Pittsburg, PA
Plans announced for Pittsburgh’s First Night festivities on New Year’s Eve
Plans have been unveiled for this year’s First Night activities for people celebrating ringing in the new year in Downtown Pittsburgh.
The 32nd annual First Night celebrations will return to Pittsburgh’s Cultural District on New Year’s Eve with live music performances, a number of different kind of activities, and of course, a countdown to midnight as the city turns the page from 2025 and welcomes 2026.
First Night will feature the Highmark Stage at the intersection of Penn Avenue and Stanwix Street where there will be a welcome and kick-off starting at 7 p.m., followed by a sing-off, a family dance party, and children’s fireworks.
“We refreshed this year’s schedule to make sure we’re truly offering something for everyone,” said Brooke Horejsi, Chief Programming & Engagement Officer for the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. “The kid-friendly ‘early eve’ celebration offers families a fun night out while new events like the Dollar Bank Battle of the Bands will charge up the crowd all the way to midnight. Special thanks to Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield for the generous support of this special community tradition.”
In addition to the events on the Highmark Stage, First Night will also feature events like ice sculpting, roaming dancers, a battle of the bands, and more.
As the clock reaches midnight, New Year’s Eve will make way for 2026 as the Future of Pittsburgh Ball will rise high above the Cultural District with fireworks and the singing of Auld Lang Syne.
“Our partnership with the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust for First Night Pittsburgh is a highlight we look forward to each year, and we are proud to once again sponsor this community celebration,” says David Holmberg, CEO of Highmark Health. “Through our Highmark Bright Blue Futures program, this occasion gives life to our enterprise mission: cultivating a healthy and flourishing community as we step into 2026.”
All of this year’s events will be free and open to the public, except for two indoor ticketed petformances.
More information along with a full lineup of First Night events can be found online.
Some big changes are coming to Oakland for Pittsburgh Regional Transit riders, all of which include closures, construction, and the future of safety.
Riders who typically catch the bus on Fifth Avenue in Oakland should start preparing because starting Sunday, Pittsburgh Regional Transit says the bus lane on Fifth Avenue will be permanently retired.
It’s a part of their University Line project, designed to create a more reliable connection between Downtown, Uptown, and Oakland.
But without the Fifth Avenue bus lane, traffic is shifting.
“All of our bus operational movements are going to be moving over here to Forbes Avenue,” said Amy Silbermann, chief development officer with Pittsburgh Regional Transit.
For riders, this means big changes.
Seventeen outbound bus stops along Fifth Avenue will be eliminated, 9 bus routes will be rerouted, and all outbound buses will travel on Forbes with general traffic.
“Forbes Avenue is going to be more congested. We will have more buses than today,” Silbermann noted.
While the closure is permanent, the construction and renovation will be temporary, and part of a much bigger plan.
“Ultimately, that lane is going to turn into a two-way protected bicycle facility. All buses will remain on Forbes Avenue outbound for as long as we know,” Silbermann said.
This change will now leave Forbes as the main bus corridor.
“Ultimately, one lane on Forbes Avenue is going to become a bus-only lane. However, that’s not happening until later next year.”
In the meantime, PRT says it’s working with the city and Port Authority police to keep traffic moving. The entire project is expected to be completed by 2027.
“This is not about making buses rapid. This is about making buses move more reliably and continuously throughout the corridor,” Silbermann said. “Today, they get very bunched up because of the conditions. Once they get bunched up, they end up with big gaps in service, where you may wait a really long time and then get on a really overcrowded bus.”
PRT says they will have staff at select bus stops to help navigate through this transition.
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