When it comes to New Year’s Eve, it’s all about the time, the place and the outfit.
The outfit we’ll leave up to you, the time is pretty much set – the run-up to midnight on December 31 – but we can at least try to help you with the place, wherever you happen to be in the UK.
Read on to check out how you can see the New Year in with a bang, as we round up the most fabulous ways to celebrate around the country…
Edinburgh
If anywhere can claim ownership of New Year’s Eve, it’s Edinburgh, whose Hogmanay celebrations are legendary and draw revellers from around the world to take in the fireworks, the firing of the cannon at Edinburgh Castle and the concert in Princes Street Gardens.
The Pet Shop Boys are doing a greatest hits show this year – even if the Torchlight Procession has been cancelled because of cutbacks.
It all kicks off at 8pm, although, if you’re extra keen, you could start the night before with the Night Afore Disco Party. Add kilted ceilidhs, stuff for kids, a chilly dip in the river… Edinburgh really is the capital of New Year.
Princes Street, Edinburgh, edinburghshogmanay.com.
Allendale
Why settle for fireworks when you can have 45 local men carting burning whisky barrels through the town streets? No reason we can think of. It’s called Tar Bar’l and it’s a ceremony that’s been going on for centuries.
Basically, the streets of Allendale begin to fill up from 11pm to take in the famous guisers in their outlandish costumes with the torches and barrels lit at 11.30pm when the procession heads off behind the band to the town centre for the Bar’l fire set by the barrels. And yes, there will be drinks.
Allendale town centre, visitnorthumberland.com.
London
Spectacular doesn’t even begin to describe the lavish firework display centred around the London Eye on New Year’s Eve, though tickets have been sold out for some time now.
Mind you, the nature of fireworks means you can find a free vantage point if you put your thinking cap on (make it a warm one!) Vauxhall Bridge, Primrose Hill, someone’s roof (as long as it’s safe: you don’t want to start 2023 with broken bones). You could even invest in a New Year’s Eve cruise down the river to take them in.
But save some energy for the next day when the New Year’s Day Parade kicks off on Piccadilly with 10,000 people set to liven up the streets ready for 2023 while we watch from the comfort of our heavy coats.
South Bank, London, visitlondon.com/lnydp.
Stonehaven
Talk about your great balls of fire, no one puts on an incendiary New Year’s Eve festivity quite like Stonehaven on the north-east coast of Scotland.
Expect bands of pipers, wild drummers and, at the stroke of midnight, 45 be-kilted lads making their way through the crowds whirling flaming balls above their heads led by a piper playing Scotland The Brave.
And having twirled the balls of fire, they set off through Market Cross to the harbour to fling them into the sea.
Stonehaven High Street, stonehavenfireballs.co.uk.
Cardiff
You’ve made the most of Cardiff at Christmas – the ice rink, the Ice Bar, the Festive Quarter, the Light Of Winter experience – but it’s not over until you’ve seen in the New Year… or Calennig as they like to say in Wales.
Head to the City Hall Lawn where a free live concert kicks off at 7.30pm with lots of food and drinks opportunities to make the most of as you get a shot at Winter Wonderland skating and fairground while you wait for that midnight fireworks show.
Cardiff City Hall and Castle, visitcardiff.com/christmas.
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