Top New Year's Eve celebrations and holiday spots
Top New Year's Eve celebrations and holiday spots
Famous fireworks displays and New Year's Eve parties
How you want to spend New Year's Eve says a lot about what kind of year you are hoping to start, and the best destinations reflect that same range of moods.
Some travelers want a huge countdown with fireworks over a famous skyline, the kind of moment you see year after year on television, like the ball drop in New York or the fireworks over Sydney Harbour. Others prefer something quieter and more personal, maybe a waltz through the streets of Vienna or a small town square with local traditions passed down for generations. Even the weather plays a part, since ringing in the new year on a warm beach feels completely different from doing it in the snow.
The destinations on our list cover that whole range, from iconic fireworks displays to quieter spots where the new year arrives with a little more calm. Wherever you spend it, the first moments of the year tend to stick with you.
Lists by region
City
New York City
Five boroughs of skyline, food and museums
The Times Square ball drop has been a New Year's Eve tradition since 1907. The crystal ball is covered with thousands of sparkling crystal panels. Confetti falls on the crowd when the ball reaches the bottom. Runners join the Midnight Run and fireworks in Central Park.
Country
Singapore
Tropical city-state of hawker food and gardens
Fireworks over Marina Bay light up the skyline at midnight on December 31. Crowds fill the promenade around the Marina Bay Sands hotel. The Gardens by the Bay light show adds color nearby. River Hongbao is a Chinese New Year fair with lantern displays at Marina Bay.
City in Japan
Tokyo
Japan's capital of temples, towers and food
Temple bells ring 108 times on New Year's Eve in a ritual called Joya no Kane. Zojoji Temple rings its bell with Tokyo Tower behind it. Many families eat toshikoshi soba noodles for a long life. Millions of people visit Meiji Shrine in early January to pray.
City in Germany
Berlin
Wall history, Museum Island and all-night clubs
Silvester is the German name for New Year's Eve in Berlin. A huge open air party fills the road at the Brandenburg Gate. Many Germans watch the comedy sketch Dinner for One every year. Friends melt tin and read the shapes for fortunes in the new year.
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