The best places in the US to celebrate New Year's Eve

New Year's Eve is one of those holidays that people either can’t wait to go big for, sparkles and all, or it’s the perfect excuse to stay home with family in front of the television, preferably in sweats. Whatever your celebratory vibe, there’s a destination to suit – and likely a giant something to drop – across the USA.

If you’re looking to head somewhere new this New Year’s, try one of our US staff’s top recommendations to ring in 2026.

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1. San Diego, California 

Best for late-night parties and sunny beaches
Recommended by Acacia Gabriel, Associate Editor 

In San Diego, you can wake up on New Year’s Day and take a long walk by the ocean (or, more likely, rot on the sand). Odds are that it will be sunny and beautiful, which is my favorite way to bring in the new year! 

As for New Year’s Eve, you can watch the fireworks display in Downtown San Diego, hit the clubs in Gaslamp or cruise around the bay on a yacht. If you like house and techno music, get tickets to the CRSSD Festival that takes over Petco Park. Past lineups featured artists like John Summit and Chris Lake, and dancing goes all night long. 

2. New Orleans, Louisiana

Best for live music
Recommended by Chamidae Ford, Digital Editor

I don’t think anywhere knows how to party quite like New Orleans. Between dimly lit jazz bars overflowing with music, the famed and rowdy Bourbon Street, where the party never seems to fully stop and ending the year on the right foot with the best meal of your life, what more could you ask for? 

I love New Orleans; the food, architecture and energy are all fantastic, and the city during New Year's Eve is another level of magical. Check out Jackson Square for block party-esque energy, which will be filled with live music and followed by fireworks over the Mississippi River. Or if you prefer to get outside the French Quarter, opt for a night at Tipitina’s and ring in the new year with the funk band Galactic. Alternatively, you can make a visit to Maple Leaf, a venue that features local bands, which is right next door to my favorite restaurant, Jaques-Imo’s.

3. A ski resort in Colorado

Best for crowd-free slopes
Recommended by Sarah Stocking, Digital Editor

Every year, my entire family goes to a mountain cabin near Breckenridge, Colorado, for a week after Christmas, and it is glorious. While slopes do tend to be crowded surrounding the holidays, New Year's Eve and New Year’s Day are, dare I say, calm? We always host a NYE get-together for each other on the night of, complete with surf and turf dinner and then snuggle by the fire together to ring in the new year while we pray to start the year with knee-deep powder. But even if we aren’t blessed by Üller (god of snow), there is something about being all bundled up together in a cozy cabin that feels like just the right way to start the year.

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4. Southport, North Carolina

Best for a lowkey getaway
Recommended by Rachel Lewis, Senior Social Media Manager

On the rare occasion that I leave my home for NYE, I like to keep it pretty lowkey. Here in Wilmington, North Carolina, that’s tricky; I’ve spent enough wild ball drops in crowded, buzzy downtown bars for my liking, thank you. If you find yourself on the East Coast or in North Carolina for the holidays, might I point you toward Southport? Yeah, it’s mostly known for being a beautiful, quiet place where gorgeous movies have been filmed beachside (A Walk to Remember, anyone?), but that’s precisely the vibe I like to bring into the new year. Stroll the waterfront, snack on seafood at Provision or Fishy Fishy, and maybe catch the fireworks (keep an eye on the events cal).

5. Times Square, New York City

Best for going all out
Recommended by Deepa Lakshmin, Director of Social Media

I’ve lived in Manhattan for nearly 12 years and have celebrated New Year’s Eve locally for the majority of that time, and joining the thick Times Square crowd has always been a hard pass for me – until now. One Times Square, the 26-story skyscraper donning the world-famous crystal ball, is freshly renovated with a slew of new tours and immersive exhibits that make it a year-round tourist attraction. But even as a local, when I saw that the ball itself will be open to the public this year for the first time ever, I thought, this might be the one thing I’ll go to Times Square for. 

I can’t definitively say whether or not it’s worth going, because the building hasn’t opened its doors yet, but I’m certainly intrigued. There will be a dedicated viewing deck, and with a premium ticket, you’ll get to put your own personalized Waterford crystal on the ball and take another crystal home with you. Call me a sucker for souvenirs, but that is way cooler than a fridge magnet.

6. Nashville, Tennessee

Best for a honky tonk experience
Recommended by Ann Douglas Lott, Digital Editor

Nashville locals tend to avoid Lower Broadway, much like New Yorkers do Times Square. But I’ll admit as a visitor that my favorite New Year's Eve memory was at one of those ticketed honky tonk bar events on that main downtown stretch. You’ve really got to lean into having a big night out. Almost all the major bars are three or four stories tall, and there are usually balconies and rooftops involved, giving you plenty of space to admire Broadway’s neon lights. Many events are ticketed – we bought ours early for Nashville Underground and scored a (fairly) reasonable deal. If you want a more local experience, Nashville-based editor Sarah Stocking recommends checking out smaller bars in East Nashville, like The 5 Spot, or Dee's Country Lounge over in Madison.

Also, Nashville has its own spin on the famous Times Square ball drop: a giant music note drops at midnight at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, the finale to Jack Daniel’s New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash. Arrive early to enjoy some free big-name music performances; Lainey Wilson and Jason Aldean are headliners for 2026.

7. Austin, Texas

Best for outdoor celebrations
Recommended by Josephine Boulware, Email Associate

As a native Austinite, you can’t get more Austin than ringing in the new year at Auditorium Shores, an urban park right next to Lady Bird Lake with incredible views of the Austin skyline. Each year, the city celebrates with live music, local food vendors and fireworks. If you’re feeling brave and really want to commit, you can participate in the annual NYE Polar Bear Plunge at Barton Springs Pool. 

Alternatively, New Year's is a great time to enjoy festivities at favorite Austin establishments. There’s no shortage – but Devil May Care and The Roosevelt Room always celebrate in style, while Hotel Vegas and Kitty Cohen’s are perfect for dive bar lovers.

8. Mobile, Alabama

Best for quirky traditions
Recommended by Ann Douglas Lott

Growing up in Alabama, we’d always watch the Times Square ball drop on TV at 11pm CST, leaving time for a second opportunity to officially ring in the new year, which takes place in Mobile at midnight CST. In classic Mobile fashion, the port city drops a gigantic MoonPie at midnight. 

If you’re unfamiliar with this very Southern snack, it consists of two round graham crackers and a marshmallow filling dipped in chocolate or other flavored coatings – a s’more on the go, if you will. Mobile holds the award as its largest consumer after it rose in popularity at a treat to throw in Mardi Gras parades as early as the 1940s (MoonPies are way softer than Cracker Jack boxes). So, it’s only fitting that MoonPie Over Mobile is still going strong for its 18th year. It’s an all-day affair, this year including a Mardi Gras umbrella decorating contest, brass band performances, a second line parade and the cutting (and eating) of the world’s largest MoonPie.

9. Seattle, Washington

Best for dance parties and fireworks
Recommended by Chamidae Ford

Don't let the gloomy weather deter you, Seattle glitters on New Year's Eve. As a city that spends its winters coping with never-ending drizzle, Seattleites are always extra keen for a good time. Take it from someone born and raised in the area: I have spent many New Year's out enjoying the festivities as long as they will let me. 

Get lost in the chaos of Capitol Hill, lined with bars and 20-somethings looking to ring in the new year and discover their midnight kiss at the other side of the room. Wildrose, Pony and Unicorn are all beloved favorites. For a ticketed good time, Neumos is known for its lively dance parties. If fun for the family is more of what you are looking for, head to the Space Needle to watch the fireworks show when the clock strikes midnight, or better yet, head to Gas Works Park for a panoramic view of the city and enjoy the midnight explosions from a relaxing distance.