The ideas for a last-minute New Year's Eve
Still no plans? Here are some suggestions for celebrating the night of Dec. 31
G-Club
December 16th, 2024
December 16th, 2024
Christmas is almost here, and New Year’s Eve is just around the corner. Inevitably, once we’re past the exchange of gifts and the Panettone feast, we face the age-old question: “What are you doing for New Year’s Eve?”. In reality, this question starts to haunt us as early as November, often met with long silences or the generic “I haven’t decided yet.” The luckiest ones boast about plane tickets to exotic destinations and faraway trips with luxurious hotel stays. Others opt for the classic dinner-club combo, alternating lentils and cotechino with wild dancing at the coolest venues, while those unwilling to feel obligated to celebrate prefer to skip the party hats, slip into pajamas, and go to bed well before midnight. Some will stay with family, spending time with salmon appetizers, nougat, bingo, and card games like Burraco. And the rest? They just want to enjoy a pleasant evening with friends and loved ones—but how? Many, just over a week away from the big night, are still uncertain about what to do and how to spend December 31st. Put on your sparkliest outfit and get inspired by one of our last-minute New Year’s Eve suggestions.
New Year’s Eve in the Square (with music)
The most classic and budget-friendly way to celebrate New Year’s Eve is to head to the square to watch the fireworks and bid farewell to 2024 among the crowd. From small towns to large cities, every place has its own traditions and rituals, but increasingly, these events turn into full-fledged concerts where you can listen to your favorite artist while enjoying the company of friends and strangers alike. You can easily have dinner at home and then join the crowd in the square. The only downside? The cold. Our advice is to go for thermal clothing and a warm overcoat, without forgetting a scarf, gloves, and hat. Are you curious who will be playing where this New Year’s Eve so you can perhaps organize a little trip? Here’s a small list:
- Rome, Circus Maximus: Mahmood and Mara Sattei
- Ancona, Piazza Pertini: Natalie Imbruglia
- Modena, Largo Sant’Agostino: Skin
- Genoa, Piazza De Ferrari: La Rappresentante di Lista, Alessandra Amoroso, and Ex-Otago
- Naples, Piazza del Plebiscito: Loredana Bertè and many others
- Olbia, Molo Brin: Pinguini Tattici Nucleari
- Salerno, Piazza della Libertà: Giorgia
- Palermo, Piazza Politeama: Biagio Antonacci
- Alghero, Piazzale della Pace: Negramaro
- Parma, Piazza Garibaldi: Colapesce and Dimartino
- Cosenza, Piazza dei Bruzi: Achille Lauro
- Rimini, Piazza Malatesta: Vinicio Capossela
- Turin, Piazza Castello: Morcheeba, Rose Villain, and Malika Ayane
- Pescara, Ex Area di Risulta: Subsonica
- Castelsardo, Piazza Pianedda: Elodie and Irama
- Oristano, Piazza Roma: Gaia
New Year’s Eve in the Mountains
There are many ways to enjoy New Year’s Eve in the mountains, all of which carry an irresistible charm thanks to the fairy-tale snowy landscapes that immediately create a magical atmosphere. Sports lovers can spend their days climbing, hiking in nature, or skiing; those seeking relaxation can experience a dream vacation with spa treatments, wellness centers, and delicious local cuisine, while couples dreaming of a romantic getaway can enjoy luxurious hotels with every comfort, crackling fireplaces to snuggle by, and cozy chalets in the woods for a setting straight out of Virgin River. Just pick your destination—the Alps or the Dolomites—book a last-minute trip, pack that après-ski look you haven’t had a chance to show off yet, and take advantage of the many offers and special packages from various retreats. Need an example? The Faloria Mountain SPA Resort in Cortina d’Ampezzo is a must-visit during the holidays, with its 1,000-square-meter spa, Chef Giovanni Gagliardo’s cuisine, outdoor activities, and a location nestled among the Dolomites. Looking for an enchanting atmosphere? Try the Parkhotel Holzner, just minutes by cable car from Bolzano’s city center, where you can shop and stroll through the stalls at the Christmas Market, before returning to the hotel for relaxing quiet and moments of deep wellness at the Liberty Spa. For New Year’s Eve, guests can enjoy a sumptuous aperitif, a gourmet multi-course menu, dancing, champagne, games, and entertainment. Prefer not to spend December 31st indoors? Try one of the many nighttime snowshoe hikes available across Italy, such as the New Year’s Eve snowshoe hike in Bardonecchia, where adventurers trek through the snowy Val di Susa landscape to reach a lodge and celebrate midnight with panettone and sparkling wine.
New Year's Eve: Visit a Nearby City
From art cities to seaside destinations, all the way to medieval villages, Italy offers countless opportunities to celebrate in style. An interesting idea could be taking a short trip to a city or town near where we live, dedicating the entire day to discovering places and traditions we don't yet know. For example, Naples is a perfect destination for December 31st, with its indulgent dishes, characteristic views, and its famous fireworks display along the seafront of Via Caracciolo. These are accompanied by many parties animating the city, including the celebration in Piazza Plebiscito featuring Loredana Bertè and many other artists. Or perhaps we live near Venice but never go? This could be the perfect opportunity to get lost among the calli (Venetian alleys), stopping from one bacaro (traditional Venetian tavern) to another for a glass of wine, an aperitif, or a snack, before reaching Piazza San Marco for the midnight countdown, fireworks, and the traditional exchange of passionate kisses as a good luck gesture for the New Year. For those looking for something different, a romantic dinner on a boat cruising through Venice's canals is a perfect choice.
New Year's Eve at the Spa
No painful high heels, tight dresses, or hours spent standing in the cold to see fireworks. For those seeking a unique and regenerating New Year's Eve focused on relaxation, wellness, and pampering, a spa is the ideal option. The best way to leave behind the negativity and stress of 2024 is to forget problems for a few hours and indulge in swimming pools, hydromassage, saunas, luxurious scrubs, oriental massages, exfoliating treatments with essential oils and grape seed oil, aromatherapy rituals, and exclusive face and body treatments. Many resorts with wellness centers and spas have created packages specifically for December 31st, combining festive dinners and toasts with top-tier beauty treatments. For example, Monticello SPA in Lecco province will celebrate New Year's Eve at the Wellness Park, starting with a rich aperitif at the Pool Bar, followed by a buffet dinner, DJ sets, and themed games, ending with the traditional midnight toast in the indoor pools. The experience also includes, optionally, exclusive wellness ceremonies or a rejuvenating massage. At Bagni di Pisa Palace & Thermal Spa, there’s a New Year’s Eve Gala featuring an elegant aperitif, refined dinner, midnight toast, and live music. The following day begins the New Year with a lavish brunch, massages, saunas, Turkish baths, and all the best the spa has to offer.
New Year's Eve at the Theater
A New Year's Eve filled with art and entertainment? Italy’s many theaters offer it all: from period farces to murder mystery dinners, from comedy shows to thought-provoking monologues, and from ballets to musicals. For example, on December 31st, 2024, the Teatro alla Scala in Milan will present a Christmas classic: The Nutcracker by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Classical music will also shine at La Fenice Theater with the traditional New Year’s Concert in Venice, conducted by Daniel Harding. The program includes immortal works by Rossini, Verdi, Puccini, Beethoven, and Bizet, concluding with the unmissable Traviata. Those who prefer something “more easy” can attend the theatrical version of Dirty Dancing, showing until January 6th, 2025, at the Teatro Carcano in Milan. Fans of crime stories, on the other hand, can turn into detectives at Weekend con Delitto at the Teatro Ciak in Rome. This show is a mix of mystery, comedy, and improvisation, where the audience actively participates in solving the case and uncovering the culprit.
New Year's Eve at a Yoga Retreat or Monastery
If you're tired of fireworks and party streamers and simply crave silence and peace, consider welcoming the New Year at a yoga retreat or monastery. Places like Santa Maria del Monte Monastery in Bevagna or the Bose Monastery often offer alternatives for starting the year in tranquility and serenity. For a nearly mystical experience, the Eremito Hotel, an eco-resort in Umbria, allows you to embrace monastic simplicity and rediscover life’s simple pleasures. Here, New Year's Eve is celebrated with a shared dinner, wine, and roasted chestnuts. You could also try a plant-based New Year's Eve in Tuscany, in the province of Arezzo, with Food & Yoga workshops, or the New Year’s Yoga Retreat – YIS 2025 – Live the Magic of Salento, where you’ll learn the art of Ashtanga Yoga and achieve mental clarity, immersed in unspoiled nature and the tranquility of the Mediterranean.
New Year's Eve at Home with Friends
Who says you have to go out to have fun on New Year's Eve? An evening at home with friends can be just as enjoyable—if not more! You can organize themed parties or creative workshops, but in the end, only a few key ingredients are needed: the right guests, some board games, a perfect background playlist, the desire to enjoy time together, and of course, a specially planned menu—perhaps even prepared together. Cooking together not only fills the hours leading up to midnight but can also be a lot of fun. Between appetizers and tasty starters, you can do karaoke to the year's biggest hits or have a movie marathon featuring films set on this special night. Options include the beautiful The Apartment, Billy Wilder’s cult classic starring Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine, or New Year's Eve, the Hollywood favorite with a star-studded cast including Sarah Jessica Parker, Halle Berry, Jessica Biel, Robert De Niro, Ashton Kutcher, and Michelle Pfeiffer. You can also dive into tarot card readings, create vision boards for 2025, write diaries filled with good resolutions for the new year, or play cards and classic board games like Trivial Pursuit and Twister.