NEW YORK CITY–On a surprisingly warm, cloudy winter morning, four giant numbers were set down in Times Square. A crowd gathered to watch the future illuminate.
The 7-foot “2025” numerals were presented in Time Square on Dec. 18, ushering in excitement for the new year.
The monolithic numbers will be standing in Times Square for photos between 46th and 47th street until 7 a.m. on Dec. 23.
The numerals will be placed on top of One Times Square as a piece of the massive 2025 sign for the New Year’s live broadcast, where it will be lit when the ball drops.
President of the Times Square Alliance Tom Harris spoke at the unveiling. “You know that New Year’s is full, full steam ahead when the numerals arrive,” he said. “Hundreds of thousands of people come to Times Square, and over the next few days, they’re going to be able to have pictures taken with the numerals.”
This year Times Square partnered with AMA Electric and Kia to help run the numerals. A Kia EV9 was set next to the radiant numbers.
Kia Head of Public Relations James Bell, speaking at the lighting event, said, “I know New York, on occasion, has had a blackout or two, but just in case, I want everybody know that EV9, right there, has ability to power these lights.”
Bell said that the reason they were helping with the numerals is the Accelerate the Good policy, which aims to “remind people that this is a season of giving.”
“So our gift to the world are these numerals that will be illuminated on New Year’s Eve? We’re all very excited about that.”
Collectively, the numbers weigh about 1,200 pounds, with the heaviest number being the zero, at 380 pounds.
And how many lightbulbs does it take to make the new year shine? There are 145 lightbulbs in each two, 164 in the zero, and 166 in the new five, rounding out to a nice 620, 32 more than last year’s 588 bulbs.
The top sign tradition, where a sign of the year lights up on One Times Square at midnight on New Year’s Eve, is actually older than the ball dropping, starting in 1905 compared with the ball drop in 1908.
This may be the last time we see these 7-foot numerals, because in November 2023, Sherri White, the leader of the 2022 redevelopment of One Times Square, announced on the Good News Broadcast YouTube channel that new numerals would debut during the 2025-2026 celebration. The design currently used was adopted during the 1995-96 celebration.
