Best New Year’s Eve events and things to do in London

London’s iconic New Year’s Eve fireworks will once again take over the skies above the Thames, waving goodbye to 2024 and welcoming in 2025 with a bang. The end of year show by the river is one of the biggest in the world, with people rushing to buy tickets from October to see tens of thousands of pyrotechnics light up the city landmarks by the Thames. Ticket holders will be allocated one of a series of viewing areas to see the sparkles, which stretch from Victoria Embankment to Westminster Bridge and Waterloo Bridge. 

If you want a river-side seat you better look sharp. The first release of tickets is already on sale, with tickets expected to go quickly. If you’re keen to bag a spot, read our guide on how to get tickets. But, if you do end up missing out on tickets, don’t fret. Head to your nearest hill or just whack on BBC1 and watch it with a selection box. 

Sign up on the Mayor of London website to get updates on tickets. 

RECOMMENDED: Our full guide to celebrating New Year in London.

London boasts some impressive backdrops to its ice rinks, but few are as steeped in history as Hampton Court Palace. As you slip and slide around the ice, you can gaze up at Henry VIII’s sixteenth-century pad and wonder what he’d make of all this, or just keep your eye out for any of the palace’s rumoured ghosts. Even better, this rink is next to the Thames, so you can pretend you’re gliding down the river as you skate. As well as imagination-fuelling, the spot is also family-friendly, with skate aids available for kids if you book in advance. Head to the café after to warm up with hot chocolate, mulled wine and mince pies.  

Don't fancy hitting the party this NYE but still want to get out and have a good time? Winter Wonderland will be rocking on December 31, with all its festive fun still going for a few more days. Take the kids for some thrills on the fairground, or have a more adult time at the German-style Bavarian Village, where you can sink a stein or two.

Get lit in a different way this NYE at Christmas at Kew, a humongous light trail that takes over the 300-acre botanic garden. See the space lit up with larger-than-life illuminations, with both the venue’s glass houses and the trees that cover its grounds drenched in different hues. The whole thing is stunning, but don’t miss the lake, where you’ll catch reflections of the vibrant bulbs dancing on the water, taking the magical feeling to another level.  Keep yourself toasty along the way with warming winter snacks. 

Classical music impresario Raymond Gubbay presents his annual handpicked selection of music for the festive season. On New Year's Eve, the London Contemporary Orchestra will be showcasing the music of two of Hollywood's finest composers, Hans Zimmer and John Williams. All set to take place in the Barbican's lovely hall, these musical picks are a classy way to spend the last evening of the year. 

Keep your Christmas going for just a little bit longer at this immersive dive bar. Go for a pint or two with the man in red in his favourite boozer, and join Mr Claus in rounds of games, sing-a-longs, live performances, storytelling and more. It’s all threaded together with a mission to cheer a weary Santa up and help him rekindle his Christmas spirit. Humbug’s 2024 return will include a shrine to the queen of Christmas Mariah Carey, a beer can bowling alley, a grotto and cabaret from the venue’s regular cast. Saving the festive season never sounded so fun.

There are few better antidotes to the cold of winter than heaps of delicious, gooey melted cheese and piping hot mulled drinks. At Jimmy Garcia’s Fire And Fromage pop-up, you get to enjoy all that – plus gingerbread, boozy hot chocs and marshmallows – from the comfort of the cosy raclette bar or, if you’re feeling fancy, your own heated igloo on the South Bank. Stuff your face with unlimited raclette and soak up the pretty views of the Thames twinkling under festive lights. Gorgeous.

Trying to find a good spot to watch the NYE fireworks along the Thames can be a hassle. You’ve got to get down early, jostle for space and then stay there til the big show is over. Uber Boat by Thames Clipper is offering a much less stressful and much more luxurious way to witness the spectacle this year, with special New Year’s Eve cruises. The package includes a sail down the river, a welcome glass of red or white wine or a soft drink when you board, plus a glass of Champers to toast with at midnight, live music and a yummy snack box to keep hunger at bay. The cruises set sail from various points of the river, including Tilbury, Gravesend, Barking, North Greenwich, Putney, Battersea Power Station and Canary Wharf.

The Lost Estate’s long-running seasonal show The Great Christmas Feast plunges visitors into Victorian London on Christmas Eve 1843, into the heart of Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol. For the hefty ticket prices you’ll be treated to a performance of the tale, which combines theatre and music, and served up a three-course Victorian feasting menu (think confit duck, terrine and plum pudding ice cream). There’s also a Victorian-themed cocktail menu featuring such concoctions as the ‘Smoking Bishop’ and a shareable ‘Party House Punch’. 

Start working on your stamina now – The Cause’s New Year’s Eve extravaganza spans 16 hours. The line-up is still under wraps at the time of writing but it promises to be fittingly huge, given the venue’s stellar rep for putting on some of the best parties in the capital.

Want to ring in 2025 in style? The Langham’s cocktail bar Artesian is throwing a shindig that should fit the bill. Its New Year’s Eve party promises ‘sophisticated cocktails’, free-flowing champagne, canapés and late night snacks. The whole thing will be soundtracked by DJs who’ll be trying to keep you on the dancefloor until well after the midnight bells toll.

Coq d’Argent’s New Year’s Eve bash is stuffed with goodness. Come for the six-course tasting menu that includes tasty French cuisine, like champignon sauvage, fletan and petits fours, stay for the private fireworks display and live music and dancing. If you want to join the party but can’t justify £175 for a big dinner, the restaurant is doing £50 bar tickets so you can still be part of the fun but not break the bank.

Get ready to dance this NYE. At Cirque Du Soul’s biggest-ever event in the capital, Young Marco and Special Request will be taking over the decks and making sure the dancefloor keeps moving well beyond midnight. Be warned: although this party will be bumping until 4am, last entry is at 11pm, so plan accordingly.

As you’d expect from the enduringly popular Kisstory brand, this NYE party is all about the  ‘best old skool & anthems’. DJs dropping crowd-pleasers on the night are under wraps right now, but expect big names from the R&B and garage world. 

What were you doing as the clock struck midnight on December 31 1988? Can’t remember or (god forbid) too young to remember? The Big Penny Social is giving you the chance to relive it with its evening of tunes from the era. Expect a DJ set from Soul II Soul legend Jazzie B, a Whitney Houston tribute act with a live band, curling lanes, a music quiz and a Bullseye fancy dress darts competition. As usual, there’ll be plenty of Big Penny brews being poured, with the party going until 2am. Sounds like a banging way to say goodbye to the last 12 months. 

If your perfect NYE involves a sit-down dinner and a banging soundtrack, look no further than Claro at St James’s. The Eastern Mediterranean restaurant will be serving up some of its signature dishes, including winter squash steak and wild mushroom gnocchi, but will also have a DJ on hand to keep the atmosphere high throughout the night.