Ocean City's 34th First Night will run on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2026. Admission buttons for it went on sale at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10, according to the city's announcement. That means the countdown started 82 days before the fireworks. The night itself happens on Dec. 31, but the price change, the start of advance pickup, and the mail-order cutoff all fall in November and the first half of December. Buttons are still sold on the day, for as long as supplies last.
The cap is what makes those early dates matter. On the night that welcomed 2026, OCNJ Daily reported that attendance is capped at 10,000 each year and "usually hits capacity." A town of about 10,000 button holders spread over 20 venues on one winter night works more like a ticketed show than an open-door festival. The calendar below shows how that plays out.
The Calendar Between Now and Midnight
Every date here comes from the official First Night button page or the city's October announcement.
- Oct. 10: Sales opened online at firstnightocnj.com, by phone at 609-399-6111, and at four city locations. Those are the City Hall Welcome Center at 861 Asbury Avenue, 9th Street entrance; the Roy Gillian Welcome Center on the 9th Street causeway; the Music Pier Information Center on the Boardwalk; and the 46th Street Welcome Center in the 4500 block of West Avenue.
- Nov. 13: Will-call pickup opens at the City Hall Information Center, 861 Asbury Avenue. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week, and the office is closed Christmas Day.
- Week of Nov. 16: Mail orders start going out.
- Nov. 30: Last day of the $20 price, which already includes the service fee.
- Dec. 1: The price goes to $25 per person.
- Dec. 16: Last day for mail orders, because of shipping cutoffs.
- Dec. 31: Button sales and will-call pickup continue at the City Hall Welcome Center from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., "or while supplies last."
The button page states plainly that "All sales are final. No refunds or exchanges." So buying early is a firm commitment. With a cap and no refunds, the decision belongs in the same conversation where families sort out who is coming down for the holidays and who is sleeping where.
What Waiting Until December Costs
The price change is easy to miss, and it adds up for a household. In the official guide, children under 2 get in free. Everyone else needs a button. A family of four with no toddlers pays $80 through Nov. 30 and $100 from Dec. 1 on. A house full of visiting relatives multiplies that $5-per-person gap.
The December price matches what last year's buyers paid. In its Dec. 8, 2025 preview, OCNJ Daily listed buttons at $25 each and reported that the city was "urging everyone not to wait to buy their buttons because supplies are limited." The same $25 that night covered more than 70 programs at 20 venues. This year, the two months before Dec. 1 are the cheaper window.
How Close Last Year Came to the Cap
The best sign of how the cap behaves is what the mayor said on the night itself. OCNJ Daily's Dec. 31, 2025 coverage put the crowd at about 10,000 guests across 20 venues. It quoted Mayor Jay Gillian on whether every button would sell:
"It's close," Gillian said of all 10,000 admission buttons selling out. "This is always a great family tradition. It ends the year in Ocean City on a high note."
That exchange appears in OCNJ Daily's account of the night, which also described the buttons as "nearly sold out" on Dec. 31. Close to the limit on the day itself means the walk-up window at City Hall is a gamble. The button page also warns that "Buttons can sell out!"
That is also why the mail cutoff matters for owners who don't live on the island full time. Anyone who wants buttons waiting at an off-island address has until Dec. 16 to order that way. After that, it's will-call at 861 Asbury Avenue.
The Drone Shows Have Changed Every Year
The headline addition for this edition is the sky over Carey Stadium. The city's announcement lists two drone shows synchronized to music. The count has moved around in the short time First Night has had drones.
| Edition | What the coverage described |
|---|---|
| Welcoming 2025 | Drone display listed as "New this year," with shows at 7:45 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. |
| Welcoming 2026 | A single drone light show over Carey Stadium, synced to music |
| Welcoming 2027 | Two drone shows over Carey Stadium, synchronized to music |
The first row comes from OCNJ Daily's Dec. 24, 2024 guide. The second comes from the Dec. 8, 2025 preview. The third comes from the city's Oct. 9, 2026 release. Showtimes for the 2027 drone shows have not been published in text yet. The 7:45 and 9:45 slots belong to the first year only, so check the schedule at firstnightocnj.com before planning dinner around them.
A second show matters on a night built around moving between buildings. A single show makes everyone at a Music Pier set or an auditorium performance break away at the same moment, and a second one gives people more room to fit the sky into the evening.
Where the Night Actually Happens
Most of the planning for a button holder is choosing among venues, and this year's lineup is a mix of new acts and returning ones.
Ocean City Music Pier. The Pennsport String Band opens, followed by Still Surfin', a Beach Boys tribute, and Shadows of the 60s: A Tribute to Motown Super Groups. Last year's Music Pier bill had a Journey tribute and "Motor City: the Motown Revue," so Motown returns in a new form.
Ocean City High School auditorium. The Ocean City Theatre Company presents "Junie B. Jones." The other shows are Country LIVE, with tributes to Kenny Chesney, Shania Twain, Keith Urban and Luke Bryan, and the returning Yacht Rock Gold Experience. Last year the auditorium hosted separate Elton John and Billy Joel tribute shows.
Returning favorites around town. The Harlem Wizards, magician Chad Juros, mentalist Dustin Dean, Dueling Pianos, the Give & Take Jugglers' Little Circus, illusionist Salazar, Brain Wash Game Shows, karaoke and line dancing.
Family stops. Outdoor ice skating, a DJ Skate Party at the Ocean City Skate Park, swimming at the Community Center, trivia at the Ocean City Free Public Library, and open houses at the U.S. Life Saving Station and the Ocean City Historical Museum.
The city says one button covers the full lineup. Seating and capacity rules for individual shows aren't spelled out in this year's materials. The printable schedule grid on the First Night site is the place to match showtimes to venues once you have your button.
Getting Between Venues
The evening opens at 3:45 p.m. with a kickoff and ribbon-cutting at the Music Pier. Per the official guide, jitneys for button holders run continuously from 5 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. They link the Transportation Center at Ninth Street and Haven Avenue with the Seventh Street Parking Lot at Seventh Street and Central Avenue. The guide also says municipal lots and metered spaces are free.
Those two jitney endpoints and the Fifth Street fireworks pull the night toward the north and central parts of the island. The midnight fireworks launch from the Fifth Street beach. Households farther south have a longer trip at the end of the night, which makes the free parking near the jitney stops worth knowing about ahead of time.
The event stays alcohol-free. The city calls First Night its "signature alcohol-free New Year's Eve celebration." Buttons are on sale now at $20 through Nov. 30, and will-call at 861 Asbury Avenue opens Nov. 13.
If your Ocean City home will be full of family for First Night this year, it may also be the right time to find out what the house is worth. The Anchor Group offers a free home valuation for shore owners, and we're glad to talk through whatever your plans for the coming year include.
