Chicago officials address safety concerns ahead of New Year's Eve celebrations downtown
Chicago is gearing up to ring in the New Year with fireworks, music, and major national attention along the Riverwalk.
As the city is anticipating thousands of people coming downtown, they're trying to get out ahead of any safety concerns.
Moving trucks full of equipment, road blocks, and barricades are being moved into place on Franklin between Lake and Wacker, ahead of the free riverfront celebration hosted and headlined by Chance the Rapper for Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2026.
A first for the NYC-based countdown show, and one of the reasons Chicago will get federal support from the Secret Service for the live event.
The city's Office of Emergency Management and Communications highly recommends taking public transit, as many of the roads and bridges will be blocked off by 11:30 p.m. on New Year's Eve. Some road closures are already in effect near the Riverwalk.
The city said Chicago's inclusion in the countdown underscores the strength of its tourism industry.
"I'm so happy to see Chicago highlighted at the end of the year its wonderful," said Allison Gallese.
Gallese, partner at Miru and Trę Dita restaurants at the St. Regis Chicago, said they're prepping for an early, family-friendly glow party at Miru, followed by an elegant evening affair for adults, and have one of the best views for the midnight show.
"We see beautiful fireworks at Navy Pier, and then you can see all the fireworks west of the river, so you can see all the fireworks on the bridges," she said.
Safety concerns linger after a violent aftermath of the city's Christmas Tree lighting left one teenager dead and eight others wounded.
"We're going to be highly visible throughout the entirety of the city. We're going to make sure we have sufficient manpower. We've already made provisions for that," said CPD Supt. Larry Snelling.
Mayor Brandon Johnson said the city has learned lessons from the violence that followed the Tree Lighting event.
"I've had extensive conversations with our superintendent around not just our presence, but how all of our departments have to work together for Ingress egress to be able to move people around effectively. Those lessons will certainly be applied to the New Year's Eve event," he said.
Even with all the entertainment and pyrotechnics, OEMC is urging people to stay alert, be aware of their surroundings, and report anything suspicious by calling 911.
The city also reiterated that the 10 p.m. curfew for everyone under 18 will be heavily enforced.
"This is to parents— please know where your children are," Supt. Snelling said. "If you're under the age of 18, you should not be in the downtown area after curfew without being accompanied by an adult."
Violation of the curfew can result in fines and community service.
"Chicago is going to feel some pressure, the police department is going to feel pressure to be honest," said former CPD First Deputy Supt. Anthony Riccio,
He said police will be supported Wednesday night into Thursday.
He said federal partners like the FBI, Secret Service, and a private security company he works for will be at the New Year's Eve event. To get into the area between the Wells and Lake, people will have to go through security.
"The event itself should be very safe because people will be screened there for weapons," Riccio said.
CTA service will be free on New Year's Eve from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., CPD Supt. Larry Snelling said they have enough manpower on the CTA to do everything they can to keep people safe.
As for fireworks, they will be best viewed along the Chicago River from Upper Wacker Drive, stretching from McClurg Court to Franklin Street, and there will also be a separate fireworks show at Navy Pier.
OEMC is advising people to also dress for the weather as windchills could be around 0.