Around the world, the transition from December 31 to January 1 is filled with fanfare that include noisemakers and champagne toasts. But some places take it to the next level with their New Year festivities, including shrine visits and waltzes.
With the new year comes new opportunities—for travel, that is. Here are our suggestions for festivities across the globe that offer something a little special for the move into 2025.
1. New York City, United States
New York City is arguably the most famous place to spend New Year’s in the United States. The heart of all the pent-up excitement is in Times Square, where a nearly 12,000-pound sphere descends as soon as the new year hits. (It’s a tradition that’s been a part of the city since 1907.) If you decide to see the spectacle in person, get there early; about a million people gather to see it. Or if you want to get a head start on your health goals for the year, the New York Road Runners—they also host the New York City Marathon—has an annual four-mile race in Central Park that starts at midnight.
To celebrate the New Year, Edinburgh hosts a three-day party with a torchlight parade and polar plunge.
Photo by Marco Bicci/Shutterstock
2. Edinburgh, Scotland
Hogmanay is Edinburgh’s giant end-of-year party. Celebrations on the 31st are similar to those in any world capital—live music, fireworks, and general revelry—but with more tradition, including a procession in which pipers and drummers lead torch-wielding locals on a medieval-like procession through the old town.
Even better, you can celebrate New Year’s Eve twice in Scotland. Drive north to the small coastal town of Burghead and take part in the Burning of the Clavie, an ancient pagan ritual that gained steam in the 1750s when the Catholic Church replaced the Julian calendar with the Gregorian one. The decision moved the first day of the New Year back by 11 days, but instead of rioting like the rest of Scotland, Burghead locals simply decided to observe both holidays. After celebrating on January 1, they gather on January 11 to honor what they still consider the real New Year’s Day, walking a burning barrel full of staves, or wooden sticks (the Clavie), through town before leaving it to fall down a hill. Grab a piece of charred wood; it’ll supposedly bring you luck in the New Year.
When in Osaka, ring in the New Year with a temple visit and traditional foods like prawns, herring roe, and mochi.
Photo by Komsitt Vikittikornkul/Shutterstock
3. Osaka, Japan
In Japan, the start of the New Year has a wholesome focus. Shōgatsu (New Year) is usually celebrated with a visit to the local temple to exchange last year’s lucky charms for new ones. At Osaka’s Sumiyoshi Taisha temple, about 2 million people visit during the first three days of January in a custom known as hatsumōde, the first Shinto shrine visit of the year. Queues can be hours long, but head to smaller shrines and temples, such as Tsuyuten Shrine or Isshinji Temple, and you’ll find an equally atmospheric event without the long wait.
Afterward, be sure to feast on traditional New Year foods. Packed neatly into a tiered jūbako box, osechi-ryōri are the snacks of the season and include prawns (believed to bring a long life), herring roe (to boost fertility), and mochi (rice cake). You can purchase the bento box–like treats from department stores or supermarkets throughout the holiday season.
4. Madrid, Spain
One of Madrid’s well-known squares, Puerta del Sol, is home to one of the country’s biggest celebrations. For New Year’s Eve, people head to the area to see the clock strike 12 on the Real Casa de Correos building. (Expect confetti, cava, and churros, of course.) Come a few hours before midnight, as space is limited in the square.
Don’t forget to bring some grapes. A Spanish tradition demands you swallow 12 in quick succession, one for each ring of the bell at midnight.
Pace yourself on New Year’s Eve in the Bahamas, because the Junkanoo Festival makes some noise on January 1.
Photo by Montez Kerr/Shutterstock
5. Nassau, The Bahamas
Tired of the winter chill that comes with New Year celebrations in the northern hemisphere? Fly to the balmy Bahamas, where people spend the first day of January celebrating Junkanoo. The origin of the celebration is still up for debate, but the most popular theory is that it came to be during the 1700s, when enslaved people were given three days off during the Christmas season, which they used to celebrate with friends and family.
Nowadays, Junkanoo is celebrated on two days: Boxing Day (December 26) and January 1. Celebrations officially begin at 2:00 a.m. (giving you a couple hours for a disco nap after ringing in the new year) and include colorful costumes, goatskin drums, and plenty of dancing. Bahamians everywhere will be in on the celebration, but much of the hoopla will be concentrated on downtown Nassau’s Bay Street.
The event Silvesterpfad is more than 30 years old.
Photo by Marti Bug Catcher/Shutterstock
6. Vienna, Austria
Hundreds of thousands of people come to Austria’s capital for Silvesterpfad, which translates to “New Year’s Eve trail.” The public party starts December 31 at 2 p.m. in Vienna’s Old Town and lasts until 2 a.m. on January 1. The event is spread across eight locations: Rathausplatz, Freyung, Am Hof, Graben, Stephansplatz, Kärntner Straße, Neuer Markt, and the winter market at Riesenradplatz in the Prater. Walk around and you’ll find art installations, waltzing, and plenty of cheer.
For classical music fans, the Vienna Philharmonic also throws a concert on January 1. The event is extremely popular; ticket registrations open in February for the following year, but you can still catch the program on television, as it will be broadcast in more than 90 countries.
Head to Australia for a fireworks show over Australian landmarks including the Sydney Opera house.
Photo by Pandora Pictures/Shutterstock
7. Sydney, Australia
Australia is one of the first countries to experience the new year, so you’ll party before everyone else. And Sydney, the country’s most populous city, knows how to throw down. For New Year’s Eve, several events take place on Sydney’s waterfront.
At 7:30 p.m., the Tribal Warrior Association completes a purification ritual on vessels in the water, while boats covered in lights sail through the harbor at 9:15 p.m. Celebrations culminate at midnight, when fireworks shoot from landmarks that include the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House. To get a premium view of the show, check out the designated vantage points throughout the city.
This article was originally published in 2019 and most recently updated on October 25, 2024, with current information. Chloe Arrojado contributed to the reporting of this story.
