Gloria Molina Grand Park’s New Year’s event will feature Ceci Bastida

Downtown L.A.’s free New Year’s Eve party at Gloria Molina Grand Park will be a five-hour, alcohol-free celebration.

NYELA Countdown to 2026 will feature music artists, performers, as well as DJs. From hip hop and house music to psychedelic rhythms, nearly every music and dance genre will be showcased on two stages at Gloria Molina Grand Park, powered by The Music Center. 

“Gloria Molina Grand Park’s NYELA reminds us that change doesn’t begin in crowds—it begins with one person, one act, one spark of courage,” said president and CEO of The Music Center Rachel S. Moore, who shared that this year’s theme, the “Power of One,” is about “believing that each of us can shape the future we want to see.” 

She invited all Angelenos “to join together to usher in the new year as one powerful community because our collective creativity, compassion and courage keep L.A. County soaring.”

The event’s “Power of One” theme is inspired by the monarch butterfly, an unwavering symbol of migration, transformation and ancestral courage. 

Festival goers will see these butterflies and their pulsing wings depicted in the park’s countdown-to-midnight art show on City Hall, produced by A3 Visual.

“Like the monarch butterfly that migrates across borders driven by the hope to survive and thrive, that same courage defines Los Angeles today—a proud county of immigrants whose individual contributions and collective efforts continue to shape generations,” said Robert Gonzalez, director of Gloria Molina Grand Park. “With Gloria Molina Grand Park’s NYELA, we honor the brave, resilient and ever-evolving spirit of Angelenos, as we renew our commitment to building a community where everyone belongs.”

Gates will open at 8:00 p.m. and will encompass the park’s six city blocks. TheCountdown Stage, hosted by DJ Gingee in the park’s Block 4 between Broadway and Spring Streets, will open with L.A.-based Latin Grammy-nominated artist Ceci Bastida, former member of the iconic Mexican ska-punk band Tijuana NO. BARDO will follow Bastida with lyrics exploring themes of identity, cultural heritage and the human experience. Filipina American rapper and spoken word artist Ruby Ibarra, who recently won NPR’s 2025 Tiny Desk Concert contest, will headline the Countdown Stage.

Detroit-born CLAX10 kicks off the night at the Get Down Stage presented by STARDUST with a genre-blending set rooted in the Black diaspora, weaving house, hip hop, Afrobeats, R&B and Latin influences. 

The celebration will also include a Community Block providing access to non-profit organizations and community resources, including East Wind Foundation, LA Commons, Mount of Angels and One Grain of Sand Puppet Theater. 

There will be over 30 food trucks and food vendors. Outside alcohol is not permitted, and alcohol will not be sold at Gloria Molina Grand Park. For a complete list of the park’s prohibited items and activities, click here.

Attendees will access Gloria Molina Grand Park’s grounds through four marked entrances:

• 1st Street and Grand Avenue

• 1st Street and Main Street

• 2nd Street and Hill Street

• Temple Street and Hill Street

Public parking will be available at the main Music Center garage (135 N. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012) and in The Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall garage (111 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012) at a flat rate of $10 per vehicle. 

Given the large number of guests expected at the event, members of the public are highly encouraged to take public transportation. Gloria Molina Grand Park is located conveniently at the Civic Center/Grand Park station along the Metro B Line (Red) and D Line (Purple). Additionally, the park is easily accessible by taking Metro’s Regional Connector to the Grand Ave Arts/Bunker Hill, Historic Broadway and Little Tokyo/Arts District stops along the Metro A Line (Blue) and E Line (Expo).

For more information, visit grandparkla.org/nyela and follow Gloria Molina Grand Park on social media (@grandpark_la and @grandparkLosAngeles).