio de Janeiro was awarded the title of the largest New Year’s Eve celebration in the world by Guinness World Records on Tuesday (Dec. 30).

The certificate was presented to Mayor Eduardo Paes on stage in Copacabana. According to the institution, the city confirmed the presence of 2.5 million people in 2025 on the stretch of sand in front of the stage on the beach.

“Millions of people, coming from different parts of Brazil and the world, took part in the celebration that turned Rio’s waterfront into a unique spectacle of music, culture, lights and fireworks,” said a representative of the organization.

For the arrival of 2026, the Copacabana stage will host exclusive performances — including Belo with Alcione, and Gilberto Gil with Ney Matogrosso.

“I’d like to thank Guinness for the tribute. Every time this story about the number of people at Copacabana’s New Year’s Eve comes out, there’s a lot of questioning. It’s obvious that even if it weren’t true, the celebration itself — the number of stages — would already be justified by the joy of the event,” the mayor told Globo in an interview.

“There is no place in the world that holds public-space parties with the consistency Rio does and with so many people. There isn’t. I challenge anyone to point out a city anywhere in the world that does what we do. There isn’t one in Brazil or anywhere else. It only happens in Rio,” he said.

In addition to Copacabana, Rio’s 2026 New Year’s Eve celebration will feature stages in 10 other regions of the city.

“The title was granted to the event after analysis and validation of the criteria established by Guinness World Records, considering the record number of participants, the scale of the artistic programming, the territorial extent of the event and its cultural relevance,” Guinness World Records announced in a press release.

Sustainability

Rio’s 2026 New Year’s Eve celebration also marks an advance in visual spectacle and a commitment to sustainability. The fireworks show will feature a special soundtrack and will be complemented by a drone ballet — the largest in Brazil — paying tribute to Rio.

At the same time, the event will adopt a series of ESG (environment, social and governance) practices, such as waste management, carbon offsetting and accessibility, aiming to become a “sustainable turning of the year.”

Billboard Brasil is a strategic media partner of this celebration, which reaffirms Rio as the world capital of New Year’s Eve.

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Bring in 2026 with Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest. The annual end of the year event is back for its 54th special with Ryan Seacrest as the host with Rita Ora joining him on stage in Times Square as co-host. Broadcasting live starting Wednesday (Dec. 31) at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, expect many musical performances to grace the New York leading up to the iconic ball drop.

Music legend Diana Ross is set to headline tonight’s event with additional musical acts from Ciara, LE SSERAFIM, Little Big Town, and Maren Morris. Chance the Rapper will co-host and perform from Chicago alongside Jamila Woods. Rob Gronkowski and Julianne Hough will handle hosting duties in Las Vegas, with performances by artists like 50 Cent, Demi Lovato and Charlie Puth.

The west coast has a jam-packed lineup as featuring stars including Mariah Carey, Zara Larsson, New Kids on the Block and DJ Cassidy’s Pass the Mic Live! featuring artists like Busta Rhymes and Wyclef Jean. Other notable artists include Post Malone in Nashville and Chappell Roan in Kansas City. Pitbull, 4 Non Blondes and many more.

Don’t want to miss any of the performances tonight? We’ve compiled every way you can stream Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest online for free. Keep reading below.

How to Watch Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest Online for Free

The new years event will broadcast live on ABC. For those without cable, there are a few streaming options for viewers to watch Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest online for free or for a discounted price. All the below streamers let you watch ABC online without cable and stream content from your phone, tablet, computer or smart TV. Check below to find the right option for your viewing needs.

DirecTV

You can watch New Year’s Rockin’ Eve online for free on DirecTV, which is offering a 5-day free trial for new users who sign up for one of the four packages. DirecTV lets you watch live television online and its channel packages include a live feed of ABC.

Besides access to hundreds of live TV channels, you’ll also receive unlimited DVR storage, local channels and the ability to stream on as many devices as you want.

Fubo TV

FuboTV is another affordable live TV streamer as it comes with a five-day free trial for new users who sign up. The streaming service has three different plans, including a new skinny bundle called “Sports + News” that starts at only $45.99 for the first month ($55.99 per month afterwards). In addition, Fubo has $30 off their Pro and Elite plans for the first month right now, which includes more than 300 channels, as well as 1,000 hours of free DVR and the option to stream on 10 devices at once.

Sling TV

Sling TV is offering new half off off their first month with any of its three packages. You can choose from: the Orange, Blue or Orange + Blue. However, ABC is only offered on the Blue package, but you can watch simulcasted games on ESPN3 (which is only offered on Sling’s Orange package). Rather than choose between the two, you can combine the two with the Orange + Blue package, which will give you access to more than 50 channels, DVR storage and the ability to stream on up to three devices.

Hulu + Live TV

A subscription to Hulu + Live TV gets you more than 95 live TV channels, such as ABC, to watch live sports, TV series and specials whenever you want. You also get access to the entire Hulu on-demand library (including select ABC content available to watch the day after it airs).

Right now, the streamer is offering three months of service for $64.99 per month. Once the promotion is over, a regular subscription starts for $82.99 per month.

For even more content options, Hulu + Live TV includes a subscription both Disney+ and ESPN Unlimited, which will give you access to more sports coverage and ESPN exclusive content.

As soon as the curtain fell in 2018 on her 120-show $100-million-grossing “Jennifer Lopez: All I Have” residency at Planet Hollywood, the speculation began on when — not if — JLO would return to Las Vegas.

After seven years, she announced plans for the new Up All Night Live while hosting the American Music Awards in May 2025. On Dec. 30, after months of rehearsal and teasers on her social media, the fervor came to fruition, as Lopez transported the sold-out audience of more than 4,000 at The Colosseum at Caesars from fantasy to reality and back again in a feverish haze of gyrating bodies and miles of sequins.

Always known for making a major entrance, Lopez kicked off the 120-minute pop, R&B and Latin music and dance odyssey with a spectacular Broadway-themed opener that included “Let Me Entertain You” from the musical Gypsy; 1999’s “Waiting for Tonight,” collabed with West Side Story’s Mambo and an ultra-jazzy “Jenny From the Block,” and finishing off with 2007’s “Do It Well.”

This set the tone for a night where Lopez framed her best moments not as a greatest-hits revue but as a living timeline of “JLO the artist” chronicled through music, choreography and costuming. In a toast to their early aughts reign as the terry-cloth sweatsuit king and queen, Ja Rule joined Lopez on stage for their hits “Ain’t It Funny” and “I’m Real.”

The most significant difference from her last Vegas show? Lopez’s participation in Up All Night Live as narrator, speaking candidly about reinvention, resilience and the discipline it has taken to get her here and back again. Those reflections gave emotional ballast to the high-gloss production designed for spectacle on Las Vegas’ most storied stage, which Adele, Cher, Mariah Carey and Celine Dion have graced.

Here’s a look at Lopez’s full opening-night setlist for Up All Night Live at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.

Act 1
“Let Me Entertain You” from Gypsy
“Waiting for Tonight/”Mambo” from West Side Story
“Jenny From The Block”
“Do It Well”

Act 2
“Love Don’t Cost a Thing”
“I’m a Woman” (Peggy Lee cover)
“Ain’t Your Mama”
“Louboutins”
“Ain’t It Funny” (with Ja Rule)
“I’m Real” (with Ja Rule)
“All I Have”
“Get Right”

Act 3
“Kiss of the Spider Woman”
“Whatever Lola Wants” (Sarah Vaughan cover)
“I’m Into You”
“El Anillo”
“Young and Beautiful” (Lana del Rey cover)
“If You Had My Love”
“Heartbreak Hotel” (Elvis cover)
“Booty”

Act 4
“Get Happy” (Judy Garland cover)
“Dance Again”
“Play”
“On the Floor”
“Don’t Rain on My Parade” (Barbra Streisand cover)
“Let’s Get Loud”

LONDON — The United Kingdom’s recorded music market reported an 11th consecutive year of growth following success for local artists domestically and on the global stage.

In a report shared by the BPI (British Phonographic Institute), artists such as Olivia Dean, Lola Young, Sam Fender, Central Cee and more are credited as being crucial players in the market’s bumper 2025. Massive tours for Oasis, Coldplay and Ed Sheeran also saw sales for their back catalog soar as a result.

The newly-released figures show that music consumption across sales and streams increased by 4.9% annually over the past 12 months to reach a new high of 210.3 million albums (or their streamed equivalent) consumed, with 210.3 billion streams accumulated across the year. Streaming figures rose 5.5% year-on-year to make up 89.3% of consumption (2024 saw 88.8%), and sales of vinyl LPs increased for an 18th year in a row.

In the Official Charts Company’s end of year lists for 2025, U.K. artists feature prominently throughout. The Official Albums Chart’s best-selling album of 2025 was Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl, and releases from British artists Ed Sheeran, Oasis, Sam Fender and Olivia Dean also appear in the top 10. 

On the Official Singles Chart, Lola Young’s “Messy” finishes as the second-biggest song of the year, and Olivia Dean’s “Man I Need” ends the year at No. 9. Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” – which ruled the Official Singles Chart for 13 weeks – takes the top spot of the year-end chart.

The vinyl revival continued in 2025 with the market growing 13.3% year-on-year to 7.6 million, compared to 9.1% annual growth in 2024. Six of the ten biggest-selling vinyl titles of the year were released in the last two years, led by Swift’s The Life Of A Showgirl, which shifted over 147,000 units, the most vinyl LPs sold of a release in a calendar year since the Official Charts Company launched in 1994. 

Physical releases as a whole – across vinyl LPs, CDs, cassettes and more – saw a 1.4% rise year-on-year, the second consecutive year of growth after 19 years of decline. Sales from physical formats played a crucial role in landing a No. 1 on the Official Albums Chart, with 34 of the 43 overall chart-topping LPs doing so with a majority of physical sales in their opening week. Playboi Carti’s Music was the only album to hit the top spot with no physical formats available.

Twenty-seven albums by U.K. artists topped the Official Albums Chart in 2025 with a number of acts doing so more than once. Recent Billboard U.K. cover star Yungblud scored two chart-toppers with Idols and One More Time, a collaborative EP with Aerosmith, as did Ed Sheeran with – +-=÷x (Tour Collection) and Play, and Elton John with greatest hits collection Diamonds and Brandi Carlile collaboration Who Believes in Angels? 

U.K. artists also performed strongly in the nominations for the 2026 Grammys. Olivia Dean and Lola Young appear in the best new artist category, and contemporary acts such as Wet Leg, FKA twigs, FLO, Fred again.., PinkPantheress, Skepta, Sleep Token, Yungblud will compete in their respective genre fields.

Commenting on a positive year for British music and its breakthrough artists, the BPI’s CEO Dr. Jo Twist, BPI CEO, said, “2025 saw UK talent break through domestically and globally, an impressive feat given more acts than ever are vying for audience attention. From Olivia Dean and Lola Young to Sleep Token and Sam Fender, new British talent are now chart-topping sensations at home and are making their presence felt in key markets around the world, while the likes of Ed Sheeran continue to reinforce their icon status. This is testament to the diverse, exceptional talent that exists throughout the UK, and to the vital role labels play in supporting artists to long-term success.”

Twist continued, “This impact should be a powerful reminder that British music is a global headline act, and one of the crown jewels of the UK’s creative industries. Ensuring its success should be high on the Government’s agenda in 2026. We need the commitment of policy makers, the continued protection of the UK’s gold-standard copyright framework, and a business environment which supports direct licensing between music and tech companies in order for labels to continue to discover, nurture and promote the global stars of tomorrow.”

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

They say that everything old is new again in fashion, and that doesn’t just apply to clothing.

While we’ve seen a resurgence of Y2K style thanks to singers like Addison Rae and Charli XCX, bath and beauty products from the 90s are also making a comeback, with new and old fans alike discovering nostalgic favorites. Case in point: Bath & Body Works’ iconic “Cucumber Melon” fragrance, which is back for a limited time exclusively at BathandBodyWorks.com.

Originally released in the 90s, Cucumber Melon products were a mainstay at Bath & Body Works stores at malls across North America, with families stocking up on the approachable yet memorable scent. Even now, I can still remember the fresh and sweet smell of cucumber, cantaloupe and honeydew that formed the base of the fragrance, along with notes of grapefruit and “sheer woods” (think pine trees and grass).

NSYNC star Lance Bass recently revealed that an old girlfriend got him into Bath & Body Works products when he was in the boyband in the 90s, and the brand came out with a similarly nostalgic Disney Villains collection last year, but it’s not just for millennials: Gen Z has fallen in love with these products too, judging by the viral reviews on social media and the 700,000+ TikTok posts about Bath & Body Works in the last few months alone.

What we like: the Cucumber Melon products are all dermatologist-tested and made without parabens or artificial dyes, according to the brand website. And none of the products are ever ever tested on animals.

Ready to stock up on this fan favorite collection? Well hot off its popular Candle Day event, Bath & Body Works has just launched its Semi-Annual Sale, with hundreds of products on sale for 50% off — Cucumber Melon scent included. A reminder: this collection is an online exclusive, which means you won’t find the products in stores. Here’s a look at what to pick up online.

Cucumber Melon Lotion

$7.47 $14.95 50% off

Buy Now AT BATH & BODY WORKS

This super nourishing body lotion is infused with coconut oil, shea butter and vitamin E and promises to keep your skin moisturized for up to 48 hours.

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Cucumber Melon Body Wash

$7.47 $14.95 50% off

Buy Now AT BATH & BODY WORKS

This refreshing body wash is suitable for all skin types and has the comforting scent of cucumber and melons along with the addition of pro-vitamin B5, which has anti-inflammatory properties and helps to lock in moisture, plus aloe, which helps to soothe and calm skin. If you’ve used this body wash in the past, you’ll know it works up into a gentle, foamy lather that rinses off cleanly with no sticky residue.

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Cucumber Melon Cleansing Gel Hand Soap

$3.97 $7.95 50% off

Buy Now at bath & BODY WORKS

Everyone we knew had a bottle of this hand-pump cucumber melon soap back in the day. And now it’s back in new packaging though it retains the same OG smell. The cooling hand soap works to moisturize your skin but it also helps to kill bacteria, dirt and germs.

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Cucumber Melon Fine Fragrance Mist

$8.47 $16.95 50% off

Buy Now AT BATH & BODY WORKS

This spray-on fragrance is great if you want a light everyday scent, though some reviewers like to layer it on with other scents to create their own unique mix as well. We used to also buy these as room fragrances for our dorm room and we’d happily consider buying them again now that we live in a house.

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Cucumber Melon Wallflowers Refills 2-Pack

$15.50

Buy Now AT BATH & BODY WORKS

You can get the Cucumber Melon scent to use with any Bath & Body Works’ Wallflower plug-in fragrance system. Made with essential oils, each fragrance refill lasts about 30 days. The plug-in air freshener is a sleek and subtle way to add a fresh and clean scent to your space without being overpowering. You’ll want to hurry though: Bath & Body Works says more than 3,000 shoppers have added this to their carts in the last 24 hours alone.

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For more viral Bath & Body Works products, check out our review of their Milk Bar collection and their football season-themed picks here.