New Year’s Eve can feel like Groundhog’s Day. Every year brings the same parties and the same balls dropping. Maybe it’s time to mix up your routine with some of the most exciting end-of-year celebrations around the world. Try bringing in 2016 warm on the beach in Hawaii or with a traditional Scottish festival in Edinburgh. Here are the most searched New Year’s Eve destinations on Yahoo.
10. Edinburgh: Kilts and Torches
Edinburgh’s three-day Hogmanay Festival is considered one of the best and biggest New Year’s Eve celebrations in the world. It was even featured on the Discovery Channel’s Top 25 World Travel Experiences. The festival starts with a Torchlight Procession on Dec. 30, which is expected to include 30,000 people walking through the Scottish town. The fun continues with concerts, street parties, and an old-fashioned Old Town Ceilidh. Bring your kilt and try to break the world record for the largest Strip the Willow dance. Some of the events are already sold out, like the New Year’s Day dip in the freezing River Forth.
9. Bahamas: Colorful Parties on the Beach and in the Streets
If a cold and snowy New Year’s Day doesn’t sound like your kind of thing, then the Bahamas may be the place for you. Spend your day relaxing on the beach, then party at night. Most of the major resorts host their own events. The Atlantis offers options for kids and adults, including a concert with the legendary Diana Ross. Or hit the streets for the Junkanoo street parades, which start in the afternoon with colorful costumes and music-making. The parades often end in informal beach parties and fireworks. Some of the street parties continue through New Year’s Day. Check out the Junkanoos in downtown Freeport or on Bay Street in Nassau.
8. Maui: A New Year in Hawaii
If you’re surrounded by water, you’re going to want to bring in 2016 on the water. New Year’s Eve cruises are one of the most popular ways to celebrate in Hawaii. Both the Pride of Maui and the Alii Nui are sold out, but you can get on their wait lists or check out the Pacific Whale Foundation’s two smaller night cruises. Want to stay on land instead? The Kaanapali Resort’s Drums of the Pacific Luau will be a New Year’s you’ll never forget. (Plus they have a second show Jan. 1.) There is also frequently a large fireworks show in Wailea. Just don’t forget to wish everyone a “Hau’oli Makahiki Hou” — which means Happy New Year in Hawaiian.
7. Hong Kong: The Old and New
Hong Kong is a big, bustling city with a mix of traditions and cultures. You can celebrate in Hong Kong’s own Times Square, which does a mini-version of New York’s ball drop. And the massive fireworks show over Victoria Harbour is world famous. (If you don’t want to miss the show, but don’t want to have to fight the crowds, make reservations at one of the five-star restaurants serving New Year’s Eve dinners, like Aqua, with a view overlooking the harbor.) Along with traditional rituals, like the lighting of incense sticks, Hong Kong is also known for its extravagant parties, like the Alice in Wonderland party at the The Pawn, or the 10 countdowns in 30 hours celebration on a ship at the massive Lost in Time Festival.
6. Miami: Party Like it’s 2016
New Year’s Eve in Miami means one thing: the biggest party of the year. Pitbull will close out the 48-hour Worldwide Food and Wine Party at Bayfront Park downtown. Drake will perform at E11even, and Pamela Anderson will host the party at FIFTY Ultra Lounge. Basically, whatever kind of party you want (and especially if you want to party well into the start of 2016), you can find it in Miami. You can even enjoy the beach and outdoors with free fireworks in South Beach. Or take it a little easier with a delicious meal at one of the city’s top restaurants, most of which are offering prix fixe menus for the evening, like The Federal. Extra bonus: many restaurants also offer special hangover brunches the next day. Because that’s how they do it in Miami.
5. London: You Don’t Need a Ticket for Fun
Tickets for the spectacular New Year’s Eve fireworks at the London Eye are already sold out. But you can still watch the fireworks from the London Sky Bar or catch a bit of the show for free from one of the city’s many bridges. Tower Bridge and Southwark Bridge offer great views. You may even be able to spot some lights from a night cruise down the Thames. London is a big, worldly city, so there are plenty of other parties to bring in 2016. Bompas & Parr will be hosting a hedonistic Medieval Foam Party (because that’s a thing) and Camp NYE promises a sold-out variety show with cheap champagne. And you don’t need tickets for the New Year’s Day parade, which marches past many of the major London landmarks.
4. New York City: One of a Kind
The Times Square celebration is synonymous with New Year’s Eve. If you want to be a part of the classic ball drop, you’ll have to get your 2016 started early and bring warm clothes so you can stand around for hours thinking (or drinking) your 2015 away. There are performances on the two stages, starting at 6 p.m., when the ball gets lit. One Direction, Macklemore, and Taylor Swift are among the dozen performers scheduled before the fireworks later that night. If navigating the one million-person crowd sounds like a lot of work, you can also go to virtually any club or restaurant in the city. The next morning, jump into the freezing water off Coney Island to get your 2016 started off with a splash.
3. San Diego: Big Parties on the Beach
Why do you go to San Diego? For the warm weather and beaches. The New Year’s Eve Beach Party brings all the best of that together at the Catamaran Resort. You could also choose to skip the sand and head straight to the water. There are plenty of New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day cruising options. The Hornblower is the most well-known and popular, but you can also start the New Year with the New Year’s Eve Yacht Party—the floating sibling of the beach party. While there are plenty of parties to choose from, Big Night San Diego probably offers the most bang for your buck, with 10 different party areas and five dance floors—at the Hilton on the beach, of course.
2. New Orleans: Midnight on the Mississippi
It’s not quite Mardi Gras season yet, but the Big Easy knows how to celebrate any time of year. The Crescent City Countdown includes a unique fleur-de-lis drop and fireworks over the Mississippi River. Music starts at 9 p.m. in Jackson Square, which gives you plenty of time to dine out in the French Quarter first, and party in the French Quarter after too. Just walk down Bourbon Street and follow the sounds of fun. Or you can just head straight to the Bourbon Vieux, which “the biggest balcony on Bourbon.” The Hyatt will host Big Night New Orleans. You can also see some of the fireworks (and hear some of the music) on a classic river cruise on the Creole Queen or the Steamboat Natchez. Of course the partying doesn’t stop when the ball drops. On Jan. 1, the Superdome hosts the Sugar Bowl. Mardi Gras parades start a week later, so you could always just stay in town.
1. Las Vegas: America’s Party
You don’t go to Vegas on New Year’s Eve for a low-key evening in with your friends. Thousands of people will gather to either celebrate the end of a year or start a new one on the right foot, and most of them will do both on The Strip. At midnight, all the casinos launch a coordinated fireworks display that sums up Vegas in lights: more is better. It’s known as “America’s Party.” That includes the downtown party, known as the Fremont Street Experience. This year’s theme is TributePalooza, which includes three stages of tribute bands. No one under 21 years old is allowed on the street after 9 p.m. Of course, there are dozens of shows to choose from too. Nicki Minaj is at Drai’s at The Cromwell. Snoop Dogg will be at Tao. And Bruno Mars will be performing at The Cosmopolitan. The only problem is that you can’t do it all.
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