The United Kingdom is all set to host some of the best New Years Eve 2018 celebrations on the globe. Whether you’re just looking for a night out, a glamorous evening, or a fun filled day, the U.K. has you covered. Here’s our list of the best places to visit for New Years Eve 2018 in the U.K.
New Years Eve 2018
London
Each year London has some of the absolute biggest and best known New Years celebrations in the country, so it would be remiss of us to not discuss the U.K.’s capital city. There are numerous parties scheduled for the evening of December 31st, from elegant balls to musical performances by some of the world’s best known entertainers. For family fun, the Natural History Museum in Kensington offers an outdoor ice rink. Later in the evening, they’ll be holding a New Years Eve party within the museum itself. However, the most famous of all New Years celebrations in the U.K. is perhaps the fireworks display over the Thames River. Though the bells of the city’s iconic clock tower, Big Ben have been silenced as part of a restoration project, they are scheduled to chime once again on New Years Eve as part of the pyrotechnic show. Unfortunately that particular attraction might be difficult to attend for anyone who hasn’t already purchased a ticket. That’s right; in 2014 the show became a ticketed event.
But worry not, London still makes our list of one of the best places to visit on New Years 2018 because of the sheer number of celebrations it offers. A plethora of clubs and bars across the city are offering discounted or even free entry. If your heart is set on fireworks, then an evening cruise will give you one of the best views in the city. Tickets for the Dinner Cruise from Tower Hill are still on sale at the time of writing, but you’ll have to act quickly since they are likely to sell out soon.
If you are still looking to discover more New Years Eve 2018 things to do in London, check out chillwall. If you are visiting London this year for the first time check out our Top 7 ways to do London on a budget. This way, you will be able to spend a little extra on your New Years eve celebrations.
Things to Do Near Me in the UK
Edinburgh
Another of the U.K.’s extremely well known New Years festivals is the Edinburgh Hogmanay. The Scottish capital will kick off its New Years 2018 celebrations with a torchlight procession, in which tens of thousands of torch bearing participants will trek through the city before a finale of fireworks at Calton Hill. The procession is free to watch, though to participate you need to purchase a £12 torch from Edinburgh’s Hogmanay website, or be a part of a torch bearer’s group. The festival also offers a massive outdoor party, with live musical entertainment, as well as the Concert in the Gardens. The latter of these festivities promises performances by the Rag‘n’Bone Man, Declan McKenna, and Nina Nesbitt. As with many of the previously mentioned celebrations, these are ticketed events and will run out soon, so if you are thinking of attending, act fast.
Not what you are looking for, discover more things to do in Edinburgh in one click. So many amazing events are happening this year. Is this a romantic vacation for you? A perfect tie in with New Years Eve 2018 to start the year off in a memorable fashion. If yes check out the Top Romantic spots in Scotland.
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St. Ives
Anyone looking for a genuinely unique way to celebrate New Years Eve 2018 should have to look no further than St. Ives. On December 31st the town itself turns into one enormous costume party. People flood the streets in all manner of fancy dress to ring in the New Year. Restaurants and bars throughout the town offer promotional events for the day, with many hosting themed parties to go with the celebratory costumes. St. Ives’s harbour front offers food stand and live entertainment, but the whole town tends to take part in the festivities. At about 6’oclock roads shut down and the festivities begin in earnest.
Although many New Years celebrations are typically more adult-oriented, St. Ives is truly one of the best places to visit at this time of year because of the family friendly nature of its festivities. That said many of the restaurants in St. Ives fill up rather quickly and so if you are thinking of spending the day out with friends or family, it is always a good idea to book your reservations well in advance.
Looe
Just like St. Ives, Looe celebrates the New Year with a town wide costume party. Looe is known mainly as a traditional fishing town, but at this time of year it becomes one of the most popular destinations and is easily one of the best places to visit on New Years Eve 2018. The town offers family friendly attractions, including a fireworks display at 6pm over Banjo Pier for all those with young children, followed by a second display at midnight. And dressing up as your favorite superhero, princess or monster may not be mandatory, but regardless of your age, dressing up certainly is a popular choice on New Years Eve in Looe.
As with many of the other locations on this list, many of Looe’s local restaurants and bars offer promotional discounts for the day, and even welcome families with children if you get there earlier on. The firework show is free, but if you would like a more comfortable view of the display you can book a reservation at one of the restaurants along the seaside promenade.
There is no question that the U.K. celebrates New Years Eve like no other nation on the globe. From jaw dropping fireworks, to massive concerts, to kid friendly costume parties, the U.K. is going to be home to some of the best places to visit on New Years Eve 2018. Check out Chillwall for more ideas of how and where to spend the holiday season.
About the author
Kaizad is a recent graduate from the University of Toronto, as well as a free-lance editor and graphic designer.
