Phish Share Pro-Shot Video of New Year’s Eve “It’s Ice Cream” Gag to YouTube

Phish, image via YouTube

Phish’s 18th annual New Year’s Eve residency at Madison Square Garden was yet another testament to the four-decade jam pioneers’ continued evolution. Through their four-night stand, the Vermont quartet uncorked some of their most daringly improvisational performances of an already bar-raising year, including Sunday’s 24-minute “Theme from the Bottom,” Monday’s 20-minute “A Wave of Hope” and Tuesday’s outstanding “Split Open and Melt” and “Ghost.” On Wednesday, the band formally rang in 2026 with their traditional thematic gag, which this year brought an unforgettable and outlandish tribute to dairy.

To save this moment for posterity, Phish have shared a professionally-shot video of the first half of their third set on New Year’s Eve, spanning their movement from “Harry Hood,” through “Also Sprach Zarathustra” to “Tweezer.” As the group played through these fan-favorites, they were enveloped in a scene of swaying milk cartons, unveiled as an ensemble of dancers in billowing white costumes, with milkmen, puppets, references to prior NYE gags, Forest Gump and more. At midnight, the band segued into the timeless “Auld Lang Syne” as a Jon Fishman lookalike rode a rocket pop to the rafters, Dr. Strangelove style. 

Watch Phish’s New Year’s Eve gag below, and read a full-show recap here. All four performances in PHish’s latest Madison Square Garden residency are available to stream now on livephish.com.