From Munich to Berlin: 6 tips for lavish New Year’s Eve parties in Germany’s most beautiful cities
Start the New Year in an unforgettable place: If you want to get out of the house on New Year’s Eve, you have endless celebration options. We present six German cities where party girls and party lions can really let off steam at the turn of the year.
The one with one
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The last hours of the year have something magical about them for most people. On this evening there will be celebrations – in a variety of ways – after all, the New Year should be properly welcomed. We looked around in six large cities in Germany and show how good the prospects are for a dynamic start to 2024. Happy New Year!
1. Berlin: The largest New Year’s Eve event in the republic
“Celebrate at the Gate” is the name of the country’s largest New Year’s Eve party. It takes place in the capital Berlin. But no longer on a smaller scale on Pariser Platz like last year – due to corona – but again on Straße des 17. Juni. That means: Big Party! Up to 65,000 people can celebrate the New Year between the Brandenburg Gate and the Victory Column.
On a 2.5 kilometer long party mile, food trucks and drinks stands ensure your physical well-being. Around 20 live performances are responsible for the rest. The line-up includes internationally known artists such as the DJ duo Vize, the pop singer EllaFIN, the Italo pop band Roy Bianco & The Abbrunzati Boys and the Irish tap dance show Riverdance. After a break of several years, there will be a spectacular fireworks display again – party like in the old days!
2. Hamburg: When the sirens dance at the harbor
The port of Hamburg attracts many people all year round, including on New Year’s Eve, where it is one of the most popular celebration spots. Either on water on one of the many party ships or on land along the harbor mile. There are a number of stalls offering food and drinks. For absolutely nothing, there is a special concert at exactly midnight, when the ships sound their horns and sirens and at the same time stardust and fireworks rain down from the sky.
If you don’t want to mess around with the crowds, you can admire the New Year’s Eve fireworks around the Alster near Schwanenwik. Or from the Kennedy Bridge and the Lombards Bridge in the south and the Krugkoppel Bridge in the north. Or straight from a fireworks trip on the Elbe. Big parties also take place in the Goldbekhaus, in the factory or with DJ Jakob the Butcher at Ms. Hedis. Attention: There will probably be prohibited zones again in 2023 where firecrackers and rockets are not allowed – such as around the Binnenalster and on the Rathausmarkt.
3. Cologne: Celebrate with Rhenish cheerfulness
Anyone who thinks that things only happen in Cologne during Carnival is wrong. And hugely so. There is a lot going on in the cathedral city on the Rhine at the turn of the year, after all, the people here are cheerful and like to be sociable. This is demonstrated by the sheer number of different parties – from the New Year’s Eve ships sailing across the Rhine to dinners in chic restaurants to clubs like Tsunami, Diamonds or Helios 37; to name just a few. There is no public party in the city center itself because the administration has abolished the light show and imposed a ban on firecrackers for the first time.
Simone Winkelhog, deputy press spokeswoman for the city of Cologne, explains the large-scale ban on firecrackers and bangs in more detail: “It applies to the city center on the left bank of the Rhine between the Rhine and Ringen (inclusive), where only fireworks that can be seen but not heard are allowed. In addition to the new prohibition zone, there is a ban on all kinds of fireworks around Cologne Cathedral, as has been the case for several years now.” Your tip for the best view of the midnight fireworks is the Deutz bank of the Rhine, more precisely the section between the Deutzer and Hohenzollern Bridges. “You can see the old town in the background.”
4. Munich: Party at the Oktoberfest location
The place is legendary: The Theresienwiese in Munich, where Oktoberfest has been celebrated since 1810, also becomes a party mile in winter. The Tollwood winter festival will take place there from November 23rd to December 31st. A kind of alternative Christmas market where the beginning of 2024 is celebrated with artistry and organic menus, New Year’s Eve gala, live music with bands like Jamaram meets Jahcoustix, Raggabund & The Dubby Conquerors, Hundling and Trouble Boy. DJ Rupen & Rupidoo Global Music Club and Cubaboarisch 2.0 will get you in the mood for the New Year in a total of three areas.
The traditional New Year’s waltz at midnight is of course also there. If you prefer to dance in a club, you can do so to techno and house in the Rote Sonne or to hip-hop and current hits in the Sweet. Although there will probably be a ban on firecrackers and firecrackers again within the Middle Ring, it is still worth watching the fireworks in the night sky. The most popular places with a view include the Schwanthalerhöhe, the Olympiaberg and the Monopteros in the English Garden. The most iconic, but also the most crowded, of all New Year’s Eve meeting points is the golden angel of peace. Not to forget the numerous Isar bridges. Other celebration hotspots include Marienplatz, Leopoldstrasse and Praterinsel.
5. Frankfurt: Fantastic skyline and hissing rockets
Single? Then the Sachsenhausen wine bar is a hot tip, because Frankfurt’s largest New Year’s Eve singles party takes place here. Over 30? The cult party for “30 Plus” takes place in the Zoo-Gesellschaftshaus. All hell is also breaking loose in the Cooper Room, the Batschkapp Cultural Center and the nightlife. In the latter, the first 500 guests receive a welcome champagne – to get them in the mood for the stylish evening with a chocolate buffet, LED sticks and DJs on two floors and in the outdoor area.
Or would you prefer a New Year’s Eve cruise on the Main? With the best view of Frankfurt’s skyscraper skyline, colorfully illuminated by the fireworks. Speaking of which: There are also many wow moments to be experienced on the banks of the Main near the Eiserner Steg. Tens of thousands of locals meet here to celebrate and watch fireworks. Things are a little quieter on the old railway bridge over the Main, where the nighttime spectacle can be observed just as well.
6. Dresden: Spectacle on the Elbe
The Zwinger, Semperoper, Frauenkirche and the Elbe make Dresden an impressive travel destination all year round. And especially on New Year’s Eve, when the many historic buildings are romantically lit and the colorful shower of lights from the fireworks is reflected in the water of the Elbe. If you can’t get a ticket for a New Year’s Eve boat trip with the Saxon Steamship, you will find many attractive party alternatives – from the big party in the Parkhotel Weißer Hirsch on three floors to the party in Katy’s Garage or the biggest party in Dresden at the Stromwerk.
You can, for example, pre-glow at the Christmas market at the Frauenkirche or, in a family-friendly and bang-free way, on Stechgrundstrasse behind the Parkhotel. Toasting to zero hour and enjoying the glamor and glitter in the night sky is what many locals do on the Brühlsche Terrasse directly on the Elbe in Dresden’s old town. A phenomenal panorama is guaranteed there. But there is also a spectacular view of the fireworks at the turn of the year from the brewery, on the banks of the Elbe or directly on the Waldschlösschen Bridge. There is less crowding in the districts that lie on the slopes of the Elbe and offer great views of Dresden’s city center, which lies in a valley.