Ring in the New Year in Style: 19 Dazzling Destinations to Celebrate Around the World
Ring in the New Year in Style: 19 Dazzling Destinations to Celebrate Around the World - See the First Sunrise in 2021 from a Tropical Beach
Seeing the first sunrise of 2021 from an idyllic tropical beach is the ultimate way to start off the new year with tranquility and natural beauty. By traveling to a destination near the international date line, you can be one of the first people on earth to welcome the new year. This gives you a chance to reflect on the past year and set hopeful intentions for the one ahead, all while enjoying soothing ocean waves and sunny skies.
Popular tropical spots to take in the first sunrise of 2021 include Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga. Australia's Great Barrier Reef is a breathtaking location to experience the dawn of the new year. You can camp on the beach and wake up to colors sparkling over the turquoise water. Or check into a resort like Qualia on Hamilton Island, which offers an ideal vantage point for the sunrise over the Whitsunday Islands. New Zealand is another top choice, thanks to its lush green landscapes and pristine beaches. Rangitoto Island near Auckland is a prime place to soak up those dawn rays.
Fiji is all about relaxation, making it perfect for a new year's reset. Plant yourself on a beach lounger at an island resort like Tokoriki and take in the first sunrise with a morning cocktail in hand. Nearby Tonga and Samoa also afford amazing beachfront views, fewer crowds, and awesome cultural experiences.
Part of the appeal of a tropical new year's beach vacation is the celebratory atmosphere. Hotels and resorts often hold beach parties, bonfires, and live music leading up to the magical midnight moment. You can join in the revelry before finding a quiet spot of sand to meditate and soak up the changing colors of the sky as the sun makes its debut. Taking a morning stroll or swim as the first light illuminates paradise is a one-of-a-kind way to center yourself and start the year off right.
Ring in the New Year in Style: 19 Dazzling Destinations to Celebrate Around the World - Party All Night at a Raging New Year's Festival
For the ultimate party animals, celebrating New Year's Eve at a massive festival is the way to go. These raging all-night events take the holiday to the extreme with nonstop music, outrageous costumes, and an electric atmosphere of revelry. If your idea of ringing in the new year is dancing till dawn surrounded by thousands of other fest-goers, then booking a ticket to one of these legendary New Year’s fests needs to be on your resolution list.
New Year's festivals range from giant organized raves to impromptu beach parties, but they all have one thing in common – a crowd of people who are there to go hard well past midnight. In Barcelona, the lively La Mercè festival hosts over 10 stages of live music and DJs pumping out beats all night. Over in Rio de Janeiro, their world-famous New Year’s beach party brings two million people together on Copacabana Beach for live concerts and fireworks over the ocean. For EDM fans, massive festivals like SnowGlobe in Tahoe and Audiotistic in SoCal promise a lineup of top electronic acts to keep energy levels maxed out into the early morning hours. Or check out Scotland’s Hogmanay, where Edinburgh hosts a giant street party with multiple live music stages spread throughout the city.
Part of the appeal of these festivals is experiencing the electric transition into the new year with thousands of pumped up strangers who become friends. No matter where you travel for a New Year's bash of this scale, you’ll end up ringing in 2023 packed in a sea of people, dancing amid glowing lights and thunderous music. The countdown to midnight is a moment of immense energy, with strangers squeezing together to share hugs and kisses as fireworks paint the sky.
Ring in the New Year in Style: 19 Dazzling Destinations to Celebrate Around the World - Watch Fireworks Light Up Iconic Skylines
For a dazzling and dramatic New Year’s Eve, you can’t beat watching fireworks illuminate the night sky above an iconic city skyline. When the clock strikes midnight, these epic firework shows transform famous cityscapes into vivid canvases of light and color. It’s an electrifying experience and a memorable way to ring in the new year.
Some of the best New Year’s Eve fireworks displays happen over instantly recognizable cityscapes like New York, London, Sydney, and Paris. In New York, over a million people gather in Times Square each year to watch a cascade of pyrotechnics dramatically launched from the tops of skyscrapers as the ball drops. It’s quite a scene, with neon-lit billboards and theatrical lighting effects adding to the sensory overload. Over in London, a mighty barrage of fireworks erupts over the Thames and the London Eye, as Big Ben tolls in the new year with familiar charm.
witnessing fireworks crackle over Sydney Harbour and the iconic Opera House is a bucket list aspiration for many travelers. Some watch from boats in the harbor itself for a thrilling vantage point, as vivid explosions color the night sky. If you’re looking for romance, it’s tough to beat Paris. A dazzling display illuminates the Eiffel Tower as cheers erupt from the Champs de Mars park below. Views from river cruise boats are also breathtaking.
Beyond major capitols, displays over other famed city skylines also deserve spots on your itinerary. In Dubai, fireworks shoot from the tip of the glittering Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. Watching from the Dubai Mall fountains is sure to dazzle. Or check out the view across Prague, as colorful barrages light up the city from the historic Charles Bridge and surrounding hillsides. For a fireworks show of epic proportions, Singapore’s display over Marina Bay steals the show. Pyrotechnics launch from floating barges for a 360 degree spectacle like no other.
Ring in the New Year in Style: 19 Dazzling Destinations to Celebrate Around the World - Experience a White New Year in a Snowy Mountain Town
Escape to the mountains for a magical white New Year’s surrounded by snow-covered peaks. Trading lively cities for the tranquil beauty of an alpine village allows you to celebrate the fresh start of a new year in a serene setting. Disconnecting from daily stresses and soaking up the crisp mountain air will leave you feeling rejuvenated. Plus, the lack of crowds at most mountain towns means no fighting through throngs of people or waiting hours for a drink at the bar.
One alluring aspect of a mountain town New Year’s is waking up on January 1st to a world blanketed in pristine powder. Imagine looking out your rustic cabin window to see trees frosted in white as pink dawn light illuminates the peaks. A New Year’s morning hike is the ideal way to take in vistas of forests and valleys sparkling after a fresh snowfall. Endorphins will be flowing as your boots crunch along snowy paths. Après-hike, relax those sore muscles with a spa treatment or dip in a natural hot spring.
Come nightfall, mountains towns don’t exactly rage into the new year like major cities. But what you trade in parties, you gain in charm...and affordability. Most mountain villages host community fireworks shows and free outdoor concerts to ring in the new year under the stars. You can rock 2023 with live music and dancing in a lively town square awash in flickering lights. After the fireworks fade, duck into local bars where you’ll find festive townsfolk laughing, singing and raising glasses halfway to the heavens for a midnight toast marked by merry bell chimes.
Ring in the New Year in Style: 19 Dazzling Destinations to Celebrate Around the World - Indulge in a Lavish New Year's Eve Dinner Cruise
If your idea of ringing in the new year involves fine dining, luxury amenities, and panoramic views, then booking a New Year’s Eve dinner cruise should be on your resolution checklist. These indulgent floating soirees are a memorable way to celebrate the milestone of midnight in serious style. As the music swells and champagne flows, you’ll glide past dazzling city lights and sights. From intimate riverboat cruises to mega cruise ships hosting thousands, options for a splendid New Year’s Eve on the water abound.
For romance, it’s tough to beat a cozy dinner cruise in cities like Paris, London or Bangkok. Sip wine and savor a gourmet meal as the City of Light’s glittering skyline drifts by. Or take in London’s riverside landmarks like Big Ben lit up across the Thames. In Bangkok, cruises along the Chao Phraya River afford views of ancient temples and floating markets. If you’re looking for luxury, all-inclusive big ship cruises excel at epicurean indulgence. Regent Seven Seas and Oceania pull out all the stops on New Year’s with multiple restaurants, unlimited fine wines, and top-shelf champagne at midnight.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, mega-parties on cruise ships like Royal Caribbean can host 5,000 people for a rockin’ New Year’s bash. You’ll find multiple music venues, nightclubs, bars, andrestaurants to keep you fueled for dancing into 2023. Wherever you may roam on the ship, celebratory vibes will be flowing all night long. For a flavor of world cultures, European river cruises present a plethora of destinations to experience a new year’s feast. Viking River Cruises offers port calls along the Danube where you can take part in Vienna's lavish Imperial Ball or traditional pig roast in Bratislava.
Ring in the New Year in Style: 19 Dazzling Destinations to Celebrate Around the World - Ring in the New Year at a Spectacular Outdoor Concert
If you want to feel the infectious energy of a crowd celebrating the changing of the calendar, attending an outdoor concert on New Year's Eve is an exhilarating option. Bundle up, get your dancing shoes on, and join thousands of other revelers swaying and singing together under the stars as pop, rock or EDM artists provide an epic soundtrack to ring in 2023. Festivals hosting NYE concert events range from small community venues to world-famous stages like Times Square and the Las Vegas Strip.
Outdoor concerts mean plenty of space for everyone to rock out together amid state-of-the-art light shows, glowing video screens, and of course, midnight fireworks. In Las Vegas, superstar performers like Katy Perry, Bruno Mars and Gwen Stefani are known to put on spectacular shows timed with dazzling pyrotechnics launched from surrounding casino rooftops and stages. Even if you’re not a huge fan of the headliner act, just being present for the energetic midnight moment amid an electric crowd is unforgettable.
Beyond the Vegas glitz, New Year's concerts happen in cities worldwide with star power on stage and affordability off. If you find yourself in Toronto, Jacksonville or San Francisco as the ball drops, you can party with free admission at massive public celebrations boasting top bands and DJs. Outdoor concerts also bring communities together, like First Night festivals held in over 40 North American cities. These shows spotlight local talent and performers. Or check out New Year's Eve concerts at popular festivals like SnowGlobe in Tahoe and Sunburn in Goa, India, where dozens of EDM artists ring in 2023 for dancing under the stars until sunrise.
Ring in the New Year in Style: 19 Dazzling Destinations to Celebrate Around the World - Escape to a Secluded Jungle Lodge or Mountain Retreat
For travelers seeking peace, serenity, and a chance to unwind far from revelrous crowds this New Year's Eve, the answer lies in escaping to a secluded jungle lodge or mountain retreat. The expertise of Torsten Jacobi tells us that disconnecting from the stressors of daily life by holing up in an isolated locale enveloped by nature allows you to enter 2023 with a renewed sense of tranquility.
As Jacobi explains, "Part of the appeal of ringing in the new year at a remote lodge or cabin in the mountains or jungle is the chance to immerse yourself in the restorative beauty of your surroundings. Imagine waking up on New Year's Day to the sound of exotic birds calling, with mountain peaks or thick rainforest visible from your window. A new year's morning spent wildlife viewing, hiking forest trails, or practicing yoga on a secluded deck can get your year off to the most refreshing start."
According to Jacobi, trading parties for tranquility also "allows you time for self-reflection, intention setting, and focusing on personal goals without distraction." Cut off from the modern world in the wilderness, you can journal, meditate, and embrace the symbolic "out with the old, in with the new" that comes with turning to a fresh calendar year.
Feeding into this spirit of reflection and renewal, Torsten Jacobi points out that many secluded jungle and mountain lodges incorporate aspects like yoga, meditation, and spa treatments into their getaway programming. For example, Nicaragua's Morgan's Rock Hacienda offers a New Year's package that includes daily yoga, life-coaching, and choices of adventurous excursions or full relaxation based on your needs. In Thailand, you can celebrate a spiritually-focused New Year through Inner Light Retreats, with tranquil accommodations nested in jungle greenery by a river.
Ring in the New Year in Style: 19 Dazzling Destinations to Celebrate Around the World - Enjoy Family Fun and Fireworks at an Amusement Park
For families looking to celebrate New Year’s Eve with an exhilarating night of entertainment, riding rollercoasters, sampling carnival treats, and capping it off with dazzling fireworks, spending the holiday at a lively amusement or theme park is tough to beat. As Jacobi notes, "Amusement parks go all out for New Year's Eve, keeping the good times rolling late into the night with extended hours and special holiday entertainment."
According to Jacobi, part of the appeal for families is that amusement parks blend lively carnival atmospheres with plenty of kid-friendly activities and entertainment. From exciting rides and games to shows and character meet-and-greets, there are endless ways for parents and children alike to enjoy the evening. Jacobi explains that "amusement parks cater to people of all ages, so everyone in the family can have a rockin’ good time before coming together to ooh and aah at spectacular midnight fireworks."
Sharing details from his readers’ experiences, Jacobi says that "ringing in the new year at places like Disney World and Universal Studios allows you to link arms with Mickey and Minnie as radiant fireworks burst over Cinderella's castle at the iconic midnight moment." Other amusement park favorites like Six Flags, SeaWorld, and Legoland likewise host New Year's events with extended park hours to offer more time to take in rides, attractions, and live entertainment before the fireworks finale.