They’re good at parties all year round in New Orleans, but never more so than on NYE – and this year they’re making up for lost time too. Head down to Jackson Square with the rest of the city’s revellers to see the Fleur de Lis drop and join the biggest party in town. Or head to some of the city’s blockbuster music venues like the Tipitina’s, the House of Blues and The Joy Theatre to ring in 2022 with some seriously good beats too.
In Reykjavik, they go big on bonfires, all-night parties and over 500 tonnes of fireworks for a really explosive start to the new year. Don’t leave it too late as partygoers head to the snow-covered streets to burn away their troubles on the bonfire from around 4pm. There’s also a huge display at midnight outside the Hallgrímskirkja Church followed by hours of singing and dancing too.
Possibly the world’s most famous NYE party, billions tune in every year to watch the famous New Year’s Eve Ball descend onto One Times Square. If you don’t fancy cuddling up to other revellers as the confetti cannons blast, head to the top of the Renaissance Hotel for front row seats to the ball drop.
After a year of cancelled parties, Adelaide’s annual NYE celebrations will be going ahead this year with a whole new event format. Spread across the whole city, there’ll be fireworks, songs, dancing, and more. Light Up will transform one of the city’s favourite parks – Rymill Park – from 6 pm with lighting and pyrotechnic shows, live music and South Australia’s favourite festival food vendors for a family-friendly party.
They’re no strangers to partying on Kohn Phangan. The full moon parties are considered a rite of passage for starry-eyed young backpackers, but the New Years’ Eve parties are the wildest. The best action takes place over at Sunrise Beach in Haad Rin – think alcohol-filled buckets, flaming rings of fire and dancing until mid-morning the next day.
Nashville’s annual New Year’s Eve celebrations, Music City Midnight, invites thousands of people to celebrate the new year with hours of live music and fireworks. It all culminates with the signature midnight Music Note Drop, featuring some of the best musicians in the city, confetti cannons and a whole lot of fireworks. This year they’re going hard with the Jack Daniel’s New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash! at the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park.
The Pacific’s answer to the New York City’s Ball Drop, Sydney hosts an annual fireworks extravaganza attended by more than a million people every year. This year will look slightly different but no less fun, with revellers hiring out boats and bringing their own bubbles (instead of gathering along the foreshore) to make the countdown. If you don’t have sea legs, you can always reserve a table at one of the many restaurants lining Sydney Harbour Bridge to enjoy the spectacle too.
Prague pips other European capitals to the post when it comes to New Years’ Eve celebrations. Champagne corks are popping, parties are pumping and the pub crawls are in full swing. There are hundreds of unofficial fireworks displays across the city, but the city’s official display really steals the show. For something a little different, why not try the Prague Pub Crawl – a legendary New Years’ Crawl, with hundreds of party-goers joining the circuit every year.
It’s all about the New Year’s Eve parties in Vancouver. You don’t really need to have friends in the city, with invites available for everything from Gatsby’s House Party to Vancouver’s famous New Years’ boat parties. Concord’s New Year’s Eve fireworks celebrations will take over the False Creek fireworks, with a dazzling ballet of fireworks launched from barges against the downtown skyline.
Why not say hello to 2022 in true Vegas style? The entire Strip shuts down to traffic and transforms into one giant block party for over 300,000 partiers. Then at midnight, everyone spills out of Sin City’s most famous clubs and bars to see the casinos set off a choreographed fireworks display. If any year deserved an OOT send-off, it’s this one for sure.
New Year’s Eve in Dubai is most people’s bucket list thanks to its spectacular fireworks, beach parties and posh dinners. It’s a city-wide extravaganza. From New Year’s Eve fireworks at Burj Khalifa to parties under the stars at Zero Rooftop Bar & Lounge, there’s a jam for everyone.
Rio de Janeiro is synonymous with partying, so it’s hardly surprising that they put on such a good NYE spread. It’s also basically midsummer in the city by the time 31 December rolls around, so most people head to the beach to ring in the new year. While there are plenty to choose from, the2.5-mile Copacabana is the place to be – it’s all champagne and samba.
If ringing in the new year with salty hair and sand between your toes is more your vibe, you can’t do much better than Goa. The coastal city’s beach parties are infamous and the NYE celebrations are even better, with fireworks and music through the night. For DJ beats head to Anjuna to venues like the Kingfisher New Year Beach Party.
For a traditional knees up, head to Edinburgh for Hogmanay – a three-day festival involving a Viking-style torchlight parade, midnight fireworks at Edinburgh Castle and parties under the stars. In Scotland, most businesses get to enjoy to bank holidays to recover from the street parties too.
If you haven’t heard about Beirut’s legendary party scene, where have you been? Head to the Place de l’Eotile for the best bands, DJs and fireworks, as well as a spectacular light show from the Art Deco clocktower. If you’re after a more intimate ‘do’, most restaurants are hosting parties that last well beyond dawn too.
Europe’s capital of cool hosts a big NYE blowout every year, and this year it’s due to be bigger and better than ever. Hosted in the main square on the Tagus River, the party starts up at around 10 pm and goes on long into the early hours. Expect fireworks and lots of live music, and don’t forget to bring a bottle of bubbles for the occasion too.
San Antonio might not immediately spring to mind when you think about blockbuster New Years’ Eve destinations, but it really should. The city’s annual New Year’s Eve party is back to ring in 2022 after a year off with live music, fireworks and fairground rides. Taking over downtown at Hemisfair and La Villita, it promises to be the perfect wholesome family New Year event.
Why limit yourself to one night when you can enjoy a whole three-night NYE bonanza? Every year the Jameson Vic Falls Carnival draws an impressive 6,000 out to ring in the new year with fire dancers, stilt walkers and fireworks. As if that wasn’t enough if all takes place in front of the continent’s biggest (and most dramatic) waterfall.
In Moscow, you can celebrate New Year twice. As well as marking the date at midnight on January 1st, the Russians also celebrate the Orthodox New Year two weeks later. It’s worth getting there for the first event though when the whole city lights up with fireworks and live music. For a quintessentially Russian experience, join the hordes of revellers in the Red Square.
Possibly the most romantic place to spend New Years’ Eve, the whole of Paris puts on a good show on New Years’ Eve. The city’s blockbuster fireworks spectacle takes place on the Champs Elysee. Every year around 300,000 people gather from around 9 pm for live DJ sets and video projections, culminating in some of the world’s best fireworks at the Arc de Triomphe.
