New Year’s Eve is the ultimate global street party. It’s one night in the year when cities dress up, skies explode in a riot of colour, and we can all agree on one thing: it’s time to celebrate another year gone by.
How you choose to do that is up to you. Whether you opt for an actual street party in one of the world’s most exciting cities or soak up the serenity of sand and sunsets on a remote island, these destinations provide some of the most memorable ways to say so long to 2025 and welcome a whole new orbit around the sun.
Edinburgh, Scotland
In Scotland, the new year is celebrated as Hogmanay, during which Edinburgh transforms a single night into a three-day festival. The celebrations usually feature a torchlight procession through the Old Town, a huge street party along Princes Street, concerts in the Gardens, and midnight fireworks bursting over Edinburgh Castle. As the bells ring out, thousands link arms to sing Robert Burns’ Auld Lang Syne before heading for late-night pubs and Scottish dance ceilidhs. Some brave souls keep the festivities going all the way through to the morning, with the Loony Dook on New Year’s Day, where dozens of hardy swimmers plunge into the icy Firth of Forth at South Queensferry.
New York City, USA
For a classic New Year’s countdown, it’s hard to beat New York’s Times Square, where crowds have gathered since 1907 to watch the glittering ball drop from One Times Square. These days about a million people pack into the surrounding streets, queuing for security checks and settling in hours ahead of midnight as live acts, celebrity hosts and giant LED screens build the atmosphere. Confetti storms and singing fill the air as the crowd roars a noisy ‘Happy New Year!’ to mark the stroke of midnight.
Can’t stand the crowds? Elsewhere in the city rooftop bars, Brooklyn warehouses and harbour cruises offer a more spacious — and often more local — way to toast the night.
Tromsø, Norway
Seek out a light display of a different kind north of the Arctic Circle. Here, the new year arrives under the deep indigo of polar night. From late November to mid-January, the sun never rises, replaced instead by a few hours of blue twilight and — if you’re lucky — the shimmering sweep of green aurora borealis overhead. Wrap up, grab a flask of something hot and hope the solar winds come to the party.
Sydney, Australia
Giving New York a run for its money when it comes to iconic events is Sydney. Thanks to its time zone, Sydney is one of the first major cities to hit midnight, and it does so with a famously fiery and photogenic bang. Fireworks erupt from the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the sails of the Opera House and barges in the harbour, with two major displays at 9pm and midnight drawing more than a million spectators to foreshore parks and viewing points. Most of the best vantage points require a ticket but offer a family-friendly view of the festivities. Harbour cruises and hotel terraces are another great option, and can be a more comfortable way to watch the show. The next day, join the locals for traditional beach picnics on Bondi or Manly.
Cape Town, South Africa
Dezemba is in full swing by the time New Year’s Eve rolls into the Mother City, offering one more excuse for a jol. The largest public party is usually at the V&A Waterfront, where live bands and DJs perform on outdoor stages — this year expect Zöe Modiga, GoodLuck, Emo Adams and more — with a brief burst of fireworks illuminating the harbour at midnight.
The party doesn’t stop at dawn either: on January 2, the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival sees the famous “Kaapse Klopse”, bringing brass bands, dancers, and dazzling costumes onto the city centre streets.
Kiritimati & Samoa, Central Pacific
If being first (or last) to ring in the new year appeals, head for the middle of the Pacific. The island of Kiritimati in Kiribati sits on UTC+14 and is among the very first inhabited places on earth to greet New Year’s Day, thanks to a kink in the International Date Line that bends around the country. If you can’t get there, Samoa also celebrates early, after switching time zones in 2011. But don’t come expecting raucous celebrations. On these low-key islands, you’re more likely to welcome midnight with church services, beach bonfires and family feasts.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
In Rio, Réveillon is the most important party in the city after Carnival, and all the attention is focused on Copacabana Beach as it hosts one of the world’s biggest seaside parties. Expect millions of people to gather along the sands to watch live music concerts and the massive offshore fireworks display. Many cariocas, the name for Rio locals, bring offerings of flowers and candles to the water for Iemanjá, goddess of the sea, before dancing to samba and funk until dawn.
If you’d prefer to sip caipirinhas away from the busiest crowds, neighbouring Ipanema or a hotel terrace with a sea view offers a more relaxed vantage point of the spectacle. Want to blend in with the locals? Be sure to dress in white for good luck for the year ahead.
