CHICAGO (WLS) — It’s time to ring in the new year and no one does it better than ABC 7’s New Year’s Eve special, “COUNTDOWN CHICAGO,” a Chicago tradition for more than 30 years. The city’s longest-running and most popular local New Year’s Eve show will once again showcase the spirit of Chicago. Cheryl Scott and Terrell Brown will kick off the special with their spectacular dance production followed by internationally famous Cascada, led by Natalie Horler, performing their big dance hit “Everytime We Touch” and GRAMMY-nominated R&B singer and actor, Mario, performing his new release, “Keep Going (Aaaaahhhhh),” and his popular hit “Let Me Love You.”

The special will feature revelers from partygoers at the Salt Shed, Park West, and Little Village’s Mia Tierra. Hosts Val Warner, Ryan Chiaverini, Cheryl Scott, Terrell Brown, Hosea Sanders and special guests Kenzie & Roman will bring Chicago style celebrations to viewers at home, Tuesday, Dec. 31, beginning at 11:25 p.m. on ABC 7.

ABC 7’s “COUNTDOWN CHICAGO,” the winner of six consecutive Chicago Midwest Emmy Awards, owns the distinction of being the most-watched local program in Chicago last year, and 2025 promises to be no exception. ABC 7’s team of hosts will capture the excitement of New Year’s Eve: Val Warner and Ryan Chiaverini will be groovin’ to Chicago’s classic house music from the “Chosen Few DJs” and “Hot Mix 5” at the Park West. Terrell Brown and Cheryl Scott will join the fun at the Salt Shed’s New Year’s Eve party featuring the music of “Lake Street Dive.” Hosea Sanders will introduce the show’s featured musical artists Cascada and Mario. Chicago media personalities Kenzie & Roman will be part of the fiesta at a Little Village neighborhood favorite, Mi Tierra.

In what has now become appointment TV and an anticipated Chicago annual event, ABC 7 meteorologist Cheryl Scott and anchor Terrell Brown will open the show with their spectacular dance number – featuring dozens of dancers from the famed Chicago dance company Puzzle Box. In a high-spirited performance, the duo plays high school teachers who surprise bored students by jazzing up what begins as a dull high school dance. This is the seventh year Brown and Scott have paired up to dance their way into the new year.

ABC7 will be ringing in the New Year with Chicago’s grand finale, New Year’s Eve fireworks at midnight.

Dec. 31, 1991, marked the beginning of ABC7’s annual broadcast of New Year’s Eve specials.

Justyna Syska and Terrell Brown are executive producers of “ABC7 PRESENTS: COUNTDOWN CHICAGO 2025.”

About ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago
ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago is the No. 1 local news source and most-watched television station in Chicago. With top-rated daily newscasts spanning decades and the largest social media presence in the market with more than 2.6 million Facebook followers, ABC7 Eyewitness News provides breaking news, investigative reporting, weather, politics, traffic and sports in the multiplatform space toChicago, the suburbs and northwest Indiana. Named Best News Operation by the Associated Press for four consecutive years, ABC 7 Eyewitness News produces “Chicago Proud,” a series of features that spotlights everyday heroes in and around Chicago.The station also produces the highest-rated New Year’s Eve special in Chicago, holiday kickoff special “The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival,” syndicated to a national audience, as well as the award-winning program series “Our Chicago,” which showcases the city’s diversity and highlights contributions in the Black, Hispanic, Asian, LGBTQ+ communities, among others.Every Friday, Windy City Weekend, entertains while giving Chicagoans everything they need to know about what’s happening in the city. ABC 7 is the only Chicago station producing and broadcasting parades representing Chicago’s rich cultural history. In addition to producing town halls focused on current social issues, the station has a long and proud tradition of broadcasting political candidate debates keeping Chicago’s electorate informed.ABC7’s outreach efforts include annual partnerships with the Red Cross for life-saving blood drives, one of the biggest one-day drives in the country and, most recently, spearheading an effort to raise more than $1.5 million for area food pantries.