Get ready for more roaring ’20s references than you can handle. As we say goodbye to KAOS, Celine, and the glory of 2019, Las Vegas is gearing up for not only a brand new year, but a brand new decade. We’re in a time of change, but Sin City is doing what it always does on New Year’s Eve — partying hard with a variety of events all over town. The biggest spectacle is on the Strip with fireworks shooting from the rooftops of seven casinos at the stroke of midnight. Las Vegas Boulevard will be closed to traffic from Russell to Sahara, allowing pedestrians to join together in the wildest block party of the year. Yet that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Speaking of icebergs — it’s gonna be COLD out there. So plan ahead, layer up, and get familiar with the best New Year’s Eve parties in Las Vegas.
Get a killer view of the fireworks at Beer Park & Chateau
Paris Las Vegas
When partying on the Strip, it’s all about having the perfect vantage point for those midnight fireworks. Reserve your spot with a two-for-one party that includes admission to both Beer Park and Chateau, which have killer rooftop views of the Bellagio fountains across the street. A few different packages are being offered, but they all include a three-hour premium open bar 9pm-midnight.
Cost: Admission begins at $125
Channel a John Hughes movie at Sparrow + Wolf
Chinatown
Forget the ’20s. One of the best restaurants in Chinatown is throwing a “Forever ’80s Prom Party” for New Year’s Eve. The price of admission includes passed bites, a champagne toast, and live music. Dress your best. You could win a prize in a costume contest. Step outside at midnight, where the Strip fireworks should be visible from the parking lot.
Cost: $150 ($100 before December 27)
Enjoy global food and drinks from The Cocktail Collective
Venetian
The three cocktail bars that make up the Venetian Cocktail Collective are putting together their best parties of the year for New Year’s Eve — with live DJs and bottle service packages. The Dorsey will have Latin-inspired bites from Chica, while Rosina and Elektra both have a dim sum menu from Mott 32.
Cost: Packages begin at $500 for four people
Atomic Liquors features all-night drink specials
Downtown
The historic Atomic Liquors and its sister restaurant Kitchen at Atomic are having a Downtown party that kicks off early at 4pm. The new “Fallout” happy hour menu will be served all night long (in the restaurant only) with $7 cocktails, $5 wine, $6 draft beer, and a variety of food bites ranging from $8-12. A midnight toast of champagne (or Miller High Life, if that’s more your speed) is available at midnight.
Cost: Free admission
Go old-school Vegas at the Mayfair Supper Club
Bellagio
In one of the most anticipated events this winter, Mayfair Supper Club opens to the public in grand fashion on New Year’s Eve. Borrowing on vintage elements from London supper clubs and American speakeasies, the venue combines great food with old-school entertainment, complete with a three-piece jazz band, dancers, and vocalists. The costumes alone are worth the price of admission. Mayfair Supper Club overlooks the Bellagio fountains, which are expected to be in sync with at least one of the performances. Early seating is 5-7pm and includes a three-course meal. Gala seating begins at 8:30pm and includes a six course meal.
Cost: Early seating $155; gala seating $395 (call 866-906-7171 for availability and reservations)
Heighten all your senses at the massive Fremont Street Experience block party
Downtown
All five blocks of the Fremont Street Experience are reserved for “America’s Party Downtown,” the biggest off-Strip New Year’s Eve bash in Vegas. Local bands and DJs will play on four different stages with aerialists, dancers, and other performers. The big news this year is the official unveiling of the newly renovated Viva Vision overhead video canopy, which now has 3D-like effects and crystal clear LED screens. Is it worth $32 million in upgrades? Judge for yourself when it broadcasts the Times Square ball drop live at 9pm and plays a role in Vegas’ own midnight countdown, traditionally led by the mayor.
Cost: $35
See the Ice Rink transform into a speakeasy soiree
The Cosmopolitan
The rooftop ice rink is one of the best holiday activities on the Strip. Beginning at 10pm on New Year’s Eve, the venue transforms into a Prohibition-themed party with a three-hour open bar featuring Veuve Clicquot, Hennessey, and more. Enjoy live entertainment and photo stations to give your Facebook timeline a workout all night long. You’ll also have a perfect spot for catching the fireworks.
Cost: $250
Get over your fear of heights with an open bar
The Strat
If you really want to celebrate without limitations, the parties near the top of the 1,149-foot-tall Strat will not only have views of the Strip, but anything else going on in the surrounding Las Vegas Valley. Head to the 108th floor for the “108 Party in the Sky” 9:30pm-12:30am with three-hour open bar, DJs, food from Top of the World, and a midnight toast. 107 Sky Lounge has an open bar 10pm-midnight with a cash food menu, DJ, and bottle service packages. Top of the World restaurant is taking reservations 10pm-midnight for fireworks dinner seating with a six-course prix fixe menu, complimentary glass of champagne, cash bar, and free admission to the “108 Party in the Sky.”
Cost: 108 Party in the Sky $265, 107 Sky Lounge $199 (plus bottle service packages), Top of the World $299
Enjoy EDM without the pricey ticket at Bailiwick
The Orleans
Not everybody wants to blow a paycheck on New Year’s Eve. The Bailiwick has an open bar, small bites, and DJ Kyd Wicked cranking as much EDM as you can handle for a relatively affordable entry fee. Don’t forget to make a detour to the photo booth. The Orleans is close enough to the Strip to feel like an experience, but with more parking and less traffic. Call 702-365-7337 to reserve tickets.
Cost: All-inclusive tickets begin at $57
Sip all-you-can-drink tequila at Cabo Wabo Cantina
Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood
Bring some south-of-the-border attitude to your New Year’s celebration. General admission at Cabo Wabo Cantina includes access to the Strip-side patio with all you can drink. VIP tickets include upgraded patio seating, all you can drink, and a choose-your-own three-course meal. Private parties can also be booked in The Loft upstairs, beginning at $125 per person. No matter what you choose, we’re pretty sure tequila will be involved. Email the restaurant for availability and reservations.
Cost: General admission begins at $200, VIP begins at $500
Enjoy the Magical Forest and then turn in early
West Valley
Make an early night of it and get the kids to bed before midnight. The Magical Forest is already full of holiday cheer with rides, games, and entertainment — but New Year’s Eve also has a sparkling apple cider toast, ball drop, and fireworks show at 9pm.
Cost: $20 (kids 13 and under free)
Combine Cantonese cuisine and club vibes at Hakkasan
MGM Grand
Have a Cantonese-influenced prix fixe meal within the moody and seductive dining room of Hakkasan Restaurant. The night begins with a glass of Louis Roederer Brut Premier champagne and continues with high-end fare like Peking Duck, wok-seared Australian Ribeye, and elevated dim sum. (If you want to skip the meat, a vegetarian version of the menu is also available.) Seatings are 5pm and 7pm. If you want the party to continue, make your way to Hakkasan Nightclub next door after your meal wraps up.
Cost: $108 at 5pm, $158 at 7pm (with $88 add-on for optional wine pairings)
Why not have a hockey brunch?
The Strip
For some Las Vegans, New Years’ Eve isn’t about staying up late on the Strip. It’s about catching the Golden Knights at the T-Mobile Arena with an early noon game against the Anaheim Ducks. Hyde Lounge, the nightclub at the top of the arena, will serve a special holiday brunch with beer-infused donuts, French toast skewers, breakfast flatbreads, and other bites. An open bar with wine, champagne, and 7FIVE beer (from the Knights’ own Ryan Reaves) is part of the deal.
Cost: $92
Indulge in late-night snacks and drinks at PT’s Taverns
Multiple Locations
The locals-oriented chain of PT’s Taverns really wants you to stay up late on New Year’s Eve. Once the clock strikes midnight, everyone will get a complimentary champagne toast and then $4 Jameson shots and half-off pizzas until 6am. The happy hour menu runs midnight to 2am with half-off select wine, beer, cocktails, and bar bites. The deal is good at all 66 locations under the PT’s umbrella.
Cost: Free admission
Break out your rainbow gear for a unicorn party
New York-New York
Tom’s Urban is hosting a colorful Unicorn Candyland celebration with premium open bar, passed small bites, and a buffet. When midnight rolls around, you’ll have the perfect spot to watch the fireworks on the Strip — just steps away from New York-New York’s Brooklyn Bridge replica.
Cost: $150
Surround yourself with neon at these town Downtown bars
Downtown
Gold Spike and Inspire are teaming up again for the 5th annual Escape Masquerade. For the price of admission, you can travel back and forth between the two Downtown bars while enjoying DJs, dancing, and a three-hour open bar from 8-11pm. (If that’s not enough, head to nearby sister club Corduroy, which is holding a free admission “Black Tee Affair” with a complimentary Moscow Mule toast at midnight.)
Cost: $70 (early-bird general admission is $15 without open bar)
Treat yourself at Cipriani
Wynn Plaza
Cipriani, an Italian restaurant with deep roots in Venice, is serving a four-course prix fixe menu based on pure indulgence. Dishes include sauteed Maine lobster, Wagyu beef tartare, egg-yolk ravioli with shaved white truffles, and a whole lot more. Contact the restaurant for reservations and details: 702-342-9600.
Cost: $350
Rail Explorers
Courtesy of Rail Explorers
Ride the rails under the desert stars
Boulder City
Now for something completely different. Rail Explorers has a special New Year’s Eve tour at 7pm that includes hot apple cider, fireside s’mores, and a four-mile trip down the railroad tracks in a small car you pedal yourself. Don’t worry, you’re not sharing the path with any locomotives.
You’ll return to the Nevada State Railroad Museum — one of the best spots for learning about cool stuff — in time to watch a broadcast of the Times Square ball drop at 9pm. After that, you’re on your own.
Cost: $85 for two people
Wolf down Korean and Japanese bites
Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood
Yeah, the Miracle Mile Shops are a sprawling mess, but Chosun Hwaro and Nara Teppan (sister restaurants in one large space) are next to a quick exit to the Strip, making it easy to duck out at midnight to see the fireworks. Meanwhile, you can wolf down all the Korean and Japanese bites you like, served banquet style, with an open bar and DJ. The event runs on the late side, from 9pm to 3am.
Cost: Tickets begin at $154.99
Chris Wessling
Courtesy of Chris Wessling
Really embrace the ’20s at the Mob Museum
Downtown
A lot of people are doing the speakeasy thing for New Year’s Eve this year, but nobody does it quite like the Underground — a Prohibition-style bar and lounge in the basement of the Mob Museum. Enjoy classic cocktails done right, food specials, and live jazz. Ask about the house-distilled moonshine.
Cost: Open bar $75
Transport yourself to Venice at La Strega
Summerlin
La Strega — one of the best new restaurants of the year in Las Vegas (in fact, one of the best new restaurants in the U.S.) — is throwing a Venetian-inspired carnival for New Year’s Eve. The “Carnevale della Strega” gets underway at 8pm with a special five-course menu featuring a choice of Spanish turbot or Wagyu rib cap for the main dish. Expect a festive atmosphere with a champagne toast at midnight.
Cost: $200
High Roller
Courtesy of High Roller
Get the absolute best view of the Vegas fireworks
The LINQ
One of the best places to be during the Strip fireworks show is on the 550-foot-tall High Roller observation wheel. Packages include a pre-party at 10pm on the ground (with open bar and passed apps) before boarding your cabin and soaking in sky-high 360-degree views of Las Vegas with a champagne toast at midnight.
Cost: Packages begin at $350
The Plaza
Courtesy of The Plaza
Wear your best Gatsby garb to win a hotel stay
The Plaza
Oscar’s Steakhouse, named in honor of former mayor, mob lawyer, and awesome storyteller Oscar Goodman, is throwing a 1920s-themed celebration with a midnight champagne toast. Whoever wears the best vintage costume wins a two-night suite vacation at the Plaza and $250 in dining credit at Oscar’s. The Plaza also has the only Downtown fireworks show at midnight, although you may have to step outside for a better vantage point.
Cost: Free admission
Feel tres chic at the Waldorf Astoria
The Strip
The SkyBar has more than floor-to-ceiling window views of the Strip for watching the fireworks. It also has a burlesque-themed holiday party featuring champagne from Moet & Chandon. For a complete evening, also book a dinner at Twist, where Chef Pierre Gagnaire will be on hand to present an extravagant French four-course dinner at 5:30 or 6pm. An even more decadent six-course dinner will be served at 8, 8:30, or 9pm.
Cost: Tickets are $200 ($150 in advance with discounts for hotel guests and Hilton club members), dinner at Twist is $375 for three courses with a $140 wine pairing and $650 for six courses with a $235 wine pairing
Skyfall Lounge
Courtesy of Skyfall Lounge
Go 64 floors up at the Delano
The Strip
With views of the entire Strip from the 64th floor of the Delano tower, Skyfall Lounge is the perfect spot for having a few cocktails and catching the New Year’s Eve fireworks in their full glory. The party begins at 9pm, but if you prefer a full dinner reservation, visit Alain Ducasse’s Rivea next door on the same floor for either an early three-course meal beginning at 5pm or a gala five-course meal beginning at 9pm.
Cost: Skyfall’s two-hour open bar package begins at $250, Rivea is $125 for early seating and $295 for gala seating
Break out your bell-bottoms and party at Honey Salt
Summerlin
The rustic west valley restaurant is throwing a “Studio 54 Disco Party” with a four-course meal, a DJ, champagne welcome cocktail, and giveaways. The main course is a choice between Snake River Farms Wagyu striploin, miso black cod, or black truffle tagliatelle.
Cost: $84 (with an optional $39 wine pairing)
Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga | Courtesy of Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
See live performances from Gaga, Lizzo, and Journey
The Strip
The demand is strong in Vegas for New Year’s Eve concerts, whether it’s touring acts or resident headliners. Top shows include Lady Gaga doing a special Jazz + Piano show at the Park Theater ($249 and up), Lizzo at the Chelsea inside the Cosmopolitan ($99 and up), Maroon 5 continuing a string of annual New Year’s Eve shows at the Mandalay Bay Events Center ($79.50 and up), Ozuna at the Pearl inside the Palms ($50 and up), Journey at the Caesars Palace Colosseum ($91 and up), Christina Aguilera at Zappos Theater inside Planet Hollywood ($40 and up), Paula Abdul at the Flamingo Showroom ($89 and up), and Third Eye Blind at the House of Blues inside Mandalay Bay ($55 and up).
Cost: Prices vary
Drai’s
Courtesy of Drai’s
Do Vegas NYE properly at a nightclub
The Strip
The biggest night for any nightclub in Las Vegas is New Year’s Eve. Drai’s on the rooftop of the Cromwell has Future and two glasses of champagne included ($150 and up), Calvin Harris performs at Omnia at Caesars Palace ($150 and up), On the Record at Park MGM has DJ Samantha Ronson with open bar from 9-11pm and a champagne toast ($50 and up), Steve Aoki headlines Hakkasan with an open bar from 8-10pm at the MGM Grand ($79.69 and up), the Chainsmokers continue their residency at XS at Encore ($50 and up), Jewel at the Aria has Tyga and open bar from 9-11pm ($53.09 and up), Lil Jon is at 1OAK at the Mirage with open bar from 9-11pm ($54.04 and up), Mustard performs at Marquee inside the Cosmopolitan with three hours of hors d’oeuvres and a two-hour open bar ($75 and up), NAS is at Tao at the Venetian with a two-hour open bar and a champagne toast ($75 and up), and T-Pain takes the stage at Light inside Mandalay Bay with open bar from 9-11pm ($50 and up).
Cost: See above
Zuma Las Vegas
Zuma Las Vegas
Dine on omakase for New Year’s Eve
The Cosmopolitan
Hungry for Japanese? You’ve got two choices at Zuma: a premium selection with sushi, sashimi, Alaskan King crab, Ribeye, pork belly, tuna tartare, and more. Or an ultra-indulgent Dom Perignon omakase with a few takes on A5 Japanese Wagyu, Iberico pork, and other one-night-only dishes.
Cost: Premium omakase $295, Dom Perignon exclusive omakase $445
Skip the Strip for a party at a locals’ bar
Multiple locations
Party like a local and skip the hassle of navigating the Strip with Distill or Remedy’s. Between these two sister concepts, you’ve got 11 bars around the valley for celebrating New Year’s Eve. Each location will have a DJ, drinks, party favors, and a champagne toast at midnight. Six new locations were added in 2019 alone, so a hot NYE bash may be closer to home than you may realize.
Cost: Free admission
