On New Year’s Eve, the grapes, champagne, and kisses will have to be enjoyed at home—but with a lot of music, starting at 10pm.

The Jardín Principal, as in 1998, will look deserted: no lights, no music, no people. With the city on red light status because of the COVID-19 pandemic, church and municipal authorities recommend people celebrate the holidays at home in the company of those they live with. 

The first New Year’s Eve festivity held in the Jardín was to say goodbye to 1999 and welcome the new millennium. Before that year, restaurants closed early, and people celebrated at home. Eventually, New Year’s Eve celebrations became popular on the esplanade of the Jardín with hats, masks, sparklers, grapes, champagne, bell ringing, kisses, hugs, live music, and dancing.

At the close of this edition, it was not known if pyrotechnics would be launched from the Jardín and the main public squares, as they were on this year’s September 15 holiday, the anniversary of the beginning of the Independence struggle. There will, however, be a virtual concert (details below).

Paulina Cadena, director of Culture and Traditions, told Atención that on Dec. 31, the concert will start at 10pm. In this virtual concert, participating artists will be Gaby Espinosa, Gaby Perales, Morgana Love, César Valderrama, Daniel Tovar (Mariachi Los Camperos), Rafael de la Vega, Javier Gibler, Jessica Sánchez, and a children’s choir. “For the repertoire we chose hopeful songs. Among the titles are Sueña, ´O sole mío, Vive (Live), Color esperanza (Color of Hope), Ojalá que llueva café (Let it Rain Coffee), Que canten los niños (Let the children sing), Héroe (Hero), What a Wonderful World, and Over the Rainbow.”

The concert, which was recorded at the Angela Peralta Theater on Dec. 21, will be broadcast on the Facebook page of Atención San Miguel (facebook.com/AtencionSM), and official social networks of the municipal government. It will be divided into two parts, with an intermission video of good wishes and the countdown, concluding with 40 minutes of tropical music “for dancing,” said Cadena.