New Year's Eve NYC 2024-2025. The clock will strike midnight, the ball will drop, kisses will be exchanged, and the promise of a New Year will light up the night sky. New Year's is a time to reflect on all that's happened and set ambitious goals for the future. It's also a time let our hair down and celebrate. If there's any town that can be trusted to get New Year's right, it's New York City, where Times Square provides a focal point for the world on December 31st. What follows are some great opportunities for meals, cruises, comedy, parties, and general merrymaking on the 31st. Happy 2025!

Image: Anthony Quintano/Flickr

There is no minute of the year quite as exciting as 11:59pm on December 31st in Times Square. The Times Square New Year's Eve Celebration and Ball Drop is easily the most famous NYE celebration in the world. The famous ball is a 12-foot geodesic sphere weighing 11,875 pounds, covered in 2,688 Waterford crystals, powered by 32,256 Philips Luxeon Rebel LED lights, and capable of creating a palette of more than 16 million vibrant colors.

Prospect Park Drone Show

In light of this year's drought, there will not be NYE fireworks by Prospect Park (or Central Park). Instead, there will be a light show with illuminated drones, according to Prospect Park Alliance.

Singing Waitstaff for New Year's Eve

The show will go on at Ellen's Stardust Diner! Food, drink, and live performances from the famous singing waitstaff will make this a New Year's to remember. The 1950s-themed restaurant has been around since 1987 and still brings great retro vibes (founder Ellen Hart Sturm is a native New Yorker who was crowned Miss Subways in 1959.) Catch intimate performances by staff on their way to joining a long line of Broadway actors who have made Ellen's their launching pad. This year for New Year's Eve, join the party for a special three course, prix fixe menu with a cash bar, party favors, and a champagne toast at midnight. Tickets here.

Blue Man Group

No plot, dialogue, or ripped from headlines drama, just a romp and a half orchestrated by the three blue-hued alien dudes of Blue Man Group. This long-running Off-Broadway show and international sensation combines music, paint, drums, snacks, and high-tech hijinks. To celebrate year's end, look for three New Year's shows on Tuesday, December 31st at 2pm, 5pm, and 8pm. Audiences at all three performances are invited to special post-show New Year’s Eve countdown celebrations complete with party hats, noisemakers, a special performance of “Auld Lang Syne” by the Blue Men, and even a magical snowfall inside the theater. Blue Man Group New York tickets start at $49. Sadly, Blue Man Group will be closing its NYC run Feb. 2, 2025. Don't miss it! Tickets and the full holiday performance schedule are available at blueman.com/new-york/buytickets.

New Year's on the Water

Spectacular skyline views await aboard City Cruises. You can wrap up 2024 (and get 2025 off to an auspicious start) with a series of rides. Signature lunch and dinner cruises run New Year’s Eve and brunch and dinner are your options for New Year’s Day. 

A Healthy New Year's Eve Alternative

Image: mamojo/Flickr.

NYRR Midnight Run. Kick off the New Year at Central Park's favorite Midnight Run! Join the fun and celebrate with music and dancing (starting at 10pm) as 2024 comes to a close. With a countdown to midnight beginning at 11:59pm, the four-mile run will begin on the stroke of midnight, as will a spectacular fireworks display to light up the night and the start of 2025. nyrr.org 

SUMMIT One Vanderbilt

Blending elements of art, technology, architecture, and thrill, SUMMIT One Vanderbilt takes the concept of an “observation deck” to new heights. This New Year's Eve, the observatory will be open for revelers from 10pm-2am. Tickets ($300) include two cocktails, an indulgent dessert bar, access to three levels of multi-sensory exploration, a live DJ, and a midnight toast.

Gorgeous Greek for New Year's

Midtown East Greek restaurant Nerai has thoughtfully curated a 5-course prix fixe menu at $175 per person this New Year's Eve. Feast on appetizing dishes such as as Black Bass Crudo, Truffle Linguini, Halibut Stifado, Grilled Lamb Loin and more.  Click here for reservations. 

New Year's in Midtown

The Fireman Hospitality Group excels at locations on the west side that run from comfort food to the heights of Italian cuisine. Across from Lincoln Center, Cafe Fiorello will be celebrating New Year's with a 5-course feast. Antipasti for the table gets things started, followed by appetizers, mains like baked stuffed lobster, Dover sole, seafood risotto, veal chop, and filet mignon. Dessert brings a choice of twin cannoli, panettone bread pudding, and Valrhona chocolate mousse. At midnight there are chocolate-covered strawberries and a champagne toast ($165 plus tax and tip.) 

With interiors inspired by a Tuscan artist’s studio, Trattoria Dell’Arte brings clever design to a vibrant spot. You’ll find a seven-course New Year's meal here, plus views of the Times Square pandemonium. A champagne toast starts things off, followed by antipasti for the table, a choice of appetizers, lobster and seafood risotto, and mains like grilled langoustine prawns, veal chop Parmigiana, prime-aged New York strip, and housemade burrata ravioli with fresh black truffle. The meal is $250 plus tax and tip and also comes with chocolate-covered strawberries, Italian Christmas cake, and a choice of cannoli, tiramisu or Valrhona chocolate mousse. Seating is at 7pm onwards.

In the heart of Midtown West, the Redeye Grill hosts a classic American brasserie scene, with polished nickel and leather, warm tones, and original Red Grooms artwork. They'll be ringing in the New Year with a five-course prix-fixe menu, views of the crowds for Times Square, and live entertainment. On the latter, you can expect burlesque starlets, jazz vocalists, and the hottest big band in New York City. Dance into the New Year with a live band and high-end variety acts. Premium seating (main dining room) is $425; upstairs/restricted view of the performers are $300, and both packages include a view of the ball drop. The meal starts with a champagne toast, smoked salmon blini with American caviar, and jumbo shrimp cocktail, followed by appetizers, mains, dessert, and a midnight champagne toast. 

Times Square’s Bond 45 serves theatre-goers, sightseers, and locals alike. They'll be hosting Broadway's longest-running New Year's Eve show. There are several levels of tickets (the performance stage is downstairs) and some packages come with an escort to view the ball drop live. The meal itself is a 5-course Italian feast! Reserve tickets here.

The Brooklyn Diner brings together some of New York’s finest vocals for New Year's Eve. Music will be performed by Broadway’s Liya Grigoryan, Josh Roberts, Billy Marshall, and Nichelle Lewis, accompanied by a jazz trip featuring Grammy-nominated trumpeter Tony Glausi. The meal is $450 per person (not including tax or tip) and features options like "a bowl of real chicken soup," lobster mac 'n' cheese, filet mignon and Maine lobster tail surf 'n' turf, prime New York strip steak, and black truffle roasted chicken.

You can also ring in the New Year at the Brooklyn Deli in the heart of Times Square. They'll have live entertainment, a 5-course prix fixe menu, and an escort to view the ball drop and all the Times Square pandemonium.  The price for the evening will be $600 plus tax and tip. The meal includes options like prime rib, poached salmon, chicken soup, and New York cheesecake.  Vintage pin-up-inspired performers The Satin Dollz are part of the fun. Drawing on the timeless classics of the '40s and '50s, you can expect performances with plenty of sizzle and sass.

Smoke Jazz Club 

SMOKE’s year-end Coltrane Festival “Countdown 2025” converges with SMOKE’s annual New Year’s Eve Celebration, a perennially popular night of music and revelry. This year an amazing lineup, the Countdown 2025 All-Stars, featuring vocalist Jazzmeia Horn, saxophonist Vincent Herring, pianist Cyrus Chestnut, bassist Yasushi Nakamura, and drummer Johnathan Blake, who will combine their considerable musical talents to ring in the New Year. A special holiday prix-fixe menu and a festive atmosphere will complement the celebration. Two seatings are offered at 7pm and 9:30pm. smokejazz.com

Superlative Steak and Seafood for New Year's

Peter Luger alumni Benjamin Prelvukaj and Chef Arturo McLeod have combined over 30 years of experience to create Benjamin Steakhouse, conveniently located near Grand Central Terminal in the century-old Chemist Club Building. Along with its usual refined Old World service and charm, Benjamin Steakhouse will be offering a New Year's Eve prix fixe. A champagne toasts begins the meal, followed by a choice of appetizers like oysters, crab cake, or sizzling Canadian bacon. Bone-in ribeye, rack of lamb, Scottish Salmon, Chilean Sea Bass,  are among the entree options. For dessert, choose from NY cheesecake, chocolate mousse cake, and tiramisu ($129 plus tax and tip). Sibling spot Benjamin Steakhouse Prime offers a similar array, also for $129 per person. 

The Sea Fire Grill does for seafood what Benjamin Steakhouse does for beef (hardly a surprise, given the same pros are behind both). For $129 per person, this year's prix fixe menu starts off with a champagne toast. Oysters, calamari, octopus, and lobster bisque are among the appetizers, while entree options include branzino, rib-eye, black squid ink spaghetti, and a surf 'n' turf with filet mignon, lobster, shrimp, and king crab. A choice of sides, dessert, and coffee or tea are included.

Havana's New Year's Eve Fiesta!

Take a tropical vacation at Havana Central. The classic Times Square spot is hosting a New Year's Eve celebration that comes with a welcome cocktail, and a five-course Cuban feast. Chips and guacamole start things off, followed by appetizer options like an empanada sampler, a house salad course, entrees like roast chicken, salmon, shredded beef, or vegetarian stuffed peppers, with rice 'n' beans and maduros on the side. Dessert is flan, churros, or tres leches cake, and there's unlimited soda, coffee, and tea. Party props, a champagne toast, and a three-hour premium open bar are part of the evening as well! Tickets are $199 + fees, 9pm-12:30am. Live music kicks things off beginning at 9pm. Book reservations here. 

New Year's Dining in Times Square

Fushimi combines the best of traditional Japanese and inventive French-inspired nouvelle cuisine, with opulent decor and exotic cocktails to match. The New Year's Eve celebration here starts with a cheese and fruit platter followed by a 4-course sit-down dinner. Among the options: seafood bisque, rotisserie chicken salad, dry-aged rib eye, braised short ribs, lobster two ways, special roll options, and a sushi and sashimi selection. The evening also comes with a 5-hour top shelf open bar, a bottle of Prosecco, and a live DJ—the party runs 9pm to 2am. $200.

Classic Italian New Year's

La Masseria in Hell's Kitchen is "a farmhouse in the middle of Manhattan," offering classic dishes from the Puglia region of Italy. This year they'll be serving a special New Year's Eve menu. (There is a 5pm seating and a 9pm one.) Pastas include homemade fresh ravioli filled with asparagus in a black truffle sauce, tube pasta in a short rib ragout, and homemade thin fettuccine with fresh lobster. Veal, lamb chops, filet mignon, and jumbo prawns are among the entrees, and desserts include chocolate almond cake, tiramisu, and panettone pudding.

Embrace Excellence

Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse features floor-to-ceiling windows with breathtaking views of Sixth Avenue and nearby Rockefeller Center. This New Year's Eve their Holiday Feature, served 12/28-12/31, will include a 38 oz. bone in New York Strip (King Cut) with Sweet Potato Casserole. $195 pp. Enjoy an indulgent dessert of pecan crumble ($19)

Ring in the New Year with Laughter at Gotham Comedy Club

We could all use a laugh this week. Gotham Comedy Club brings in the hottest comics nightly within an upscale, intimate setting in Chelsea. *On Jan. 1, 2025, it's the Gotham All Stars at 8pm.

Roaring Twenties Glamour for New Year's

Experience the Roaring Twenties with the splendor of grand ballroom chandeliers, elegant ambiance, and gracious service at Gatsby's Landing near Times Square. This New Year's Eve they'll be hosting a dinner party complete with a 5-course tasting menu, an open bar, and a champagne toast. Party hours from 7:45pm-2am. For entertainment, critically acclaimed singer Gian Faraone will perform, incorporating the Great Classics from the Golden Era. Get tickets here.

A Night of Emo and Pop Punk Downtown

Downtown has one destination for eclectic, compelling music. The programming at the East Village’s Drom runs from jazz, rock, electronic, soul, and funk to international music. This New Year's Eve they'll be hosting a Nevermore Goth Rave. DJs Jet, Swabby & Nekosiren will curate a set featuring classics from The Cramps, The Cure, Joy Division, Bauhaus, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Sisters of Mercy, The Smiths, Depeche Mode, The Cult, and more.

Jazz for New Year's

Grammy-nominated bassist and composer Carlos Henriquez Nonet returns to Dizzy’s Club with his nonet for another year-end celebration.  Treat yourself to a delicious holiday menu, unbeatable views of Columbus Circle, and a spirited set featuring tracks from Carlos' release A Nuyorican Tale. Experience an unforgettable night of new music and New Year magic!

"A Night of Stars"

Port Sa'id in the Village celebrates the New Year with “A Night of Stars.” Look for DJ sets from 11pm-4am in partnership with In Sheep’s Clothing, paying tribute to the legendary Paradise Garage with performances by Danny Krivit, Elbin Reyes, and Trevor Fox. 

HaSalon in Hell's Kitchen

HaSalon in Hell's Kitchen is planning on a New Year's Eve full of dinner and dancing. Indulge in a unique Mediterranean culinary dining experience curated by Head Chef Orianne Shapira. Enjoy a live DJ, a special midnight celebration, a classic HaSalon dance party, and a complimentary shot of Arak to ring in the New Year. Reserve your spot here. Tickets are $350 minimum spend per person.

New Year's Music

Finish out 2024 on a peaceful note at the New Year's Eve Concert for Peace, an annual concert at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. A holiday tradition for over 30 years, the Concert for Peace was founded by Leonard Bernstein as a tribute to the people of New York City. This year's music will feature a special performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony by the Cathedral Choirs and Orchestra, commemorating the 200th anniversary of the composition’s premiere.

Festive Treats at Hudson Yards-Mercado Little Spain

Mercado Little Spain from Chef José Andrés brings a celebration of all things España to Hudson Yards. Their celebration of Dia de Reyes, or Three Kings Day, will run now through Jan. 6, 2025. Mercado Little Spain is bringing back by popular demand the Roscone de Reyes cake. This sweet treat is decorated with glazed fruits. Order for pick-up now until they sell out. 

New Year's Day Swim

Image: Richard Feliciano/Flickr

Brave souls will dive into the new year at the beloved Coney Island Polar Bear Club New Year's Day Swim. Swim time is 11am, launching from the boardwalk at Stillwell Avenue. Proceeds from the day will support charity (the event is free, but pre-registration is required to swim). This will be the 122nd plunge in the club's history! polarbearclub.org