Las Vegas expects 340,000 visitors on the Strip this New Year’s Eve, and everyone has to be somewhere at midnight when some 80,000 fireworks go off in the sky. Whether you want to be one with the people, dance the night away or simply have a glass of Champagne with your caviar, we’ve tracked down exactly where you should ring in 2015.
Las Vegas Boulevard closes down to traffic on New Year’s Eve, allowing for thousands and thousands of revelers to take to the streets to celebrate. If you feel like braving the crowds and partying with everyone else in town, The LINQ will undoubtedly be a hot spot of activity as pedestrian traffic weaves in and out of the promenade and back onto the Strip (tip: this will be a good spot to refuel your drinks). For the first time ever, the High Roller, the world’s largest observation wheel that anchors The LINQ, will pause for the midnight fireworks, and partygoers can purchase cabin packages to be at the top of the wheel for the show. And then once you’re back down to earth, you can rejoin the party. Make no mistake, the Strip on New Year’s can be a madhouse, but if you really don’t need a destination to have fun, it’s one of the craziest places to be at midnight.
The clubs will be packed to the gills on New Year’s Eve, and it can be hard to choose between so many. For a state-of-the-art evening that’s inspired by Cirque du Soleil, check out Swedish producer Alesso at LIGHT at Mandalay Bay. Want to spend your night with the King of Crunk? Surrender at Encore to an evening with Lil’ Jon.
And if you’re so hardcore your party carries into New Year’s Day, Marquee revisits its daylife experience with a pool party under the Dayclub Dome with complimentary brunch and a Champagne open bar in the main room, while New Year’s Day bowl
games
will be broadcast on the 40-foot LED screen. Cover is $20 for males, $10 for females, and ticketholders from Marquee, TAO and LAVO New Year’s Eve parties get in for free.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to stick to one location on New Year’s Eve. And you can be planted in one of the hottest spots to be for the night: Hakkasan. Kick off your evening with one of two prix fixe menus ($78 and $138) by Michelin-starred chef Ho Chee Boon in the elegant and modern restaurant on the first floor. Eat your way into 2015 with high-end, modern Cantonese fare, including spectacular dim sum, braised Chilean sea bass and grilled Wagyu beef. Once you’ve fortified yourself for the night ahead, make your way upstairs where the world’s highest-paid DJ, Calvin Harris, counts down to a wild midnight toast.
Individual tickets to the New Year’s Eve performance of unlikely musical duo Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett at The Cosmopolitan are sold out unfortunately — that is, unless you’re going big and booking a two-night holiday room package at the resort. But Little Monsters are in luck, as the legendary musicians added a second show on December 30. The two just released an album of classic jazz standards called Cheek to Cheek, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. On the upside, now you’ve freed up your New Year’s Eve to pack in another party experience.
Las Vegas is notorious for blurred lines, and there’s no better ambassador than Robin Thicke, who performs at Foxtail at SLS on December 31. Tickets include not only a performance by the Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter, but also open bar until 12:30 a.m. and a Champagne toast at midnight. Even cooler, after 12:30 a.m., your ticket gets you access to all the other nightlife venues on property, such as LiFE, where DJ Steve Angello kicks off 2015 with his Reflections residency.
Downtown darling Carson Kitchen celebrates its first New Year’s Eve with a five-course prix fixe tasting menu ($99). With dishes such as devil’s eggs, steelhead trout with country bacon and pork belly carbonara, this is one hearty, yet elegant meal that sees you into the new year without any of the pretentions of the Strip.
This is the only night when Fremont Street Experience charges admission, and it’s totally worth it. The Downtown Countdown ($30 before Dec. 26, $40 after) is another huge block party under the enormous LED canopy. Thirteen of the best tribute bands from around the world will perform on the three area stages for TributePalooza. Get ready for your favorites from bands that cover Duran Duran, Red Hot Chili Peppers, No Doubt and Queen, like you’ve never seen them before.
Some of us prefer a little civility and peace as we usher out the past year, and there are fewer places better to do this in Las Vegas than at Restaurant Guy Savoy at Caesars Palace. The highly acclaimed French eatery offers an extravagant, multi-course menu where words like truffle, Wagyu, caviar and foie gras are peppered throughout. Add Champagne at midnight to a view from the terrace that lets dinner guests in on the Strip action, and it’s one of the most Vegas ways to ring in the new year.
Mandalay Bay isn’t just gold on the outside. For New Year’s Eve, it goes shiny all over with its second annual masquerade-inspired mega party, Paint the Town Gold. The entire resort transforms into a glamorous, golden wonderland. Mizuya becomes the Golden Goose Lounge thanks to Grey Goose, with bottle service until 3 a.m., while eye candy sound lounge turns into the Moët & Chandon Champagne Room. You’ll find the bling bling in your dining options as well, from gold flake in desserts to golden balloon drops and yes, lots and lots of bubbly. You’ll even find the precious metal in your pre-New Year’s Eve spa treatments, as in the relaxing and rejuvenating Gold Dust massage and the Golden Veil facial. And once you’ve been properly gilded, you can rock 2015 in with Maroon 5.
You’re so fancy, you already know that you’re going to spend New Year’s Eve high atop The Cromwell with Iggy Azalea at Drai’s Nightclub. The 65,000-square-foot venue becomes a private concert and party to welcome 2015. The best part? You’re already outdoors with some of the best view of all the fireworks.
Located on the 55th floor of the freshly upgraded Ivory Tower, Ghostbar is the one of the sexiest settings to take in the world-famous views of the Las Vegas skyline and electrifying fireworks show when the clock strikes midnight. There’s a hosted bar for $200, which includes front of line and open bar from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. These VIP seats frame the boutique nightclub’s 14-foot floor-to-ceiling windows, complementing the lounge’s unparalleled view of the night sky and city below. General admission prices begin at $120.