ABC Chicago announces lineup for ‘Countdown Chicago’ New Year’s Eve show

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Chicago ABC O&O WLS is gearing up for its annual New Year’s Eve celebration, a city tradition for 27 years.

“Countdown Chicago,” the city’s longest running local New Year’s Eve show, will once again ring in the New Year on Sunday, Dec. 31 starting at 11:08 p.m.

The countdown to 2018 special will feature five different locations around town with some of the hottest parties, musical talent and thrilling fireworks in and around Chicago.

The show dates back to Dec. 31, 1991, when the station first aired the program.

Janet Davies and Mark Giangreco, two of Chicago’s most recognized broadcasters, will team up for their 17th stint as co-hosts ushering in the New Year for Chicagoans.

They’ll get the party started downtown at the Hilton Chicago.

Joining Davies and Giangreco are ABC 7’s Eyewitness News anchors Terrell Brown and Hosea Sanders, meteorologist Cheryl Scott and reporter Liz Nagy and, from ABC 7’s daytime lifestyle program “Windy City Live,” Val Warner, Ryan Chiaverini and Ji Suk Yi.

Chiaverini, Warner and Yi will enter the MB Financial Park in Rosemont with a Harley Davidson Motorcycle escort. At Joe’s Live they’ll be joined by the sound of 16 Candles playing its rendition of 80’s hits, along with country sensations Suburban Cowboys at Bub City.

Scott and Brown will visit a masquerade ball masks to bring viewers a unique experience during the first New Year’s Eve Masquerade Ball at event space 19 East.

The glamorous event will showcase urban Chicago architecture across generations with three live connected venue spaces. Chicago native DJs Franchise and Jay Illa will provide music.’

Sanders will be live in Orland Park at the Night of Sheer Elegance bash sponsored by the Delta Sigma Theta sorority.

Nagy will be live at the Abbington Distinctive Banquets in Glen Ellyn celebrating the New Year with the band Soda Rocks along with 600 other Chicago revelers.

The show, which is being executive produced by WLS’s Matt Knutson, will finish with coverage of Navy Pier’s signature fireworks spectacular.