Instagram story viewer> @firstnightnorthampton> Posts

First Night Northampton

@firstnightnorthampton

1.6K

followers

1144

following

Happy New Year! You're invited to attend Northampton's most beloved signature event on December 31st.

POSTS STORIES REELS

Performer Applications are open for First Night Northampton 2026!

Event Date: Wednesday, December 31, 2025
Deadline to Apply: August 31, 2025

The Northampton Arts Council is now accepting performer applications for First Night Northampton 2026, our city’s 41st annual New Year’s Eve celebration and festival of the performing arts. This beloved event showcases the depth and diversity of artistic talent in our region and beyond. We invite musicians, dancers, theater troupes, puppeteers, comedians, circus acts, storytellers, multimedia artists, and more to apply.

How to Apply:
Submit your application here: https://www.firstnightnorthampton.org/apply-to-perform
Deadline to apply: August 31, 2025

About the Event:
First Night Northampton takes place throughout downtown Northampton on Wednesday, December 31, 2025. It features over 100 performances at multiple indoor venues and public outdoor spaces. A fireworks display will light up the sky at 6:15 PM, and we’ll kick off the countdown to midnight with our unique downtown “ball-raising” celebration outside Hotel Northampton.

For questions or accessibility needs, email arts@northamptonma.gov. by @firstnightnorthampton

Tomorrow is the day….

Everyone get ready for First Night Northampton!

Here is a quick artist spotlight of one of our very talented performers:

Tony Silva has been playing acoustic guitar for over 40 years. Early influences range from Stephen Stills to Andrés Segovia. His father Pedro Silva was from Chile, and passed on the love of the music of the Andes Mountains. As a solo performer, Silva specializes in Rumba Flamenca (the style of the Gipsy Kings). He also plays a wide range of music from Latin America, and transcribes flute and harp music from the Andes for guitar.

He will be performing at Memorial Hall (240 Main St.) @5pm tomorrow, so make sure to check him out! by @firstnightnorthampton

3 more days till’ First Night 2025🤭…

Here are some more of our performers that’ll be performing at Northampton's very own New Years celebration!

Hedgewitch is an experimental chamber trio that uses storytelling, group improvisation, and timbral exploration to shape our sound. Our instrumentation consists of bowed electric bass, glockenspiel, violin, keys, vocals, whispers, and various percussion and noise elements. We playfully describe our style as "telepathic ASMRcore."
@hedgewitch.music

If instead of Garfunkel it was Robyn Hitchcock. So, Simon and Hitchcock, but one guy. Henning is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and performer. He has been a part of the Northampton music scene for years with his bands, Gentle Hen, The Fawns, School for the Dead, The Aloha Steamtrain, and Humbert (to name a few). Solo performer with a voice, an acoustic guitar, and a long catalog of thoughtful and memorable songs.
@henningo

Henry the Juggler (AKA Henry Lappen) is wanted! He is wanted by audiences everywhere for his zany attempts to defy the laws of gravity. He juggles any number of balls, clubs, rings, members of the audience . . . He balances strange items on the tip of his nose. Everything is accomplished wordlessly as Henry uses body language (and road signs!) to express himself.

Eva Markham is a local singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Honest, clever lyrics balanced by powerful and intricate vocals. Described by many to be transporting, and emotionally evocative. "I was in a trance, [Eva] could have played for five hours, [she] could have played for years and I would have withered away without noticing."
@_eevuh_

Eyrie House Ruins is a 5 piece Gothic Folk band. Instrumentation consists of
Banjo, Violin, Tenor Guitar, Bass and Drums. It's very hard for the band to self describe its music. Gothic Folk was a compromise but it sums up what we do. Traditional country/folk meets the Cure?
@eyriehouseruinsband by @firstnightnorthampton

11 more days to our wonderful First Night 2025!🌟

Here's another artist spotlight:

Tracy Grammer and Jim Henry are a well-traveled multi-instrumental acoustic/electric duo playing a mix of covers, originals, and instrumentals that span the country, folk, and Americana genres. Funny banter. Beautiful harmony. Best friends. Great music. Valley faves.
@tracygrammer

Indë (they/he) is a prolific artist, born and raised on Norwottuck land (Northampton) to Afro-Caribbean American heritage. Their recent work redresses the absence of queer BIPoC in this area who might have served as role models in their youth. Their fourth studio album, Role Model, explores this subject in detail, and Indë is thrilled to present their stories right here in their hometown. Indë's art practice incorporates singing, painting, sculpture, music composition, and communication design.
@artbyinde

NHS’s Improv Troupe Funktionlust would love to continue the tradition of entertaining the First Night audience with their spontaneity and humor.
@das_funktionlust

The Happy Valley Guitar Orchestra is an avant-garde community music ensemble led by guitarist and Artistic Director Joseph Ricker. This unique ensemble of some 20 electric, acoustic, classical and bass guitars performs a repertoire selected and arranged by Ricker than ranges from Bach to Sonic the Hedgehog, the Beatles to the Cure, lesser known composers to new original works. Guided by an experimental spirit and the joy of exploration, the HVGO has been delighting and surprising audiences in the Pioneer Valley since 2009.
@happyvalleyguitarorchestra

Ardaigh (pronounced Ar'-da, Irish Gaelic for 'lift up') plays traditional Irish reels, jigs, slides, polkas, waltzes, airs and songs, featuring Hungry Hill native Tim Donoghue (concertina), All-Ireland Champion Kira Jewett (fiddle), international jet pilot T.J. Ezold (flute, accordion), music schoolteacher Adam Braunschweig (mandolin, banjo) and retired sideshow gorilla Dave Meuser (guitar). by @firstnightnorthampton

2 more weeks till First Night 2025! We hope everyone is getting excited:)…

Here are some more of our wonderful performers for this year:

The Folk Implosion The Folk Implosion is an American band founded in the early 1990s by Lou Barlow and John Davis. The Folk Implosion released an album and a few singles on Communion before finding unexpected success in 1995 when they were commissioned to do the soundtrack to the film Kids. They reunited in 2021 and self-released the Feel It If You Feel It EP in 2022. 2024's Walk Thru Me is their first album of new music in 25 years.
@folkimplosion

The Fawns make music that is sunny and sweet and simple, dark and heavy and psychedelic, sometimes somber, sometimes powerful, the melodies and stories of singer/songwriter Lesa Bezo both touch your heart and brighten your day. You can call The Fawns a dream-rock-indie band, but they skip through styles and moods. From atmospheric pieces in the vein of Kurt Vile or even the Cocteau Twins, to straight up pop of Cub, The Cars, The Go-Gos, and Fountains of Wayne, to country twangle in the vein of Kasey Chambers or Neko Case, to jagged rockers a la the Throwing Muses or Saint Vincent. The Fawns and the delicate yet powerful voice of Lesa Bezo have an honest pure sound of their own that is filled with hooks and grooves and nooks and crannies.
@thefawns

Dave Dersham has been playing the northeastern Folk scene since the late 90s: Passim (Cambridge, MA), Blue (Portland, ME), and Caffe Lena (Saratoga Springs) to name a few. His music is melancholy, off-beat, topical, groove-centered, melodic, and occasionally downright outrageous.
@davedersham

Four Gong Confucius plays improvisational music based on jazz and Indian ragas

AEIOUkes is a local group of amateur ukulele players who sing and strum a variety of folk and pop tunes, led by bassist Joe Blumenthal by @firstnightnorthampton

Introducing some more amazing artist from our First Night 2025 lineup🌟:

Zoe Lemos is a-singer-songwriter-guitarist who has played in bands since she was ten years old is now branching out as a solo artist. Her music is an original blend of Americana and indie pop. Her lyrics tell stories of political oppression and hope, the love and struggles through the eyes of a young queer Tibetan Greek.
@zoelemosmusic

Peter Blanchette, Archguitar Duo.
Guitarist, composer, arranger and conductor Peter Blanchette is known around the world as the inventor of the 11-string archguitar. His extraordinary repertoire of internationally acclaimed arrangements and compositions spans from the medieval, renaissance and baroque music to World Music, New Music, and his own original pieces. He performs and records in solo recital or with selected other instrumentalists to form the Virtual Consort.
@archguitar

Klezamir is a dynamic roots rockin' klezmer band extraordinaire that serves you up straight ahead tasty traditional Jewish favorites.

Original Cowards are a three piece band from Western Massachusetts comprised of Leo Hwang on bass, Riley Godleski on Drums, harmony vocals, and keys, John Crand on guitar and vocals, and Andy Goulet on pedal steel. Their most recent album, Country Club Creeps, features guest spots from area heavy hitters Phillip Price (The Winterpills and Look Park), Andy Goulet (Lucky Shots, Animal Piss It's Everywhere, Opal Canyon, Salvation Alley String Band, etc.), Adam Bosse (Fred Cracklin and 23 Ensemble), and Patrick Garland (BenBen Trio, Oakland Stroke). The album draws on influences such as Neil Young, Dinosaur Jr., Guided By Voices, Mick Ronson, The Beatles, Stones, Wilco,and many more.
@original_cowards

Lonesome Brothers was formed in 1986 when members Jim Armenti and Ray Mason weren't busy with their own projects, the Lonesome Brothers crafted their alternative country for years before they started recording it. Often known for their catchy traditional songs, the group did little more than live performances until the 90's, when they decided to begin their recording career. by @firstnightnorthampton

Northampton’s very own New Years celebration is right around the corner! Get ready for a night of celebration, music, and fun🎉

We want to introduce some of our very talented artists for this year:

Bobbie is an ambient lo-fi dream pop music artist from Western Massachusetts. Bobbie uses omnichord, electric guitar, vox + loops to create layers / spirals / songs about harmony, beauty, grief, friendship, ancestors, and trusting the process.
@bobbiesworldview

Chris Goudreau sings with an operatic-sounding voice and has plenty of 12-string guitar chops. Goudreau is also a member of 10-piece avant-garde pop/ experimental theatrical band, The Leafies You Gave Me, in which he sings, plays guitar, and provides surreal Dada inspired comedy.
@12stringgeek

Colin Jalbert is a drummer, electronic musician and educator from Western Massachusetts. He has played drums for Kat Wright, Mammal Dap, Jalbatross, Ryan Hommel, Eric Krasno Band, Heather Maloney, Garth. and more.
@colinjalbert_

Jocie Nangle is a singer who sings in both Irish Gaelic and English. She performs solo and with others with the occasional accompaniment of her guitar or flute. Her focus is on Irish traditional music, with a special interest in sean-nós singing.

All Feels is a western MA band that plays lo-fi pop, indie rock and basement jams. Led by longtime western Massachusetts DIY obsessive, Candace Clement and joined by bassist Will Meyer, guitarist Noah Dowd and drummer Jon Shina, All Feels plays with the genres and influences that capture their attention without regard to whether they make sense in each other's presence.
@allf.eels by @firstnightnorthampton

We hope you all are getting excited for First Night 2025!

Here is the complete performance schedule for all the acts playing this year and a map of all the venues downtown.

Starred locations on the map will be selling buttons, which will allow access to all the venues.

For more info, check out firstnightnorthampton.org

Hope to see you there!🌟 by @firstnightnorthampton

🎶 Ready for First Night? Performance Line-Up Inside! by @firstnightnorthampton

Check out the First Night Northampton 2025 Artist Edition Screen Printed Poster! ✨

A limited artist edition, screen printed poster of the First Night Northampton 2025 poster design by Liz Moran.

11 inches wide x 17 inches long.

$30.00

Limited printing of only 50.

Printed at Zea Mays Printmaking in Florence, Massachusetts. Zea Mays Printmaking is a studio, workshop, gallery, educational facility and research center dedicated to the safest and most sustainable printmaking practices available. Find out more at: https://www.zeamaysprintmaking.com/

@zeamaysprintmaking
@liz_moran_design

Available for purchase at:
https://www.firstnightnorthampton.org/shop/s8x5ll222ovy951tnge6jc1x00jhxf-mh8zr-9jd6a

#northamptonma
#northamptonmass
#firstnightnorthampton by @firstnightnorthampton

Apply to perform at First Night Northampton 2025!
Link: https://forms.gle/8xWLjfwp4uhMaBqs8

When is the event? December 31, 2024. First Night Northampton runs from Noon to Midnight.
When is the Application Due? Please submit the application as early as possible, but no later than August 31, 2024, at 11:59 PM.
When are artists selected? Program decisions are finalized by October 31, 2024.
Will the First Night Northampton ‘25 be an in-person event or virtual? In-person event.
What do I attach to the Technical Requirements and Considerations section?
All bands and music ensembles should provide a stage plot or tech input list. Other performers should include a description of tech considerations or a photo of a previous on-stage performance. Please provide any relevant additional details in this section.
The maximum file size is 100 MB.
Can I reach out with more questions? Contact us at (413) 587-1247 or email arts@northamptonma.gov.

📸: Paul Griffin

@nohoarts
#northamptonma
#northamptonmass
#northamptonmassachusetts by @firstnightnorthampton

Happy New Year! Tomorrow is the big day! ✨✨The Northampton Arts Council and Greenfield Savings Bank welcome you to the 39th edition of our city-wide New Year’s Eve party. Since 1985, First Night Northampton has filled the Paradise City with a 12-hour, family-friendly festival of the arts culminating in a traditional ball-raising from the roof of the Hotel Northampton. Gather with friends, neighbors, and visitors at 23 terrific downtown venues for an astounding array of entertainment presented by hundreds of talented performers. Our efforts are supported by generous local sponsors and dedicated volunteers. One hundred percent of proceeds benefit community arts.

🔵🟠🟣A single bargain-priced button opens the doors to every event at every venue. Buy one early at a local vendor or online at firstnightnorthampton.org/buttons

💥See the Fireworks at 6:15pm💥The City of Northampton hosts a fabulous display that lights up the sky from the roof of the central parking garage. You can see the fireworks from all over town.

#firstnightnorthampton
#performancefestival
#northamptonmass
#northamptonma
#happynewyear
#nye2024
@nohoarts
@greenfieldsavings by @firstnightnorthampton