Z100's Jingle Ball (with TXT): Dates, Tickets & Venue (New York)

A Friday in December at the Garden

Jingle Ball is New York’s holiday pop night. Z100, the city’s long-running Top 40 station on 100.3 FM, stages it every December at Madison Square Garden. The 2026 edition takes place on Friday, December 11, and its headline names are TXT and member Yeonjun.

That headline matters. Jingle Ball is a radio show at heart, a run of pop acts in quick succession. A K-pop group at the top of the bill changes the room. You get a sea of lightsticks among the Santa hats, and an arena that knows every fan chant.

Where TXT fits on a Jingle Ball bill

Jingle Ball works differently from a solo arena tour. Several artists share the stage across one evening, and each one usually plays a shorter set than a full headline show. Expect the hits rather than deep album cuts. Stage changes between acts are quick.

TXT, short for TOMORROW X TOGETHER, is a five-member group under BigHit Music:

• Soobin
• Yeonjun
• Beomgyu
• Taehyun
• Hueningkai

The group debuted in 2019 and has built a big following in the United States. Its fans call themselves MOA. Yeonjun has his own billing in the event’s announcement, which is why many fans watch for his solo moment alongside the group set.

Getting to Madison Square Garden

The Garden takes up the block between Seventh and Eighth Avenues, from West 31st to West 33rd Street. It is built on top of Penn Station. That makes it one of the easiest arenas in the country to reach without a car.

• Subway: the 1, 2 and 3 trains stop at 34 St–Penn Station on Seventh Avenue. The A, C and E stop at 34 St–Penn Station on Eighth Avenue. Both put you within a block of the entrances.
• More lines: the B, D, F, M, N, Q, R and W stop at 34 St–Herald Square, a short walk east along 34th Street.
• Rail: NJ Transit, Long Island Rail Road and Amtrak all run into Penn Station and the Moynihan Train Hall across Eighth Avenue.
• PATH: trains from New Jersey end at 33rd Street and Sixth Avenue.

Driving into Midtown on a December Friday night is slow, and garage space near the arena is scarce. Most attendees come by train.

Inside the bowl

The Garden is a round arena. Seats rise steeply on all sides, so the upper sections still feel close to the stage. The lower bowl is the 100 Level and the upper bowl is the 200 Level. On concert nights, the floor holds either general admission or rows of seats, depending on the stage layout.

Getting in means queuing outdoors along Seventh Avenue and the side streets. In mid-December that wait is properly cold. Fans usually wear layers they can take off once inside, because a full arena heats up fast. Madison Square Garden publishes its bag policy and entry rules on its official site. Those rules are strict, so most regulars carry only a small bag or none.

Koreatown is one block east

This is the part of the night that belongs to this show. Manhattan’s Koreatown sits on West 32nd Street between Fifth Avenue and Broadway. That is a few minutes’ walk from the Garden’s Seventh Avenue side. Its official street sign reads “Korea Way.”

The block packs Korean barbecue restaurants with tabletop grills, plus noodle and stew houses, karaoke rooms, bakeries and cosmetics shops. Many businesses sit on upper floors, so look up at the signs climbing the buildings. Several places keep late hours. That is why so many fans head there for dinner before doors and come back after the encore. Expect waits at the popular spots on a concert night.

How the crowd works on a K-pop night

A few habits mark this crowd out from a typical radio-show audience:

• Lightsticks: TXT fans bring the group’s official lightstick, and it is the most common thing held aloft during their set. Plenty of people bring one even if they’re there mainly for another act.
• Fan chants: K-pop fandoms shout the members’ names in set places during songs. If you’re new to it, follow the sections around you. Fans are usually happy to explain.
• Freebies: fans often swap or give away small handmade items, such as photocards, stickers and bracelets, in the queues outside. Taking one is welcome. Offering something back is the custom.
• Merch: official merchandise lines tend to be longest right after doors open and between acts. Many fans shop first and then head to their seats.
• Paying: the Garden’s food and merch counters run mostly on cards and mobile payment. Tipping at the concession stands is optional. Sit-down restaurants in Koreatown expect the usual US tip, which is about 18–20% on the bill.

Ticket links for the show come through Z100 and Madison Square Garden. Fans buying resale usually stick to the venue’s official channels, because Garden tickets are mobile and tied to the app on your phone.

Holiday Midtown around the show

Mid-December is when Midtown puts on its holiday lights. The neighbourhood around the Garden makes it easy to fill the hours before or after the concert.

• Macy’s Herald Square (34th Street and Broadway) dresses its windows for the holidays, two blocks from the arena.
• The Empire State Building is at 34th Street and Fifth Avenue, a ten-minute walk east. Its tower lights change colour for the season.
• Bryant Park at 42nd Street hosts its winter village with a free-admission skating rink and market stalls.
• Rockefeller Center has its Christmas tree and rink, a short ride uptown on the B, D, F or M from Herald Square.

Visitors from out of town usually stay around Penn Station, Herald Square or Times Square. From any of those, the walk back after the show is short. The subway runs all night, but Penn Station’s platforms fill up the moment the arena empties. Many people walk a few blocks to Herald Square or Times Square to catch a less crowded train.