MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — The sign that announces the beginning of the new year has arrived in Times Square. Two of the giant numbers that will make up the “2019” sign atop 1 Times Square on New Year’s Eve were delivered to Midtown on Wednesday, where they will be displayed before their big night.

In a rehearsal run for New Year’s Eve, officials counted down as the “1” and “9” lights were lit up in the middle of Times Square Plaza between West 46th and 47th streets. The numbers will remain on display in the plaza until Friday, Dec. 22, for photo opportunities.

“Each year at the stroke of midnight on December 31st, the lights on the New Year’s Eve Ball are turned off as the numerals of the New Year burst to life shining high above Times Square,” a press release from the Times Square Alliance reads.

The sign will be lit by of 516 9-watt energy efficient LED bulbs on New Year’s Eve, officials said. The “2” contains 145 bulbs, the “0” contains 164 bulbs, the “1” contains 72 bulbs, and the “9” contains 135 bulbs.

People can take photos with the numbers in Times Square until Thursday, Dec. 20, officials said.

Photos courtesy Times Square Alliance

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