How To Celebrate New Year's Eve At These 6 Holiday Destinations

From grand beach parties to spectacular fireworks, here are Leisure's suggestions on how to celebrate New Year's Eve around the world!

 

Are you trying to make up for the lost time in the past two years? Yes! Two years have passed (almost) since the pandemic began. None of us have had an opportunity to celebrate a festival lately, without any fear. Now the Omicron variant is trying to wreak havoc on our lives as we get stuck indoors again! 

 

Leisure's top travel guides have compiled this ultimate list of top 6 destinations worldwide, so you know how to celebrate New Year's Eve in style. From fun, festive beach parties to enthralling fireworks and raucous street parties, we are bringing it all for you! 

 

Please note that traveling to these destinations is subject to change. Please check all local Covid-19 restrictions and guidelines before traveling. 

 

Best For Fireworks 

 

1. New York City, USA 

 

 

The Main Event 

This might sound cheesy, but there is nothing better than our very own New York City Times Square for New Year's Eve celebrations. It is archetypal, yes, but this is the ultimate destination for people who cannot travel outside the country. If you want to know how to celebrate New Year's Eve in New York, head to the Renaissance Hotel's R Lounge. The bar windows in this place are going to offer you the ultimate, peerless view of Times Square's version of celebrating NYE 2022. 

 

The Local View 

Just like any real New Yorker would do, swap Manhattan for Brooklyn. The free fireworks and Prospect Park's live music are some of the city's most spectacular sights. You also get a spectacular view of the Brooklyn Bridge from here. 

 

Accommodations 

Stay at Leisure's top hotel in New York, The Lowell Hotel. This stylish retreat, located on East 63rd Street, has recently had a facelift. It is truly now a sight to behold. 

 

 

2. Edinburgh, Scotland 

 

The Main Event 

At the Scottish capital, you can witness a three-day-long Hogmanay extravaganza. The event starts on December 30th every year, where you can enjoy a Viking-style torchlight procession right along the Royal Mile. This big night event also features the Scottish music program, including Dougie McLean, Breabach, and Eddi Reader for NYE 2022. The event finally wraps up in time for different gig-goers to get their share of an unforgettable view of the midnight fireworks above Edinburgh Castle. These celebrations go on continuously on the next day as well, with a fancy yet traditional dress up in the freezing temperatures of the Firth of Forth, also called "The Loony Dook." 

 

The Local View 

You might not come across most Edinburgh natives in the official festivities and fireworks displays. The only possible explanation behind this is that these locals are pretty skeptical about the weather and that the locals have their own definition of how to celebrate New Year's Eve. Instead, you can find these locals hedging their belts before bagging a free spot to watch the fireworks display over the castle, with indoor jollities. 

 

The boho, smart Stockbridge has a ton of great pubs to enjoy as well. You can explore the basement of the Bailie Bar for a few drinks and folk music. You can then head to Inverleith Park and witness the final showdown above the castle! 

 

Accommodations 

One of the best hotels to stay in Edinburgh is The Balmoral. It is comfortable, relaxing, grand yet affordable, and cozy. It is also the perfect place to recover from the Hogmanay celebrations. 

 

Best For Street Parties 

 

3. Beirut, Lebanon 

 

 

The Main Event 

The legendary party scenes in Beirut are memorable ones, any time of the year. But since 2017/2018 New Year's Eve, things have changed. According to all top travel guides, the city elected to put on their official shindig in the streets, which immediately became one of the most sought-after attractions for tourists. 

 

The spectacle has only grown bigger since then, with live bands and DJs joining in, along with the fireworks display. The Art Deco 1933 Clock Tower in the middle of the city offers a spectacular sight of the light show beams out in the square. Beirut typically does not wind down until after dawn. 

 

The Local View 

So, how to celebrate New Year's Eve in Beirut like a local? Well, the nightlife in the city has always had its fair share of attention because of all the bling. To celebrate and welcome 2022 like a local here, you will have to lose yourself in the crowd, bar hopping all over the place in Gemmayzeh and Mar Mikhael. 

 

Accommodations 

The Albergo is one of the best places to stay when you are in Beirut. The hotel, by Relais & Châteaux, has an old-world charm, with all the comforts you could think of! 

 

4. Barcelona, Spain

 

The Main Event 

Barcelona, the city of night owls with all its revelry, does not believe in a party before the clock hits 11 PM. This is exactly when the city crowds gather around Plaça d'Espanya to witness the midnight pyrotechnics on Montjuïc hill. Just a few miles from here at the Poble Espanyol, which is an open-air architecture museum, the dance party goes on until 6 AM. 

 

The Local View 

So, how to celebrate New Year's Eve in Barcelona? Little-known strange traditions in the city include eating a grape for every chime at midnight. Everyone does it! This happens at Plaça de Catalunya, in the heart of the city. Now, as soon as the New Year begins at midnight, the crowds start to throw their Cava bottles in the middle of the square. If this take on "How to celebrate New Year's Eve" sounds a little frightening, head to the popular clubs to party all night. One of the most popular clubs here, Pacha, rages all night long. 

 

Accommodations 

Immerse yourself in the creative heads of Barcelona at the Soho House. This palm-tree-lined hotel is just off the seafront and offers more than you need, including incredible views. 

 

Best For Beach Parties 

 

5. New Orleans, USA

 

 

If you missed out on Mardi Gras and are looking at how to celebrate New Year's Eve in our home country, head to New Orleans. New Year's Eve bashes in New Orleans capture the city's riotous spirit, explosive fun, and glittering extravagance. For all the right reasons, the city is also one of the top tourist destinations for 2022. 

 

You can take your friends and other travelers along so that you are all here at the beaches at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve. If you reach here early, head to the Allstate Sugar Bowl Parade and spend your afternoon there. The Parade is festooned and festive, just the way you would expect. After the Parade, head down straight to Jackson Square and watch the Fleur De Lis drop, New Orleans' answer to New York City's celebrations. Watching fireworks over the Mississippi makes us all happy, year after year. 

 

The Local View 

Just combine two long-standing traditions of New Orleans if you want to know how to celebrate New Year's Eve as a local in the city. Combine balcony parties with jazz bands and a trip to the French Quarter. Head straight to the Bourbon Street bars and restaurants, and spend the night drenched in fun dining and drinking experiences, just above the crowds. You will fall in love! 

 

Accommodations 

The city is loaded with quirky Airbnbs and hotels. They are all truly one of a kind by the French Quarter. Do check out The Eliza Jane and The Chloe for the much-needed TLC after a night of partying at the beaches here. 

 

6. Goa, India 

 

The Main Event 

Today, some of Goa's parties are not what they were a few years ago. But at Leisure, we beg to differ! It is still pretty hard to beat enjoying the beaches, with sand between your toes and fairy lights above your head and strung on all the palm trees around you. It is hard to ignore the mesmerizing beauty under the stars. 

 

New Year's Eve is truly one of the best times to visit Goa. There are festivities, celebrations, and fireworks, along with this small coastal town in India. Inevitably, the biggest and loudest ragers happen around Anjuna Beach, where world-class DJs will play all night long to crowds that seem to get bigger and bigger by the hour. 

 

The Local View 

How to celebrate New Year's Eve in Goa like a local? Well, partying is the heart and soul of Goa, so you cannot avoid that. If you want to party like a local, head to Palolem beach in the south. Palolem beach is serene, calm, and soothing to the soul. Have your own intimate party on this jungle-lined bay, dotted with different beach bars playing psytrance tunes and EDM, all night long, with fireworks at midnight and cocktail extravaganza that does not seem to come to an end. 

 

Accommodations 

Book yourself true luxury at the Park Hotel in Candolim. This all-white property is comforting and contemporary, with cabanas, private beaches, and an open-air bar. You will love the boho-chic vibe of the hotel. 

 

Final Words 

So, there you have it! The top six destinations around the world for NYE 2022. Know how to celebrate New Year’s Eve at these destinations like a local. It will be fun! Bookmark this article or share it with the people who will need it! 

 

Happy Vacationing to you! 

 

Oh, and Happy New Year to you from Leisure.