This article is sponsored by London New Year's Eve Ball at Evolution London.
Whether you want to start 2023 with a bang, or would rather spend the last day of 2022 in an altogether more chilled manner, there are plenty of ways to celebrate New Year's Eve and see in 2023 in London.
Browse the best events taking place in the capital on 31 December, and get those New Year's Eve plans wrapped up.
London's New Year's Eve fireworks
After two years of cancellations, London's New Year's Eve fireworks on the Thames are back! You'll need a ticket to get anywhere near them — the first batch went on sale in October, with a second batch coming early December.
If you don't manage to get a ticket, you can watch it live on BBC One and iPlayer... if you're not too busy having fun at one of these parties, that is.
New Year's Eve parties and clubbing in London
New Year's Eve at The Candlelight Club
Legendary Jazz Age speakeasy The Candlelight Club once again heralds the new year with a decadent evening of cabaret, live music and dancing. Glamorous 1920s attire is encouraged as you enjoy cabaret from Champagne Charlie, live music from the Bubbly Boys, vintage DJing, Charleston dance routines from the Gatsby Girls and a glimpse into what 2022 has in store, from fortune teller Lucius. Tickets from £50.
NYE Spectacular at Southbank Centre
Dance your way through several decades at Southbank Centre's New Year's Eve Spectacular, which has five different floors featuring music from different eras, from the 1920s to the modern day. Six bars, pop-up nightclubs and live entertainment combine for a lively start to 2023 — plus, you can catch a glimpse of those fireworks from the outdoor spaces. Tickets from £110.
Midnight Island at Bar Elba
We're fans of Bar Elba; it's got twinkly lights, fruity cocktails, and views over London's rooftops — as well as being handily located across from Waterloo station. Midnight Island is the venue's theme this NYE, with unlimited drinks and canapés included in your ticket, as well as live entertainment. By our estimations, it should be a fairly decent spot to watch the fireworks too. Tickets from £125.
New Year's Eve at The London Cabaret Club
It's a black tie dress code at The London Cabaret Club, where the sedictive 1920s sins of bootleg liquor and red hot jazz are brought back to life — in an art deco ballroom. Tickets from £150.
New Year's Eve at Trader Vic's
We're really hoping this is NOT the last NYE at Trader Vic's — but better safe than sorry: for 1960s tiki vibes with inclusive Polynesian-style food, cocktails plus live hula and DJS, book a bamboo table at this institution. Tickets from £250.
The Road to El Dorado NYE 22 at The Troxy
Horse Meat Disco headline art deco palace The Troxy this NYE, at this Cirque Du Soul-hosted blowout, which promises to "transport you to an exotic land far, far away". Anish Kumar and Luke Wolfman also feature. Tickets from £39.70.
Bourne & Hollingsworth New Year's Eve Party
A rambling Clerkenwell townhouse overspilling with houseplants sets the scene for Bourne & Hollingsworth's NYE bash, which also features cocktails, numerous DJs — and a massive dinner party. Private dining rooms are also available. Tickets from £50.
The Burnt City: Remix
One of the most-talked of theatre experiences of 2022 is doing something different for NYE: Punchdrunk's immersive Troy-themed show The Burnt City is remixed for one evening only, with a selection of new music, curated especially for New Year's Eve. Tickets include a complimentary glass of prosecco and access to the post-show New Year's Eve shindig. Tickets from £131.50.
Glitterbomb NYE at Tonight Josephine, Shoreditch
The east London branch of Bar Elba's sister venue, Tonight Josephine, is going all out with a glitterbomb theme — "the stuff of a magpie's fantasies", apparently. Dress in your blingiest outfit and party the night away with karaoke, lip sync battles and drag cabaret. Tickets from £25.
Hoots NYE 2022, Hootenanny
Didn't get an invite to Jools Holland's Hootenanny? Get yourself to Brixton's instead — live bands and DJs spin disco, rare grooves, Motown and funk & soul right up till 5am, if you're still young enough to hack that. Tickets from £19.67.
Dancing in the Dark NYE Special, Moth Club
Look ahead to the new year by stepping back in time — into the 1980s to be exact — with Dancing in the Dark's DJs playing The Buggles, New Order,Whitney Houston, Journey, A-Ha, Prince, Madonna, and a heap more retro floorfillers. Tickets £27.50.
Skylight at Tobacco Dock
Another rooftop option is Skylight at Tobacco Dock, which sees in 2023 with a party featuring a selection of guest DJs. Tickets include a glass of champers on arrival, and London's fireworks will be shown on screen in the venue — though do note that you can't see them in person from the rooftop here. Tickets from £39.
Sister venue Skylight Peckham is also throwing a New Year's Eve party, with various food and drink packages available.
Masquerade party at Neverland London
Fulham's riverside party venue Neverland London throws a masquerade party, with its various igloos, ski lift, winter cabin and Alpine lodge seating areas available to hire for groups. Music comes courtesy of the resident DJ. Tickets from £30.
New Year's Eve cruises on the Thames
City Cruises offers ample options for taking to the river on New Year's Eve — all of which offer you a prime position for watching that fireworks show. You could enjoy a sophisticated gala dinner, tuck into a picnic as you cruise, or even see in 2023 roaring up the river on a speedboat. Tickets from £230.
How Does It Feel To Be Loved?
We've spent a good few NYEs dancing away to Belle and Sebastian, the Ronettes, Orange Juice et al at indie/soul club night How Does It Feel To Be Loved? This year, it's spinning tunes at Signature Brew Haggerston, and the 8pm-3am opening means you get a decent go of it on the dancefloor too. Joyous stuff. Tickets £10.
Pop Juice NYE 2022
See off the year singing along to Lizzo, Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa and Miley Cyrus, at Pop Juice's party at Camden's Electric Ballroom. They'll be throwing a few oldies into the mix, too. Tickets £22.
Sponsor message
Dodgems, unlimited drinks and dazzling acts at this NYC-themed ball
Well, here's a New Year's Eve option that'll have you feeling a million bucks! The London New Year's Eve Ball is an all-inclusive, fully-immersive evening of revelry that brings the magic of the Big Apple to Battersea Park.
On 31 December, Evolution London is transformed into a New York City-inspired wonderland, with breathtaking scenery that'll transport you to the streets, bars, subway stations and ballrooms of the city that never sleeps. Expect neon signs, graffiti art and Manhattan-style glitz. The theme continues with the entertainment — a Broadway-style stage show complete with jaw-dropping acrobatics and trapeze art.
And the best bit? You won't pay a dime once you get inside. Absolutely everything is included with your £199 ticket price. That means bottomless beer, wine and soft drinks; a fabulous four-course feast; a live band and top London DJs to get your groove on to; plus fairground fun in the form of dodgems and pin ball machines. Get your tickets while they last!
London New Year's Eve Ball at Evolution London (Battersea Park). Tickets cost £199.
Other New Year's Eve party options in London include:
- Pop Brixton's New Year's Eve party with live DJs, and £10 worth of food included in your ticket.
- New Year's Eve at new City rooftop bar Florattica, which has entertainment in the form of a DJ, live saxophonist and an acrobat, plus views across London.
- Futuristic bingo venue Hijingo offers you a chance to win £1,000 at its NYE event
- Ping pong bar Bounce is holding New Year's Eve parties at both its Farringdon and Old Street venues, with games going on all night, and the chance to win a holiday.
- New roller skating rink Flipper's Roller Boogie Palace holds a NYE party hosted by BBC Radio 1Xtra’s Tiffany Calver and special guests, with food, drink and plenty of skating, right up until midnight.
- The newly-opened Battersea Power Station is open on New Year's Eve, with events at several of its venues, including Birdies Crazy Golf, Battersea Brewery and Control Room B.
- Covent Garden's Eve Bar sees in 2023 with cocktails, Michelin-starred bar snacks and a live DJ.
- The Palm House in Victoria includes unlimited champagne in tickets to its NYE shindig.
- Located in the vaults beneath The Royal Exchange, The Libertine kickstarts its celebrations with a five-course meal including wine and champagne pairings, accompanied by a live band.
- UK garage legend Artful Dodger headlines the NYE celebrations at Big Penny Social (formerly Truman's Social Club) in Walthamstow.
- Covent Garden townhouse venue 3 Henrietta Street hosts an NYE House Party complete with food, unlimited drinks, a saxophone player and DJs.
- Louche Soho holds a Rock The Clock bash, featuring live Burlesque performers and a band blasting out party anthems.
- Former church Amazing Grace in London Bridge hosts Supa Dupa Fly for a 90s RnB party
- Legendary party venue The Clapham Grand's New Year's Eve party is hosted by Jayde Adams, with Drag Race cast members appearing too.
- For a party with a view, head to the Sky Garden at 20 Fenchurch Street, which offers a live band, resident DJs and various drinking and dining packages.
- Live music venue 100 Wardour Street has a Saturday Night Fever theme going on —dance the night away to a soundtrack of classic disco tunes.
Things to do on New Year's Eve in London that aren't parties (including daytime events)
Not a party animal? Want to celebrate NYE with the kids? Fancy doing something in the day, then heading home to watch the fireworks from your sofa? We've got you covered, with these alternative New Year's Eve events.
Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park
It's the last week of this year's Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. Get stuck into the markets, food and drink stalls, giant ferris wheel, ice rink, ice kingdom, circus shows and more. Open 10am-10pm (although it may close early today)
Winter carriage rides in Richmond Park
Operation Centaur is running its winter carriage rides around Richmond Park in daylight hours this New Year's Eve. Up to six people can hop in the brake and enjoy a ride through the park, snuggled up under a blanket. The experience also includes refreshments and a tour of the working stables. 10.30am-1.30pm
The Nutcracker at The Royal Albert Hall
Today's your last chance to see The Nutcracker at the Royal Albert Hall this season. See the Birmingham Royal Ballet tell the story of Clara, her toys, and the kingdom of the Sugar Plum Fairy, accompanied by Tchaikovsky’s enchanting score. 12pm/4pm
Ice skating on New Year's Eve
Why not take a twirl on the ice at one of London's winter ice skating rinks? From Somerset House to Hampton Court Palace, there's an ice rink somewhere nearish you. They may be closing earlier tonight, but there's time to get a mid-afternoon, or maybe early evening, skate in.
