Grand Park + The Music Center's N.Y.E.L.A. to Return with Music, Dancing & More

Los Angeles will once again make its mark on New Year's Eve celebrations around the world as Angelenos join together with friends and family to share their dreams and aspirations for 2018 at the annual Grand Park + The Music Center's N.Y.E.L.A.

The West Coast's flagship New Year's Eve celebration will present L.A.'s biggest dance party with music and dancing onstage, on the dance floor and throughout Grand Park.

Adding digital imagery to personal style, the evening will include a free interactive motion-graphic activation that audiences can bring to life with their own moves and a unique only-in-Los Angeles New Year's countdown, featuring 3-D digital video mapping on the side of the iconic City Hall.

Grand Park + The Music Center's N.Y.E.L.A will feature two stages with live music, DJs and dancing throughout the night, and a digital dance zone along with an integrated light and pyrotechnics show to count down to the new year in true L.A. style. For the fifth year, this unique civic event, recognized internationally alongside major New Year's Eve celebrations, will be the go-to, family-friendly gathering place in Los Angeles, where Southern Californians and visitors from across the globe will ring in the New Year.

The party takes place from 8:00 p.m. on December 31, 2017 to 1:00 a.m. on New Year's Day and will cover 90 acres, from Grand Avenue to City Hall (Spring Street) and from Temple Street to 2nd Street. More than 50,000 people are expected to attend.

"Now in its fifth year, Grand Park + The Music Center's N.Y.E.L.A. is an L.A. tradition that brings out the best in all of us as people from all over the region celebrate together in the heart of the civic center to welcome the new year," said Rachel Moore, president and CEO of The Music Center. "Grand Park is known as the place where Angelenos come together, embrace the diversity of our county and celebrate major holidays and traditions, and this New Year's Eve will be no exception," she added.

The evening will include Grand Park + The Music Center's N.Y.E.L.A. signature countdown along with a new digital dance zone that will transform the audiences' dance moves into larger-than-life images projected onto the side of the County Hall of Records building. A brilliant visual spectacular, this year's countdown will feature 3D digital mapping projections that will transform the west facing facade of City Hall, enveloping the iconic building with a dance party motif along with silhouetted figures that will lead the audience in synchronized dance moves. For the fourth year, the countdown and projections will be created and designed by Garson Yu, artistic director, and his Emmy award-winning design agency yU+co.

Guests will experience a wide variety of musical performances throughout the evening on two stages. The Countdown Stage, hosted by D'Lo and headlined by the Dexter Story All-Star New Year's Eve Band, features some of L.A.'s powerful, soulful voices, including Raquel Rodriguez, Jimetta Rose, Kenneth Crouch, Chris Pierce, Kam Talbert, and more. DJ Francesca Harding will thread the evening together with her impressive technical skills and broad range of musical genre inclusion. Holding down the Get Down Stage is Los Angeles's own world-renown turntablist and party-rocking crew The Beat Junkies, featuring DJ Babu, DJ Mr. Choc, and DJ Shortkut. Eclectic soul singer Raquel Rodriquez will deliver soulful, gritty grooves and the Dexter Story All-Star New Year's Eve Band will electrify the scene with two sets of Jazz, Funk and Fusion, bringing in 2018 with interspersed jams and of course, the 2018 countdown.

"With more than 50,000 Angelenos expected to make Grand Park + The Music Center's N.Y.E.L.A. their New Year's Eve destination for 2017/2018, we are planning for the biggest dance party on the West Coast," said Julia Diamond, interim director of Grand Park. "This year our digital dance zone and interactive countdown to the New Year will have everyone getting into the groove and dancing throughout the park, even on the walls of the buildings. This is an incredible opportunity for everyone to ring in the New Year as we experience the sights and sounds of Los Angeles together and enjoy Grand Park's own special countdown," she added.

With access to 60 food trucks, Angelenos will have their pick of the best food options from throughout Los Angeles County, including Belly Bombz, The Queso Truck, The Deli Dr., Cousins Maine Lobster, Cocina Fresca by Mangia, India Jones, The Surfer Taco, The Paradise Truck and The Pudding Truck, among others..

For more information about Grand Park + The Music Center's N.Y.E.L.A., visit grandparkla.org/nyela or musiccenter.org/nyela.

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IF YOU GO:

Grand Park + The Music Center's N.Y.E.L.A.

December 31, 2017, 8:00 p.m. - January 1, 2018, 1:00 a.m.

grandparkla.org/nyela or musiccenter.org/nyela

- Throughout all of Grand Park plus adjacent streets, with a footprint from Grand Avenue to Spring Street and from Temple Street to 2nd Street.

- Free event.

- Take the Metro Red or Purple Lines to Civic Center/Grand Park station or the Gold Line to Little Tokyo/Arts District Station. Note: The Temple Street portal at the Civic Center/Grand Park station will be closed until midnight. It will re-open at midnight for event exit only. Please use the 1st Street portal of Civic Center/Grand Park station to access the event. Metro service runs 24 hours on New Year's Eve with free fares from 9:00 p.m. -2:00 a.m. Details on metro.net.

- Food and non-alcoholic beverages for sale throughout the event.

- Performance times:
--> 8:00 p.m., December 31, 2017 - 1:00 a.m., January 1, 2018 on the "Count Down Stage" located in Grand Park; and
--> 8:00 p.m., December 31, 2017 - 1:00 a.m., January 1, 2018 on the "Get Down Stage" located in Grand Park.
--> Countdown at 11:55 p.m., December 31, 2017, N.Y.E.L.A. 2018: 3-D Projection Spectacular on the west facade of City Hall.

- Attractions include: Digital Dance Zone - an interactive activation that transforms the audiences' dance moves into larger-than-life images projected onto the County Hall of Records; the Grid - an immersive, audio reactive light installation by LightRiders; photo booths; inflatable art throughout the park.

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A vibrant outdoor gathering place, Grand Park is a beautiful public park for the entire community in Los Angeles County. With expansive green space for gatherings large and small, Grand Park celebrates the county's cultural vitality and is host to community events, cultural experiences, holiday celebrations, and many other activities that engage and attract visitors from all communities. The 12-acre Grand Park stretches from The Music Center on the west to City Hall on the east and is easily accessible by Metro via the Red/Purple line to the Civic Center/Grand Park station. The park was named one of American Planning Association's 10 "Great Public Spaces" in the U.S. for 2013. Working closely with the county, The Music Center is responsible for all operations and programming for the park. For more information, visit grandparkla.org Follow Grand Park on Facebook (GrandParkLosAngeles), as well as Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat (@GrandPark_LA).

The Music Center is Los Angeles' home to the world's greatest artistic programs and events with four iconic theatres and an outdoor plaza. In addition to its four-renowned resident companies - Center Theatre Group, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, LA Opera and LA Phil - The Music Center presents an international dance series, free and low-cost public programming and special events and activities for all ages. From its early days, The Music Center has been a pioneer in arts education and offers a multi-faceted program from K-12. With The Music Center On Location, the non-profit performing arts organization brings programming to locations outside of its Downtown Los Angeles campus. The Music Center also programs and manages Grand Park, a 12-acre adjacent greenspace, with year-round free programming. For more information, visit musicenter.org Follow The Music Center on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat (@MusicCenterLA)

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