On New Year’s Eve, Claire Morgan [Hilary Swank] is orchestrating the final arrangements for the grand ball drop in Times Square, coordinating with her friend and fellow official Police Officer Brendan [Ludacris] to keep everything on track as the city braces for the countdown. Meanwhile, Ingrid Withers [Michelle Pfeiffer], a secretary at Ahern Records, escapes a near-miss moment, quits her job, and proposes a playful challenge to deliveryman Paul Doyle [Zac Efron]: if he helps her complete a list of New Year’s resolutions before midnight, she’ll reward him with invitations to the legendary Ahern Records Masquerade Ball.
Across town, Paul’s sister Kim Doyle [Sarah Jessica Parker] wrestles with her teenage daughter Hailey [Abigail Breslin], who longs to ring in the new year in Times Square with her friends and her boyfriend Seth Anderson [Jake T. Austin], threatening to pull away from the family’s plans. Paul’s friend Randy [Ashton Kutcher], a comic-book artist who dreads NYE after a painful breakup, finds himself stuck in an elevator with Elise [Lea Michele], a rising singer who will back up Daniel Jensen [Jon Bon Jovi] at the town’s marquee show. In the midst of the tension, Randy also contemplates rekindling an old flame with his former love while Elise prepares for her big moment on the stage.
On the other side of the event, Laura Carrington [Katherine Heigl] works as a caterer for Jensen’s concert, along with Eva [Sofia Vergara] and Sunil [Russell Peters], and she carries with her a complicated history with Jensen, including a past proposal that ended in cold feet and a dramatic breakup. In a nearby hospital, Stan Harris [Robert De Niro], a cancer patient who has rejected chemotherapy, longs for one last glimpse of the ball drop, supported by Nurse Aimee [Halle Berry] and Nurse Mindy [Alyssa Milano] as his doctor (Cary Elwes) reveals the gravity of his condition.
In the same ward, a young couple, Griffin [Seth Meyers] and Tess Byrne [Jessica Biel], anticipate the birth of their first child and compete with another couple, James Schwab [Til Schweiger] and Grace Schwab [Sarah Paulson], for a special bonus tied to the arrival of the new year. Elsewhere, Sam [Josh Duhamel], a business associate from Ahern Records, fights to reach the ball to deliver an important speech, all while haunted by thoughts of a mysterious woman he met on the previous NYE.
In the early evening, a malfunctioning LED panel on the Times Square Ball prompts Claire to contact Kominsky [Héctor Elizondo], an electrician she had fired weeks earlier. Kominsky fixes the issue, and in gratitude is placed in charge of the midnight operation, allowing Claire to share a final moment with her father, Stan Harris, as the ball descends and the chorus of “Auld Lang Syne” fills the air, marking a poignant farewell.
As the night unfolds, Paul helps Ingrid complete every item on her ambitious list—ranging from a symbolic world tour with a giant globe to a Bali escape and even a mesmerizing solo theatre performance—until she hands him the coveted tickets. Meanwhile, Randy and Elise’s bond deepens, and when the elevator is finally repaired by the building superintendent James Belushi, Elise hurries back to Jensen’s show, only to realize she left her rubber band behind for luck; Randy rushes to reunite her with it.
The Times Square show intensifies as Jensen returns briefly to apologize to Laura, who accepts him back, and Sam gives his speech with a renewed sense of purpose. With Jensen away, Elise is called onstage to replace him and captivates the crowd, sparking a romantic spark with Randy. The tale also follows the emotional arc of the other couples: Griffin and Tess welcome their baby and, despite being the first to birth, defer the prize to James and Grace, who have more children to support; Hailey seizes the chance to slip away to Times Square, only to be consoled by her mother after witnessing a kiss between Seth and another girl.
As the night moves toward its end, Kim finally crosses paths with Sam at a restaurant, and the two of them discover each other’s names—all while the city pulses with hope, heartbreak, and the shared belief that a single New Year’s Eve can reshape many lives. The intertwined stories converge in a celebration of renewal, connection, and the unexpected ways people find love, forgiveness, and a fresh start as the clock ticks toward midnight.
