20 Epic Places to Ring in the New Year
The search for the best place to spend New Year's Eve is about so much more than just an epic celebration. It's finding a destination that's worthy of culminating the year that was, but also sets the tone for a fresh start as soon as the clock strikes midnight. Whether that involves joining the masses for festive fireworks and revelry or retreating to a calming environment to contemplate the last twelve month's accomplishments and set intentions for next year, choosing the right setting to flip the calendar can look different for every person every year. Some may opt to tack on time to their Christmas getaways with the holidays being just a week apart, while others may prefer a change of scenery for a winter escape.
So we've rounded up 20 of our favorite spots to spent the momentous December 31 occasion, from nighttime spectaculars at trademark locations in Sydney and Taipei to all-night parties in Bangkok and Berlin or quieter settings in Jordan or Kiribati. So rev up that countdown and get ready to ring in 2026 just the way your heart desires.
This article has been updated with new information since its original publish date. Additional reporting by Emily Price and Lauren Kilberg.
Getty ImagesSanta Fe, New Mexico
While all around the world, items are being dropped at midnight, here in Santa Fe, it's about rising into the new year. At midnight, a Spanish colonial artisan-crafted Zia symbol is lifted above Santa Fe Plaza, as fireworks fill the sky from La Fonda on the Plaza. Add to that food trucks and vendors hawking hot chocolate and the state cookie biscochito (an anise shortbread) with the soft scent from piñon bonfires wafting through the air, and it's the coziest way to start the new year.
GettyNew York City
There's no celebration more synonymous with New Year's Eve than the Times Square ball drop, a tradition that started in 1907. But this year, the 12-foot sphere will have less of an edge, as its 5,280 Waterford crystals will be circular instead of triangular for the first time. (Also new this year: Its building, One Times Square, will be opening as a year-round attraction for the public to close-up view of the ball.) On the big night, viewing areas open at 3 p.m. as the ball is raised at 6 p.m. The festivities goes through the entire night, leading to its dramatic 60-second decent at the first stroke of 2026. Perimeter venues host mega-events, like the New York Marriott Marquis' all-ages celebration and the Hyatt Centric Times Square's Bar 54 party from Times Square's highest rooftop lounge. Alternatively, join thousands of running jump starting their new year's resolutions by running New York Road Runners' four-mile race, the NYRR Midnight Run, through Central Park, with a glass of sparkling cider served mid-route!
GettyEdinburgh
Why spend one day bidding adieu to 2025, when you can spread it across four days, like the Scottish do as part of their traditional Hogmanay celebration. The event starts with a torchlight procession on December 29 and Night Afore concert on December 30 ahead of its New Year's Eve street party, drawing 45,000 to Princes Street, culminating with fireworks over Edinburgh Castle. Finally, the first day of the new year is spent hopping through a live music trail called First Footin'.
GettyKiritimati, Kiribati
Impatient to see what the new year holds? Make way for the remote South Pacific island nation of Kiribati, whose largest isle, Kiritimati (also known as Christmas Island)—with a perch near the International Date Line—is among the first inhabited places on the planet to welcome the New Year, 19 hours ahead of New York City. The sparsely populated island (about 128,800 people call it home) leans more nature sanctuary than party mecca, with just a few low-key hotel celebrations. Instead, expect to ring in the new year with turquoise shores and native wildlife as your primary source of company. Tip from the tourism board: Wake up—or stay up—until dawn for a beachfront gathering on the island’s eastern shores, as revelers and musicians come together to celebrate the first sunrise of the year over the Pacific.
GettySydney
Sydney's summertime New Year's celebrations are among the first in the world, with colorful pyrotechnics launching off the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House. Take your pick from one of the fun vantage points, like Darling Harbour or Barangaroo Reserve, though there are ticketed events at Royal Botanic Garden Sydney and Luna Park Sydney. The festivities kick off at 7:30 p.m. with a Smoking Ceremony from the Tribal Warrior Association, followed by pylon projections on the bridge, a “Welcome to Country” from the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council, a Calling Country fireworks from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, and a light show as decked out boats glide across the harbor.
GettyTaipei, Taiwan
The island's capital's new year's celebration is quickly becoming one of the world's most dazzling, centered around its fireworks cascading from various tiers of the 1,671-foot tall bamboo-shaped Taipei 101. The official party kicks off at 6 p.m. around Taipei City Hall and its surrounding squares, with performances from both local and international artists. But in recent years, a quirky new counter-celebration has started over in Daan Park. Inspired by a crying scene in the Taiwanese film Vive l'amour (愛情萬歲), nearly 2,500 people turned up for a screening, and then “cry” into the early hours of the new year, like in the movie's most iconic scene.
GettyTallinn, Estonia
Add a bit of a medieval charm to your year's end's celebration in Estonia's capital as Freedom Square turns into a gathering place for what the city calls an “emotional journey" for both “reflection and enjoyment," with musical entertainment from the country's biggest names. But for a true step back in time, head to the Estonian National Opera's New Year’s Eve Ball with multiple halls filled with opera, ballet, folk dance, and waltzes.
- Alexander Spatari/Getty
Barcelona
Being out past midnight is par for the course in this night-owl Catalonian capital, with New Year’s Eve festivities typically revving up over a good meal among family and friends in a private home or restaurant. Once the clock strikes midnight, partake in a local tradition that’s said to grant luck for each month of the new year: eating 12 grapes, one for every chime at the stroke of midnight. Barcelona’s main gathering and fireworks display traditionally unfolds in the Plaça d’Espanya, where more than fireworks fly overhead: raucous revelers are known to throw empty Cava bottles into the center of the square, too. If you prefer your bubbles served up (more sanely) in a glass, bars and clubs will be raging into the night, with parties to be found even in more unexpected places: Try the open-air architectural museum Poble Espanyol, for instance, which hosts dancing until 6 a.m.
GettyWadi Rum, Jordan
Buck tradition—and the crowds—by going into Jordan's 182,869-acre Wadi Rum Protected Area, an otherworldly scenescape of vast red sand dunes and dramatic arches, cliffs, and gorges. While the country is safe to visit with a Level 2 travel advisory from the State Department (the same as France and the UK), tourism has dropped 70% in recent years, making it an ideal time to take in a quiet getaway in a Bedouin Camp at the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
GettyWalt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
One of my most epic New Year's Eve memories growing up was spent with my family at what is now Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World. Hats decorated with confetti and noisemakers were passed out to every guest as we cheered in the new year in sync at the Happiest Place on Earth. Decades later, the celebration is just as magical. While the park tells CNT programming is still be rolled out, so far, the Magic Kingdom will host a special 11:50 p.m. showing of its “Fantasy In The Sky Fireworks” show, while Disney's Hollywood Studios will have a “New Year Countdown Fireworks” just before midnight. Those two parks will have extended hours until midnight, while EPCOT will stays open until 1 a.m.
GettyParis
It should be no surprise that the City of Light throws an impressive New Year's Eve celebration. There's nothing like a kiss at midnight beneath the Eiffel Tower's sparkling lights show, but the heart of the action is along the Champs-Elysées. The entertainment begins at 7 p.m., leading to a video mapping of the Arc de Triomphe at 11:40 p.m., before a 10-minute fireworks spectacular at midnight.
GettyTokyo
In Japan, hatsumode refers to the first Shinto or Buddhist shrine visit of the year. In the capital, many follow the Seven Gods of Good Fortune Pilgrimage along a route of shrines and temples, including visiing the god of wealth Daikokuten at Senso-ji Temple and the god of prosperity Hotei at Hashiba-Fudoson Temple. Listen as bells toll 108 times—which represents the number of earthly temptations you must overcome to reach nirvana—and then say a toast to 2026.
GettyBangkok
Thailand is going bigger than ever to usher in 2026, with its cabinet officially declaring a five-day celebration from December 31 through January 4, in hopes of encouraging more visitors. As one of Asia's most energetic and enticing nightlife destinations, the party scene is cranked up a serious notch all throughout the capital. Grab a drink and start the party up along Khaosan Road and then catch one of the city's biggest celebrations: the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)'s Amazing Thailand Countdown 2026 at the upscale mall ICONSIAM along the Chao Phraya River, or the dazzling show at CentralWorld, known as the city's Times Square. Or do as the locals do at party hop from a river cruise to a rooftop bar, making time for the riverfront open-air market Asiatique to fuel up.
GettyLas Vegas
For a city where it feels like New Year's Eve every night, Las Vegas gets the atmosphere seriously raging every December 31. After all, nine hotels—MGM Grand, ARIA, Planet Hollywood, Caesars Palace, Treasure Island, Venetian, STRAT & SkyPod, Resorts World and Fontainebleau—come together in a coordinated eight-minute showcase of pyrotechnics from famed fireworks company—and Guinness World Record holder—Fireworks by Grucci over The Strip. The Fremont Street Experience will have its own fireworks and concert, while each casino dials up its party prowess. And for a truly starry night, snag a ticket to a new year's concert with Backstreet Boys at The Sphere, Bruno Mars at Park MGM, or Jennifer Lopez.
GettyBerlin
Berlin's Party at Brandenburg Gate packs some million revelers between the city's iconic Brandenburg Gate and Victory Column promising a party like that will channel the spirit of 1989, when the city first reunited. Tickets are typically required for the open-air fest, fueled by live music and DJs, food stands and bars, laser and fireworks shows, and plenty of Berliners who know how to party. Other hot tickets include two floors of dancing at The Art of NYE— The Abandoned Factory Berlin, the city's biggest indoor party New Year's Eve at the Kulturbrauerei, or an evening with the Berlin Philharmonic.
GettyHong Kong
Hong Kong never disappoints when it comes to counting down to the new year's. While this year's details are still under lock and key, our sources hinted at “dazzling” fireworks and “lively” parties throughout the city. And of course they promise that the waterfront spectacle will be on par with last year's 12-minute musical production that took over Victoria Harbour.
GettyDubai
Dubai has a reputation for the grandiose, so it’s no surprise it takes its New Year’s Eve celebrations to the next level. The centerpiece is its midnight spectacular, mixing fireworks, lights, and lasers together around the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building at 2,716-feet high, while the 1,053-foot Burj Al Arab also lights up its own show from its private island. Those looking to rock in 2026 can head to Atlantis, The Palm, where Maroon 5 will headline the New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner, while those seeking a more introspective adventure can head to Al Maha, a Luxury Collection Desert Resort and Spa, Dubai—one of Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards winners this year—for a seven-course meal in the desert along with live music.
GettyRio de Janeiro
Rio's Copacabana Beach turns monochromatic on New Year's Eve, as more than 2.6 million revelers, dressed in all-white garb, descend on the beach for Réveillon, a very Brazilian celebration infused with religious, traditional, and superstitious beliefs. Fireworks and live music (including samba, naturally) set the mood, as participants make New Year offerings (via little rafts sent out to sea) to Lemanjá, the goddess of the sea. Just announced for this year: concerts featuring João Gomes, Gilberto Gil, and Alok.
Arctic-Images/Getty ImagesReykjavik
In Reykjavik, the New Year's celebration is a true community affair. Despite no official celebration, fireworks start going off around 11:30 p.m., set off by about 200,000 townspeople—that's pretty much the population of the capital. And if it feels like there's a calm before the storm, that's because there is. After a family dinner followed by a local bonfire, about 90% of the country sits in front of their television sets at 10:30 p.m. to watch the annual New Year’s Eve Ridicule, or Áramótaskaup, a comedy retrospective of the year's highlights (think: a mega Saturday Night Live poking fun at the entire year's events).
GettyCusco, Peru
Cusqueños love a good party, and come December 31st, the city’s monumental Plaza de Armas turns into a sky-high Andean celebration complete with live music, dancing, and fireworks. The festivities attract a good mix of locals and foreigners, who spill out from the main square onto the surrounding historic streets and alleyways where bars, clubs, and restaurants brim with NYE parties and menus. And while there’s a spread of local superstitions associated with the holiday, don’t miss out on two essentials while here: Wear yellow for good fortune and prosperity, then link up hands with fellow revelers as they join together in a counterclockwise procession around the plaza—the ritual’s said to ensure a year full of good luck ahead.
