London is always a hub of thriving activity, but it is truly a unique experience to enjoy New Year’s Eve in the UK capital. Aside from the hundreds of clubs that throw incredible New Year’s Eve parties and the added bonus of the New Year’s Day Parade (for those that can manage it), the incredible atmosphere that spreads across the city of London is electric as people come together to celebrate the start of a new year. Take a look at the line-up of fantastic events for the end of 2013.
Fireworks: Join 250,000 people who come to watch the Mayor of London’s New Year’s Eve Fireworks Display on the Southbank and along the Thames. The designated viewing areas fill up quickly so it is worth turning up a little early, but well worth it for the experience.
CC Image “New Year’s Eve” courtesy of Christiano Betta on Flickr
Parties:
The Blitz Party NYE Special – Try something a little different this New Year’s Eve and travel back in time to the 1940s. With sandbags, blackout curtains, oil lamps, military bunk beds, wartime films and big band classics filling the six room ‘air raid shelter’, this party will immerse you in all things Blitz making it the perfect alternative party for New Year’s Eve! Find your way to Great Suffolk Street Arches on December 31st and buy tickets in advance for £40.
The Prehistoric New Year’s Eve Party – Budget can sometimes be a little hindering when it comes to New Year’s Eve, especially after the cost of Christmas! Propaganda’s Prehistoric NYE party at O2 Shepherds Bush Empire offers a great way to start the new year and at a low cost with tickets costing £10 for early bird and drinks costing £1.50.
Prohibition Party: Enjoy a little glamour and immerse yourself in the roaring twenties for a little opulence and exuberance with this Prohibition Party. Join this central London speakeasy to dance the Charleston, try your luck at roulette, and sip the free-flowing liquor as you return in time to enjoy ‘the most lavish prohibition party yet’. The location remains a secret until 2 weeks before and tickets cost £40
Event:
Fuerzabruta –Pushing the boundaries of performance and creating an immersive experience for all, this show offers a spectacular event like no other. With outstanding reviews from The Times, Guardian and Evening Standard and the fact that the show has returned due to demand, this is absolutely one of the best ways to start your new year.
With a reputation as a bit of a clubland, Manchester has a plethora of bars and clubs pulling out all the stops for New Year’s Eve. While we have picked out our favourites (with a splash of quirky), there are plenty of alternative options if our top choices don’t suit your taste.
Parties:
The Whiskey Jar NYE Party – This old textile mill provides a fantastically quirky venue hosted over two floors. The Whiskey Jar’s New Year’s Eve Party offers free entry to a long fabulous night of funk, soul, disco and house music over both floors with plenty of Whiskey choices to indulge in! Entry is on a first come, first served basis but some spaces are available to book.
Rock and Bowl New Year’s Eve – Start the New Year in retro style with a fabulous night at All Star Lanes’ Rock and Bowl Party. With food, bowling and 50s and 60s music playing through the night, this is the perfect place for those wanting to do something a little different this NYE. Entry is free but you can buy a Eat Drink & Bowl ticket that includes two-course meal, cocktail, game of bowling and a glass of Prosecco for £35pp.
The Great Gatsby 24 hour Party - The Liquor Store offers a fabulous bare brickwork venue styled as a vintage Los Angeles liquor store, making it the perfect setting for a swinging Gatsby night for the books! In true 20s party excess, the Liquor store will be open 24 hours, starting midday on NYE and finishing midday on New Year’s Day. This roaring party is not one to miss with tickets costing £10 and Vintage Glamour attire- so don’t forget to dress up old sport and make whoopee!
NYE Blowout – The Liars Club will be bringing in the New Year ‘Tiki Style’ with an ‘eruption of booze, banging tunes, and fire’ (yes fire – excess hairspray is not recommended). Enjoy your favourite cocktails, lots of rum and a crazy NYE night to remember, and with early bird tickets just £5 for entry and the party going until 4am, this will be a feisty blowout without breaking the bank.
Well, New Year’s Eve in Edinburgh offers an incredible night as one of the top cities to celebrate the start of a new year. Hosting one of the world’s biggest New Year’s Eve celebrations, Edinburgh’s Hogmanay offers a fantastic series of events, culminating in the incredible fireworks display which is complimented by the stunning Edinburgh Castle backdrop. There is an exciting mix of events on and around NYE (many of which donations go to charities), from the Torchlight Procession on December 30th to the Loony Dook river splash on the January 1st!
Hogmanay Street Party - Join the street party with 80,000 other people as you enjoy hourly fireworks displays, music stages, 12 giant screens and of course the big finale firework display! The street party offers a flexible NYE for you to mingle with other partyers, enjoy lots of different music and generally have a merry old time for just £20 a ticket!
CC Image “Fireworks over Edinburgh” courtesy of Robbie Shade on Flickr
The Keilidh - Immerse yourself in Scottish culture and head to The Keilidh event. This arena includes a huge outdoor dance floor where you can learn the moves with a professional ceilidh caller, or enjoy the traditional Scottish music while at the bar and food village, either way you will be well fed and watered (or whiskeyed) while being thoroughly entertained! The arena also offers a fantastic viewpoint of the midnight fireworks so you won’t miss out- however, last year’s event was completely sold out, so book your tickets (£37) early!
Candlelit Concert - For a calmer, serene New Year’s Eve atmosphere, the Candlelit Concert offers a fantastic alternative to traditional NYE parties. Hosted in St Giles’s Cathedral, this evening promises many musical legends from classics of the Baroque period to Haydn’s Missa Sancti Nicolai. The St Giles’ Cathedral choir will be joined by ‘a stunning array of international young soloists’ to perform a delightful evening of music – all for £16 a ticket.
Concert in the Gardens – This Hogmanay event offers a fantastic line-up of artists for a night of great music leading up to the firework spectacular! The Enclosure tickets have already sold out but Garden tickets are still available and cost £40.
A thriving city known well for its exciting nightlife, New Year’s Eve in Brighton offers great parties, a fantastic atmosphere and a New Year with a bang!
Hollywood Mash Up! – Trailer Trash presents a spectacular NYE special which is taking over the whole of the Komedia venue for a Hollywood Mash up to remember! Dress up as your all-time favourite movie star and enjoy a night filled with film clips from cult to classic intertwined with cabaret and circus side acts and topped with a live jazz band and DJ playing everything from rock’n’roll and punk to classic pop and soundtracks! Walk down the red carpet and enjoy a night with the stars for a New Year’s Eve you’ll never forget! Tickets cost £18.
CC Image “New Year’s Day, Brighton Pier” courtesy of Martin Thomas on Flickr
Pump Up The Jam –NYE – Enjoy a night of the best of the 90s dance, house, pop, garage, hip hop and more at Coalition’s Pump Up The Jam! With two rooms dedicated to giving you your favourite 90s dance tunes, this NYE will be a great opportunity to rave the night away in true classic 90’style! Tickets cost £15.
Physics House Party – An alternative NYE party at Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar offers a unique evening of live bands, DJs and ‘psychedelic interactive art’! Entry is free, the bands are fantastic, there’s psychedelic visuals and it’s open really late – what more could you want for a New Year’s Eve with a difference?
Already a hotspot for a thriving nightlife and merriment, Dublin is the perfect place for celebrating NYE with the city coming together to share a night to remember. Three NYE Dublin – The Ultimate Gathering, similar to Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, offers a trio of events which are pretty much a huge street party in Dublin city centre that bursts with excitement and celebration.
The People’s Procession of Light - Start the night with The People’s Procession of Light which will fill the streets of Dublin with an explosion lights from lanterns to light displays. You can join in the procession or watch on the side-lines, either way it is a fantastic chance to mingle with the locals and enjoy the spirit of New Year’s Eve. The procession is free and begins at 6pm.
CC Image “New Year’s Eve Dublin” courtesy of Daniel Dudek-Corriganon Flickr
Countdown Concert - Continue the party with the Countdown Concert which this year has an incredible line-up of performers, including iconic ska band Madness. This concert will be a fantastic way to bring in the New Year with a night of entertainment that will blow your mind! Tickets cost €25 and will be hosted at College Green, Dublin City Centre.
The Big Brunch - If you don’t want the festive fun to end, The Ultimate Gathering will also be hosting The Big Brunch on New Year’s Day. At 11am the following morning you can partake in a ‘hearty brunch’ with live music, Vintage Tea Dance and theatrical performances on the side. The event is free with various food stalls to buy brunch from, and runs from 11am to 6pm at Meeting House Square.
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