ATLANTA, GA- The countdown is on to the New Year and a decades long Atlanta tradition will not highlight the sky’s over downtown this year. Instead the City of Atlanta has announced a new exciting event that will ring in 2026 across the skies of the City and take things down to the neighborhood level across the city rather than just in a centralized location.
On Monday, December 15, 2025, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens announced that there will be no iconic Peach Drop this year, a tradition that Atlantan’s and visitors to the city have enjoyed since 1989. Mayor Dickens instead announced a new event that will highlight areas across the city with multiple fireworks displays and a massive drone show that will illuminate the skies over Downtown and Midtown in a true Atlanta tradition.
“The Annual Peach Drop has been a big part of our city’s New Year’s Eve since 1989, bringing people together in a way only Atlanta can. However, this New Year’s Eve, we are reimagining that tradition with Countdown Over ATL,” said Mayor Andre Dickens. “We cannot wait for residents and visitors to experience several fireworks displays that will light up the night across Atlanta. All you have to do is step outside, hit your neighborhood spot, meet on a rooftop or watch from your backyard, and you’ll be part of one special shared moment. Atlanta is a city of opportunity for all, and this year we are going to meet you where you are.”
The city will sponsor the unique celebration that will include a 12-minute New Year’s Eve activation with a digital drone show over Midtown and Downtown that will include the drones taking the shape of a giant peach across the areas of the city. The display from the drone show will be followed up by synchronized fireworks being launched from multiple points across the city of Atlanta.
This night of lights creates a signature midnight moment that is safe, elevated and accessible to every neighborhood. This model pushes Atlanta towards the future. By decentralizing Downtown crowds, increasing visibility across the city and strengthening public safety operations, this citywide display delivers a unified New Year’s experience for all Atlantans.
While the drone Peach will be most visible to Downtown and Midtown, residents citywide can step outside, gather in their neighborhoods, visit local rooftops or meet in backyards to watch the synchronized fireworks and celebrate the New Year together.
Make sure to stay up to date on all the New Years Eve events happening across Atlanta with InqAtlanta.
