New Year’s Eve: Space Needle’s 2021 celebration will be online

SEATTLE — When midnight rolls around and 2021 begins, if you look at the Space Needle in person, you’ll see it lit in T-Mobile magenta, and that’s about it.

“It’s kind of sad we can’t see the fireworks up at the Space Needle but we will be catching that digital broadcast,” said Jasir Soomro, who is visiting Seattle with friends.

Instead of the fireworks and light show, the Space Needle plans a “virtual spectacular” that cannot be seen in person.

The show will stream at midnight on the Space Needle website.

“It will look real and then it will look unreal,” said Karen Olson, Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Operating Officer at the Space Needle.

For about three decades, Seattle has rung in each New Year with fireworks at the Needle, but the crowds it draws wouldn’t be acceptable during the pandemic.

Last year, for the first time, high wind canceled the fireworks.

“They weren’t here last year so we already knew 2020 was going to have a bad start,” said Seattle resident Mike Ramirez. “I think we’re going to stay in tonight, you really can’t do much, New Year’s is not what it used to be.”

Cox Media Group