The Best Boston New Year’s Events to Start 2024 on a High Note

The December calendar is like a runaway freight train, bedazzled with the glitz and glimmer of festive season. Sure, it’s a magnificent blur of shopping, parties, and general holiday revelry, but it’s time to focus up and make those all-important New Year’s Eve decisions. Is it a go big or go home vibe with LED lights and confetti or a chill brunch mood?

Over the past few weeks, you’ve given in to the irresistible urge to celebrate the season at nearly all of Boston’s Best Holiday Events. Still, New Year's Eve is a doozy, so get ready for champagne-pouring acrobats, rooftop fireworks views, dueling pianos, and plenty of under $50 NYE experiences. Say farewell to 2023 in grand style with the best New Year’s Eve events in Boston.

Dec 31, 10 pm
Back Bay, Starting at $19.99
Rochambeau is wondering about your 2024 vibe. Will you start the year a little naughty or oh-so-nice? Decide in advance and join the NYE festivities at the all black and white-themed Heaven & Angels party. The first floor will have DJ entertainment and dancing, or upgrade to the $39.99 level for added revelry on the second floor. Party-goers can reserve tables for $100, and get light bites (chef’s choice) and a midnight toast. Those who want to celebrate early and get home before the ball drops can enjoy a $65 pre-fix menu, featuring Roast Duck with Black Truffle, before the late-night party begins.

Citywide
Boston’s own DJ Costa is cued up for Zoo Year’s Eve with Costa at Big Night Live, starting at 9 pm on the last night of 2023. Don’t forget that Ascend Cannabis Dispensary is just around the corner, so NYE planning is a cinch. But it closes at 9 pm, so pre-order some locally-made Betty’s Eddies, and pick them up before heading into the show. Looking for a little VIP action with velvet and leather furniture? The Grand is 100% that vibe, and Rivas is at the mixing board. The opening lyrics of his jam I’m Good are surely prophetic, and you’re going to have the best (freaking) night of your life. NYE tickets start at $75.

Citywide
Afrique Events are known for celebrating and sharing Black culture, and they’re ringing in the new year with a $45 dance party, EMPIRE #NYE24, starting at 9:00 pm at Oceanside Events Center in Revere. Over in Cambridge, you can dabble in the masked theme of Dispora’s $45 Bollywood Masquerade NYE Party. Guests here are provided a Masquerade Mask, glow sticks, and the chance to rock out to top Bollywood jams.

Dec 31, 5 pm
Seaport District, à la carte pricing
Champagne flutes are a given, but we're also (more than) ready for Wood Hill Pier 4’s Caviar Service with warm popovers, chives, creme fraiche, and shallots. Chef Charlie Foster is pulling out all the stops this New Year’s Eve in Boston with dishes like Butter Poached Lobster with chanterelle mushrooms and the exquisite Dry Aged Woods Hill Farm Duck Breast from their farm in Bath, NH. Celebratory sips include champagne, the Charming Sally (aromatised wine, grapefruit), and elegant zero-proof options. All this, with 180-degree views of Boston Harbor—and the holiday fireworks.

Dec 31, 9 pm
Seaport District, $50 Admission
Dress to impress (and stay warm!) and ring in the new year with a front-row seat for Boston's New Year's Eve fireworks. Legal Harborside’s Roof Deck Party is the fresh-air shebang that will energize you for an epic start to 2024. Admission includes four hours of festivities, including live DJ music, a classic midnight bubbly toast, and unbelievable views of the annual fireworks show. Your ticket includes open seating at the rooftop bar, and the regular menu will be available for à la carte bites as well as a celebratory cranberry champagne cocktail, The 24, and special desserts like Bon Bons.

Dec 31, 9 pm
Rowes Wharf-Waterfront, $135
Take the under-the-stars theme a bit further and score a ticket to the Fireworks Yacht Party Cruise aboard the posh Sir Winston Boston. The luxurious theme includes a 1920s dress code, so glam it up with jazzy vests and flapper-style dresses. The ticket price includes a buffet dinner featuring shrimp cocktail, chicken broccoli ziti, quesadillas, and other salads and snacks. The DJ will be anchored on the main deck, but there’s also a VIP upgrade available for access to the second-floor Lounge, which has its own DJ, bar, and food. You can’t get any closer to the fireworks than this floating NYE paradise.

Dec 31, 5:15 pm, 7:30 pm, and 9:45 pm
Seaport District, Starting at $95
If you’re looking for a cure for that holiday earworm, The Twelve Days of Christmas, try the traditional Spanish ritual of "las doce uvas de la suerte" (the twelve grapes of luck). At the stroke of midnight, Boqueria revelers will make a wish and eat a grape with every chime of the clock's bell. Leading up to midnight, the menu will include oodles of tapas—from beef and pork Albóndigas (meatballs) to Piquillos Rellenos (short rib stuffed piquillo peppers) and churros with warm chocolate dipping sauce. Each two-hour seating includes a selection of beer, wine, and bubbles.

Dec 31, 8 pm
Everett, No cover charge
For this Super Mario Bros. New Year’s Eve party with no cover charge, the folks over at Night Shift Brewing will transform their space into a Mushroom Kingdom, complete with warp pipes, power-ups, and festive Mario-themed décor. Bowser's Bourbon Blaze and Koopa Troopa Tropical Martini are standouts among the themed cocktails, but you can also let fate decide the sip with a roll of Mario’s Mystery Dice. There will be game zones, live music from Wario Speedwagon, and a chance to win prizes when you show up in costume as Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, or Bowser.

Dec 31, 8 pm
Downtown, Starting at $125
The ever-elusive Golden Ticket is easy to snag this New Year’s Eve when High Street Place Food Hall hosts its Willy Wonka-themed extravaganza. Each guest receives two complimentary drink tickets to enjoy sips like Violet’s French 75, fantastical Capri Funs drinks, or immersive cocktail experiences like the Champagne Lollipop aerialist pouring bubbles from overhead. The ticket price includes a whimsical candy buffet à la Wonka-style, a photo booth, and three food tokens, which can be used at about a dozen food venues throughout the hall. There'll be live DJs, performances from the Boston Circus Guild, and non-stop dancing all night.

Dec 31
Cambridge
Spend an evening in the Cambridge speakeasy that just so happens to be a kick-ass arcade. Roxy’s Arcade is a 21+ venue with over 30 arcade games like Ms. Pacman, Tetris, Super Mario, and Skeeball. Cocktails like the Duhpeche Mode (bourbon Aperol and peach vibes) will run you $13, a mystery Jello shot just $5, and grilled cheese for $9, so you'll have plenty of money for game tokens.

Dec 31, 5 pm and 8 pm
Cambridge, $40
Singer-songwriter Ellis Paul is at the end-of-year helm at The Passim, and it’s sure to be a legendary little journey. Known for his deeply felt lyrics and melodic storytelling, Paul’s songs have been covered by bands like Sugarland, Kristian Bush, and Jack Ingram. Laurie MacAllister opens, and guests have the choice of two shows. The kitchen is generally open until halfway through the show and offers small bites like Rosemary Fries, guacamole and chips, and burgers. Pitchers of Cambridge Brewing Company draft beer will run you about $30, or grab a wine, cider, or zero-proof libation.

Dec 31, 8 pm
South Boston, Starting at $40
Dueling pianos is the merrymaking extravaganza you didn’t know you needed. Will there be party favors, a champagne toast, and drunken sing-alongs? Yes, yes, and oh, hell yes. If you want to close out 2023 on a high note, make a res for dueling pianos. The shows here are dynamic, and the performers regularly take requests. The venue is upfront about their culinary offerings: hot dogs and um… hot dogs. So, they’re cool with any take-out orders you want to bring in, but a steady flow of cocktails and a few tasty dogs sounds like a pretty sweet night, too.

Dec 31, 9 pm
Chinatown, Starting at $25
Cheers to closing out the year in classic cowgirl style! Nash Bar & Stage has spiffed up their space with all the New Year’s Eve finery for a night of raucous country music with the Eric Grant Band and DJ Zack Lander. First-floor access is just $25, and there, you'll rock the night away with DJ vibes, cash-bar cocktails, and party favors. Upgrade to full venue access for $45, and venture upstairs for the live music. Everyone gets champagne for the big countdown, and a limited number of reserved tables are available for those looking to really whoop it up.

Dec 31, 10 am
South End, à la carte pricing
Maybe you’re not a night owl or just don’t give a hoot about watching the ball drop at midnight. No worries. Eat a glorious brunch, drink to your heart's content, and then chill in your PJs. The brunch at The Beehive dishes out rustic elegance perfected. Think hearty coffee cake with honey butter and eggs shakshuka, fancy frittatas, and brisket sandwiches washed down with funky cocktails like a Queen Bee (vodka, elderflower, grapefruit, and bubbly). If you change your mind, you can stay on for their evening shenanigans, including a burlesque show and snake dancer.

Dec 31, 10:30 am
Rowes Wharf-Waterfront, Starting at $105
Same idea here, but make it a floating wonderland of memories in the making. City Experiences is hosting a Boston New Year's Eve Premier Brunch Cruise with a full bar, DJ entertainment, and beautiful views of Boston Harbor. The buffet features all the must-haves, like pastry and French toast, but also salads, seafood, carving stations, and plenty of sweet treats. Unlike most NYE events, this cruise is designed to be chill, and the suggested attire is casual. There will be a champagne toast, but at noon instead of midnight, of course.

January 1, 7 am
Back Bay, à la carte pricing
Ah, the morning after—the smoke has cleared, and the confetti has been swept up. Now, we feast. Whether it’s a hangover cure or just a moment of indulgent self-care, the brunch at OAK Long Bar + Kitchen is giving unapologetic cozy posh. First of all, they’re over there serving up a Brulée Grapefruit with hazelnut and mint, but then come through with everything from Lobster Benedict, Corned Beef Hash, mussels, chicken & waffles, and their signature $26 Brunch Burger with fried egg, onion aioli, bacon, and cheesy goodness. Day one goals, achieved.

January 1, 7 am
Back Bay, $46 buffet + à la carte specials
Let's all agree that New Year resolutions start on January 2, shall we? Then, head over to Bar 10 in Westin Copley Place, Boston, for Gingerbread Waffles and start the year with the reassurance that only nutmeg and cinnamon provide.The holiday brunch menu will have all the usual grandiose fare like omelets, pasta, and charcuterie, plus specials like Croque Madame—a fancy open-face breakfast sam with Mornay sauce. Whatever you choose to pile high onto your plate, order a wintery Star Sangria (pinot noir, vodka, and orange-cran-apple flavors) as soon as the clock strikes 10 am.

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