JUST IN: Mamdani Signs Order Banning New Yorkers From Celebrating America’s 250th In Times Square

A flashy Times Square ball drop planned for America’s 250th birthday is still happening, but the public apparently won’t be there to see it.

Organizers confirmed Tuesday that the New Year’s Eve-style celebration will move forward at midnight on July 3 despite new restrictions tied to Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s emergency order banning hundreds of public gatherings during the FIFA World Cup in New York City.

In an unusual announcement, however, organizers said the patriotic spectacle will take place without a live crowd in Times Square.

“The July 3rd Ball Drop is confirmed and will take place at One Times Square, alongside a live broadcast and celebration,” America250 and One Times Square said in a joint statement. “While there will not be a public event in the Times Square plazas, we are working through standard coordination with city partners and look forward to sharing additional details soon.”

Exactly what the event will look like without throngs of spectators at the Crossroads of the World remains unclear, given that massive crowds have long been central to Times Square’s signature ball drop tradition.

The celebration has not yet secured the permits required for a public event, and sources told The New York Post it remains uncertain whether those approvals will be granted.

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City Hall did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The Post, while the NYPD directed all questions regarding the event to the mayor’s office.

The announcement comes after the city Parks Department adopted a rule at the NYPD’s request, blocking new permits for special events on park property during the World Cup, which runs from June 11 through July 19.

The policy has sparked backlash from critics, including the NYPD’s Police Benevolent Association, which argued the restrictions would not be needed if the city addressed staffing shortages and stopped the exodus of officers from the force.

“We’re still 6,000 cops short of peak staffing, with hundreds more leaving the job every month,” NYPD PBA president Patrick Hendry said Monday. “Police officers are already burned out by the short-staffing they experience on a daily basis.

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“When this summer’s massive workload hits, it’s going to push even more of them out the door.”

Sources said the July Times Square celebration could be among the events denied permits under Mamdani’s order, though discussions remain ongoing.

Rosie Rios, chair of America250, previously said the July program is expected to feature the famed Times Square ball illuminated in red, white, and blue, followed by 2,000 pounds of patriotic confetti raining down as broadcasters air a tribute titled “America Turns 250.”

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