Seattle skies were glowing with color as the Space Needle rang in 2024 with a brilliant light, drone, and pyrotechnic spectacular for the West Coast—and the world—to see. The T-Mobile New Year’s at the Needle extravaganza was the longest show in the event’s 32-year history, stunning viewers with an 18-minute display. More viewers were able to tune in than ever before with the event broadcast live for the first time in Portland and Spokane, in addition to Seattle.
At 11:52 PM, 500 drones took flight next to the Space Needle and created out-of-this-world cosmic formations, including an astronaut, rocket ship, and UFO landing on top of the drone-illustrated Space Needle. As the drones counted down to midnight, an elaborate lighting and explosive pyrotechnic finale marked the new year in Seattle, all choreographed to a soundtrack of Pacific Northwest favorites and 2023’s biggest cultural moments. Show highlights included:
- Live musical performance atop the Space Needle by the West Seattle girl-pop rock band THEM for viewers at home;
- The track “Soft Stud” by up-and-coming Pacific Northwest artist Black Belt Eagle Scout, with roots in Oregon and Washington;
- Celebrating the hitmakers of 2023 with “Bejeweled” by Taylor Swift (TIME Magazine’s Person of the Year) and “Alien Superstar” by Beyonce;
- Honoring the legendary musicians that we lost this year with tracks by Harry Belafonte and Tina Turner. “The Best” by Turner was the grand finale for the show to ring in 2024.
Other artists featured in this year’s show included beloved and trending artists like Macklemore, ODESZA, and Modest Mouse along with Dua Lipa, Lil Nas X, Spanish rapper Quevedo, and K-pop supergroup IVE.
“This year’s spectacular was our biggest yet, and the Space Needle is proud to be at the heart of so many New Year’s traditions,” said Randy Coté, Chief Marketing Officer for the Space Needle. “We hope those who joined the countdown in-person at Seattle Center and from across the Pacific Northwest watching at home experienced the awe, possibility, and joy of sharing this moment together as we look toward a bright 2024.”
“On behalf of the Space Needle and the millions that watched from across the region, a huge thank you goes out to our creative and production partners, and to T-Mobile for sponsoring this event for the 11th year in a row,” added Coté.
Drone specialists Sky Elements, along with Pyro Spectaculars by Souza and Illuminate Production Services, returned as the experts in fireworks and lighting, respectively.
The show was broadcast across the Pacific Northwest on KING (Seattle), KGW (Portland), and KREM (Spokane), with the show’s audio simulcast by iHeart Radio on HITS 106.1 in Seattle.
To watch the full show, visit spaceneedle.com/newyears.
