This is how to celebrate New Year’s 2023
From a romantic weekend in Paris to a Japanese festival in Tokyo.
Romantic New Year’s
Paris
Paris is one of Europe’s most popular destinations for New Year’s. It attracts couples looking for a romantic weekend as well as those looking for a family adventure or a festive trip with friends. Tourists from all over the world flock to the Champs-Élysées to enjoy the city’s crowds and colorful fireworks. If you prefer to indulge in luxury for two, there are plenty of hotels and restaurants offering sumptuous New Year’s menus, such as the exclusive Four Seasons Hotel George V or the famous Madame Brasserie restaurant inside the Eiffel Tower.
Celebrate from the top
Bangkok
If you prefer to welcome the new year in the heat, Bangkok is a great choice. Many people head to the large Central World shopping center to celebrate, where impressive firework displays are put on for the public. Another hot tip is to enjoy views of the city from a luxurious hotel terrace. Head to the 83rd floor of the exclusive Baiyoke Sky Hotel to try some delicious food and beverages with a view of colorful fireworks, or enjoy a tasty cocktail at the stunning SEEN rooftop bar. Bangkok has plenty of options for New Year’s Eve, but make sure you book early to secure your table.
Running start into the New Year
Zürich
The Swiss city of Zurich is in a party mood throughout the New Year’s celebrations. You’ll find food stalls, bars and live music in the streets—and along the waterfront, you can catch breathtaking fireworks with the other New Year’s Eve revelers. The city’s popular New Year’s Marathon is held every year at midnight so that the more athletic travelers can get their new year off to a running start.
Spectacular Japanese New Year’s celebrations
Tokyo
Few celebrate New Year’s like the Japanese, and what better place to do it than at the heart of the action—Tokyo. Here, people gather at the famous Shibuya intersection to count down to the new year, and then they head to one of Shibuya’s many nightclubs and bars where the celebrations continue until the early hours. Those who prefer to welcome the new year from a higher vantage point can visit the spectacular New Year’s Eve party on the 41st floor of the Park Hyatt hotel, where you can take in the city’s fireworks.
Times Square tradition
New York
Celebrate like in the movies, surrounded by a million visitors in the city that never sleeps. Times Square in New York is a favorite New Year’s destination for tourists from all over the world. Here, the festivities begin early in the day as people gather to secure their spot for the legendary countdown filled with music, confetti and camaraderie. If you would prefer to find a spectacular rooftop terrace to celebrate New Year’s, you’ll be spoiled for choice.
Enjoy a New Year’s concert
Prague
Prague is an outstanding choice if you’re looking for an affordable destination for New Year’s. Prague is a city packed with both culture and festivities. Along the river, people gather to count down to the new year to the rhythm of the city’s fireworks—and for those interested in culture, the legendary New Year’s concerts in Rudolfinum continue throughout New Year’s weekend.
Traditional New Year’s festival
Edinburgh
If you’re planning to visit Edinburgh, New Year’s is definitely the best time for it. Celebrations run for three days here, with the Scottish New Year’s festival Hogmanay. New Year’s concerts, torchlight processions, fireworks and skinny-dipping are just some of the highlights of the celebrations.
New Year’s at Tivoli Gardens
Copenhagen
You’ll find festivities galore in Copenhagen. Start the evening at Rådhuspladsen to hear the traditional New Year’s bells ring in the new year—or visit Tivoli Gardens, where families and friends meet for a delicious New Year’s dinner, ride on the carousel and enjoy fireworks displays late into the night. Meanwhile, several of the city’s clubs offer special New Year’s Eve packages for those who prefer to dance their way into the new year.
Text by Peggy Hansson