Ria Mae headlines the city's free, online New Year's Eve concert

Somewhere on the list of all the reasons to love Halifax—between skating on the Oval and browsing the shelves of the Central Library—rests the fact that, every December 31, we all cram into Grand Parade square to mark a new year's arrival with a free, live concert that packs serious music cred. (Need we remind you that past NYE lineups have included A Tribe Called Red and Famba?)

Of course, in this cursed year that is 2020, most of those reasons to love the city we call home have to be held close in memory, since they can't be experienced firsthand during the second wave of a global pandemic. The Grand Parade concert felt like just another casualty on the list of events that wouldn't happen this year.

But then, yesterday, the municipality made a surprise announcement: While we won't be stuffed like sardines into the square where City Hall sits, the party will continue—thanks to HRM's decision to take the show online instead.

Yup, that's right: You can boogie down until the end of a very long year, indeed, with a free livestream headlined by queen of pop (and our hearts) Ria Mae. Also on the bill? R&B heavyweight JRDN, grand mistress of rock Leanne Hoffman, baroque balladeer Ben Caplan and more.

Wondering how to take part in the fun? Tune in on Youtube or Eastlink TV, starting at 10:30pm on December 31.