New Year’s Eve is the biggest party of the year. It is a celebration that brings people together to celebrate all the potential that a new year offers. It is a day of hope and celebration. A day to brush away the old year and all it consisted of.

New Year is just around the corner, and people everywhere will be blasting fireworks, partying with friends, and celebrating in raucous ways that defy borders. It’s a wild holiday that shatters any notions of nationality and invites everyone to join the revelry without restraint.

If you’re bold enough to shatter your bedtime and dive headfirst into the wild celebration, here are some of the most electrifying spots to unleash your spirit for New Year’s Eve. Some I’ve basked in the chaos myself, while others tantalize me from the depths of media hype.

Kiribati

I couldn’t mention New Year’s Eve without touching upon the first nation that rings in the New Year. You won’t find any lavish lounge bars to sup away champagne until the small hours, nor, awe inspiring firework displays, however, what better way to bring in the New Year than to be the first person to do it? This spot in the South Pacific Ocean is officially the first place in the world to see the New Year.

Auckland

New Zealand is one of the first major countries to ring in the new year. Auckland becomes abuzz with activity. Being New Zealand’s largest city, it naturally offers a ton of celebratory events to locals and party loving visitors.

An absolute must see for anyone in town on New Year’s Eve head to Mount Eden or One Tree Hill to observe the firework display from the Sky Tower (the tallest structure in the Southern Hemisphere)

Sydney

After Auckland in New Zealand, Sydney in Australia is one of the first major cities to greet New Year.  The city hosts one of the largest firework displays in the world. It all kicks off with a minor firework display around 9pm to get the party mood started. As the New Year rings in the firework displays last almost a full fifteen minutes and are best viewed from one of the boats in the harbour or surrounding hills. New Year in the Southern Hemisphere lands in the middle of their Summer and locals love enjoying this day as the weather is usually always great. Unsurprisingly (I have discovered), accommodation disappears fast so be sure to book well in advance if you want to spend the New Year down under!

Kuala Lumpur

Vibrant and full of life, Kuala Lumpur is one of the best cities to celebrate the end of the year and the start of a new one in South East Asia. It has been marked as Best Places in Asia to Celebrate the New Year by Forbes.

Head to The Luna rooftop bar located at the Pacific Regency Hotel. One of the most established rooftop bars in Kuala Lumpur, Luna Bar offers 360° views of KL Town City. Not only does the rooftop bar offer great cocktails and live music but a pool too!

Dubai

Every year, Dubai’s dramatic skyline is illuminated by lights on New Year’s Eve. The fireworks are so brilliant that they can be seen from across the Emirate, and the Burj Khalifa is the star of the show! Far below the summit of the tallest building in the world, the city’s biggest celebration takes place downtown. Crowds of locals and visitors alike gather together to welcome the New Year. This event is free to the public and starts at 8:00 pm with live music, entertaining activities and performances up until the stroke of midnight.

Paris

Paris is the perfect destination for a romantic New Year’s Eve getaway. It has high class dining, clubbing, fantastic fireworks, and the chance to sip Champagne on the Champs-Elysees. Around midnight, you can watch the Eiffel Tower light show. While you won’t get the same level of epic fireworks as you would see in London, there are still great parties through the city and many people light off their own fireworks from the Champs-Elysees.

London

My home Capital City. London rings in the New Year with an outstanding fireworks display that’s launched from the London Eye, along the Embankment, that easily competes with the “biggies” of the World. The fireworks can be seen from rooftops and balconies all across London. If you want to get out there and really experience the display, the best views are from Westminster Bridge and The Embankment.

New York City

Times Square is the focal point of New Year’s activity in New York City. Around one million people will crowd into the square to watch the famous ball drop, not to mention the millions of people globally that will watch this event on TV. If you want to watch the ball drop in person, be sure to arrive early (people start gathering in the afternoon to get a good spot) and dress warmly! However, there are lots of parties throughout the city and most New Yorkers try to aim for some of the downtown clubs and bars.

Waikiki Beach

As I started this blog with Kiribati – the first nation to ring in the New Year – I felt it was only fair to highlight one of the last places to follow suit – a full 22 hours later!

Waikiki Beach in Honolulu is the last US State to celebrate New Year’s Eve. This has been an ambition of mine to celebrate New Year in Auckland then travel to Honolulu to celebrate New Year for a second time, due to the vast time differences between the two places. Waikiki Beach hosts a spectacular fireworks show from a barge just off the shore line.

The show starts at 11:55pm with one announcement firework every minute before midnight. Then at midnight, the big fireworks show begins. You can listen to the music timed with the fireworks via radio. This fireworks show is free and open to the public. You can watch the display from the beach or from various party venues darted along the region.

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New Years is an incredibly fun holiday were you can cut loose, stay up late, wash away the old, and ring in the new. If you’re looking for the best places to celebrate new years eve in the world, look no further than my list. But remember, no matter where you are, so long as you are with people you enjoy, you’re in the best place to celebrate!