The best places to spend New Year
From the biggest beach parties to the most spectacular fireworks on the planet, here are our suggestions of where to see in the New Year in style
It’s easy to sneer at New Year’s Eve: too expensive, too crowded, too much pressure to have the greatest night of your life. OK, you could hunker down at home – or you could make it really memorable by hitting up one of the best New Year’s Eve parties in the world. From fireworks blasting across breathtaking backdrops to raucous street parties in cool capitals and all-night raves on blissed-out beaches, there’s no shortage of amazing ways to ring in a new year. If you’re set to be closer to home, see our guide on how to spend New Year’s Eve in London.
Paris, France
The main event: If you’ve got someone special to share a midnight kiss with, there’s no better place to spend New Year’s Eve than the city of romance. The centre of the action is undoubtedly the firework display on Champs-Élysées, but if you’re hoping to soak up the atmosphere without being packed shoulder-to-shoulder, the street parties in hilly Sacré-Cœur offer a cinematic – and slightly calmer – view over the festivities. Avoid disappointment and skip the Eiffel Tower entirely; fireworks are only set off here on Bastille Day, and you can see it lit up any night of the year with slightly fewer crowds to battle.
Local view: Traditionally, the French mark New Year’s Eve with a supper known as le réveillon – usually an indulgent feast of delicacies such as oysters, caviar, escargot and foie gras. Michelin-starred restaurant La Tour d’Argent does a set menu of exceptional dishes (and even more exceptional views over the city), though you may need to start saving in January to afford it. For a more budget-friendly option, the roof terrace of cool club Wanderlust is the ideal restaurant in Paris to watch the fireworks over the Seine.
Where to stay: Start the year off with a flourish in the palatial Le Meurice, a creative haven that’s housed both Dali and Picasso, with interiors by designer Philippe Starck. Or check into one Paris’ beautiful Airbnbs, scoping out the best street-side cafés for your hangover espresso. For more options, see our pick of the best Paris hotels.
Edinburgh, Scotland
The main event: The Scottish capital’s famed three-day Hogmanay extravaganza usually kicks off on 30 December, with a Viking-style torchlight procession along the Royal Mile. The big night itself features a Scottish music programme including Dougie McLean, Eddi Reader and Breabach, which wraps in time for gig-goers to catch unequalled views of midnight fireworks over Edinburgh Castle. Celebrations continue on New Year’s Day with the traditional fancy-dress dip in the freezing Firth of Forth (known as ‘the Loony Dook’). For more information on the many events that normally take place, visit edinburghshogmanay.com.
The local view: You probably won’t spot many Edinburgh natives at official Hogmanay festivities for one, entirely rational, reason: they know to be sceptical about the weather. Instead, find the Scots hedging their bets with indoor jollities before bagging a free spot to watch the castle’s midnight display. Smart, boho Stockbridge has a wealth of great pubs: stop off for a wee dram or two and folk music at basement joint The Bailie Bar, followed by a trip to Inverleith Park, which offers the best free view of the countdown fireworks in the city.
Where to stay: The Balmoral is the grandest hotel in Edinburgh, and the most comfortable place to recover from Hogmanay celebrations. For something more affordable but no less down to earth, Eden Locke, in a New Town Georgian townhouse, offers a perfect storm of millennial pink and Elephant’s Breath, brass detailing, wicker chairs and tropical plants. For a private stay, takeover this grand yet cosy loft Airbnb with a spectacular location that overlooks the Royal Mile.
Reykjavik, Iceland
The main event: The Icelandic capital’s midnight fireworks are a community effort: everyone buys their own from ICE-SAR, the national search-and-rescue unit, in what is its most lucrative fundraising project of the year. The result: when the clock strikes 12, the sky explodes with hundreds of mini firework displays, lighting up the entire city. It’s a spectacular sight, but listen out for the sounds, too: fire engines and ships docked in the harbour all ring their bells and blow their horns to welcome the New Year.
The local view: Revelries ramp up long before the countdown, with community bonfires kicking off all over town from 4pm (a bonus of those long winter nights). A large crowd of locals gathers at landmark Hallgrímskirkja Church to launch fireworks and watch the display at midnight – offering a great vantage from its perch on Skólavörðuholt hill.
Where to stay: Reykjavik Edition is one of the smartest hotels in Iceland right now, with its rooftop terrace for viewing the northern lights, a cushy speakeasy-style bar and rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the fjord and Mt. Esja or downtown Reykjavik.
New York City, USA
The main event: Sure, Times Square isn’t the most original recommendation, but it is the archetypal NYE in NYC. If you’re going to do it, do it from the Renaissance Hotel’s R Lounge – the bar windows offer peerless views of the famous One Times Square building due south, where the ball drops.
The local view: Make like a real New Yorker and swap Manhattan for Brooklyn. There’s free fireworks and live music at Prospect Park, and Brooklyn Bridge is a spectacular spot to take in the sky-side show.
Where to stay: As one of the newest hotels in New York and Aman’s first urban outpost in the US, Aman New York has raised the bar when it comes to Midtown – all rooms are generous in size, well sound-proofed and have working fireplaces. Also in Midtown, Pendry Manhattan West embraces a relaxed West Coast vibe and has floor-to-ceiling windows in all of its 30 sprawling suites.
Lisbon, Portugal
The main event: The big blowout in Europe’s new capital of cool is at Praça do Comércio, the main square right on the Tagus River. In typically Portuguese fashion, the fiesta runs late: live music starts up at around 10pm and continues after the midnight fireworks. Plenty of locals – armed with their own fizz and plastic cups – can be found drinking and dancing in the heart of the action, so it doesn’t feel like a tourist trap.
The local view: Lisbon’s central Bairro Alto district is always a party locale – thank the lax open-container laws – and NYE here is no exception. Partygoers often head here after the Praça do Comércio fireworks, and the neighbourhood is also home to some outstanding fado houses, where you can watch traditional Portuguese music with dinner. Popular spots include O Faia and Cafe Luso – but they’re not cheap.
Where to stay: The Lumiares is perfectly placed in Bairro Alto with a maze of bars and nightlife nearby. Once the revelry is over, the hotel is designed to feel like a home away from home – the self-contained studios come with fully-equipped kitchens. Nearby, Bairro Alto Hotel is beloved for its buzzing atmosphere and quality soundproofing. See our guide to the best Lisbon hotels for more.
Amsterdam, Netherlands
The main event: Conveniently compact and always-down-to-party, Amsterdam is an amalgam of impromptu street frolics on 31 December, but if there’s one reliable place to be at midnight, it’s the Magere Brug (‘Skinny Bridge’). Here, merrymakers gather to watch countdown fireworks bursting over the River Amstel, then continue their festivities all across town. Nieuwmarkt (Chinatown), in particular, is known for its rambunctious atmosphere.
The local view: Amsterdam’s EDM heads usually go to the Awakenings party at the Gashouder, an epic rave in an industrial gas holder built in 1902.
Where to stay: There are plenty of smart addresses here – The Hoxton, Soho House, Pulitzer. For a unique stay, Sweets Hotel has a one-of-a-kind location within a bridge house once used by operators to open and close the drawbridges. Naturally, the views of the canals are the standout, while interiors pick up on the period. For more, see our picks of the best hotels in Amsterdam.