It doesn’t matter whereabouts in the world you live, you can always celebrate New Year’s Eve. Depending on your location, you might get the chance to celebrate before everybody else. These are some of the top spots for New Year’s Eve celebrations.
1. New York City, New York, USA
Times Square is definitely the place to be in New York City on New Year’s Eve and has been ever since 1907 when the celebrations originated here at One Times Square. Celebrants flock into the region from 42nd and 47th streets Seventh Avenue and Broadway. They start arriving in the early afternoon and don’t leave until the New Year’s Eve ball has dropped after the countdown. The ball itself is filled with close to 1000 crystal triangles that are lit up and it drops down onto the anxious crowd from a height of 70 feet.
2. London, England
The New Year is traditionally rung in by Big Ben as its bells ring at the stroke of midnight. Once the bells start ringing the city of London is lit up with a traditional colorful fireworks display that shoot up into the sky behind the famous London Eye. You’ll get the best view of the show from the Victoria Embankment as well as on the Westminster and Waterloo bridges, which will be pedestrian-only areas after 6 p.m.
3. Sydney, Australia
Because Sydney is located west of the world’s International Date Line it’s one of the first nations to celebrate the New Year. In fact, when it’s midnight in Sydney it’s still 8 a.m. in New York. The huge celebrations in Sydney usually attract a million or more people to them. You’ll be able to witness asensational fireworks display at the harbor, with fireworks being set off from some of the city’s skyscrapers as well as the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
4. Ecuador
In Ecuador, residents celebrate the New Year by creating effigies that are known as anos viejos, which means old years. The stuffed, straw dummies have masks made out of papier mache and are usually stuffed with firecrackers. They actually represent events and people from the past year. Often times they’re made to resemble some of the nation’s more unpopular political leaders. The effigies are burned at midnight while the New Year is welcomed.
5. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Millions of people get together every New Year’s Eve at Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach to witness one of the world’s best pyrotechnic displays. The fireworks are launched from a series of barges, with each one of them having over 1,000 fireworks onboard. The celebration is named Reveillon and the colorful fireworks explode in the dark sky high above the famous beach. There are also stages set up in the stand where live entertainers perform throughout the night.
6. Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
The Strip is closed down to traffic on New Year’s Eve as the city celebrates with a huge street party. When midnight falls there’s a fascinating fireworks display. Over on Fremont Street you’ll be able towatch live entertainment while the fireworks ring in the New Year.
7. Paris, France
In Paris, most people head over to the Eiffel Tower on New Year’s Eve. Fireworks explode in the sky at midnight and the city is more vibrant than usual, especially on the Champs-Élyseés. If you’d like to try something a little different you can try the Sacre Coeur Cathedral in the Montmartre district. You’ll get an unbelievable view of the city from here.
8. Edinburgh, Scotland
In Scotland, there’s a four-day celebration known as Hogmanay. One of the best places to celebrate is in Edinburgh where there’s a torchlight procession and huge street party with dancing and music. Of course, there’s also a fireworks display at midnight above Edinburgh Castle.
9. Seattle, Washington, USA
Seattle’s Space Needle attracts thousands of revelers every New Year’s Eve as the elevators on the tower rise from the base to the top while the midnight countdown takes place. Once the elevators hit the peak the fireworks explode all over the place making the tower look like a huge sparkler.
