The 10 best New Year's Eve 2018 street parties

Don't know what to do on New Year’s Eve?

New Year’s Eve is fast approaching and if you want to book a budget holiday then check our best places to celebrate. We’ve scoured the world for the biggest celebrations, from the sultry beaches of Rio de Janeiro to London’s River Thames.

If you want iconic fireworks displays, all-night drinking or unique cultural traditions, then you’ll find all these and more below.

1) New York City

Image by Anthony Quintano (Flickr/Creative Commons)

It may seem obvious, but if there’s one New Year celebration you must experience then it’s New York. Wrap up warm and join over a million people for the spectacular fireworks display in Times Square.

If you prefer something a little more peaceful, then book a table at a city centre jazz bar or find a standing space alongside revellers in Central Park.

2) Sydney

Image by Jonathan Poh (Flickr/Creative Commons)

If you can discount Auckland in New Zealand...then Sydney will be the world’s first major city to see in 2018. With the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House making for a majestic setting, there will be over a million people watching in nearby bars, parks and street corners throughout the city.

3) Edinburgh

Image by Patrick Down (Flickr/Creative Commons)

In Edinburgh, New Year’s Eve is called ‘Hogmanay’ (which means a ‘new morning’), and revellers sing ‘Auld Lang Syne’ in massive numbers when the clock strikes midnight. If you're lucky enough to get a ticket for the Princes Street party, then you’ll experience one of the most beautiful firework displays in Europe.

4) London

Image by Chung-Yung Chiu (Flickr/Creative Commons)

If you're on holiday in London, then get down to the Thames and watch the fireworks go off over the Shard and London Eye. Millions of revellers descend upon the UK capital for NYE and this year will be no exception. The tube will be running all night so you can party all over the city once the fireworks are over.

5) Berlin

Image by Till Krech (Flickr/Creative Commons)

Berlin is famous for its 24-hour-party atmosphere, so NYE is going to be even more special. Most visitors gather around Brandenburg Gate and Victory Column to attend the “Party Mile,” a 2-kilometre drinking zone full of pop-up bars, street food stalls, laser shows, and beer tents.

6) Paris

Image by Joe deSousa (Unsplash)

The City of Light shines brightly on NYE when the Eiffel Tower is the setting. Millions of people arrive at the Champs-Élysées every year, which will be hosting a massive street party, where locals drink champagne and set off firecrackers until the early hours.

7) Rio de Janeiro

Image by PortoBay Events (Flickr/Creative Commons)

Copacabana Beach hosts the world’s biggest New Year’s Eve party, where more than two million people dance and party on the 2.5 miles long stretch of sand. With parties going on for days in some cases, Rio is undoubtedly the most life-affirming place to celebrate NYE on Planet Earth.

8) Hong Kong

Image by s tsui (Flickr/Creative Commons)

Always a colourful spectacle, Hong Kong’s skyline lights up with a dazzling display of fireworks that can be viewed for miles from the centre. If you’re staying closer to the main event, then you’re in luck as this year the finale will conclude with a pyrotechnic dragon that dances across the sky.

9) Buenos Aires

Image by Germán De Stéfano (Flickr/Creative Commons)

BA’s epic skyline explodes with noise and colour on NYE, as residents let off fireworks from balconies and terraces. There’s nowhere more fitting in Argentina to celebrate “Feliz Año Nuevo” than its crazy capital Buenos Aires.

10) New Orleans

Image by Coast Guard News (Flickr/Creative Commons)

If you want to party in the Deep South, then New Orleans fireworks show on the Mississippi River takes some beating. Afterwards, make sure you head over to Bourbon Street and the Latin Quarter, where music booms from bars and nightclubs, and the streets remain bustling until sunrise.

*Header image by gigi_nyc (Flickr/Creative Commons)