New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas

Spending New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas is on a lot of people’s bucket lists and for good reason. Even though Sin City attracts celebrities, A-list performers and the hottest DJs from around the globe all year long, all of this is multiplied on New Year’s Eve.

Regardless of what day of the week the holiday falls on, if you’re serious about ringing in the new year in Sin City, you have to plan in advance. This is the time of the year when Las Vegas hotels raise their prices exponentially and yet they fill up months in advance. If you wait until the weeks and days before New Year’s Eve, you’ll either be stuck with a suite that will cost hundreds or thousands of dollars, or you’ll have to stay in an off-Strip hotel or another property that isn’t as close to the action as you might like.

All of the nightclubs in Las Vegas are open and celebrity appearances are arranged and announced months in advance. You will pay top dollar to get in the clubs, so it’s best to secure your spot by making reservations and buying a ticket as soon as you know you’d like to attend. Ticket prices start around $50.00 per person and go up from there.

If you’d like to see a show or enjoy a nice dining experience, you should definitely consider buying your tickets early and making your reservations well in advance. Some restaurants offer special New Year’s Eve menus that include late-night dining with wine and champagne. The best choices for dining are those with outside terraces overlooking the Strip.

In terms of entertainment, there are countless things to do on New Year’s Eve. In addition to nightclubs, shows and dining, you can expect to find concerts in downtown Las Vegas and various locations along the Strip.

Many of the hotels in Las Vegas shoot off fireworks. The hotels that do this are generally those located more centrally on Las Vegas Boulevard as well as the Stratosphere. On Fremont Street, the VivaVision screen displays a fireworks show as well.

Las Vegas Boulevard is completely closed off for all-night partying (starting at around 6:00 p.m. on December 31), so if you are coming in from out of town or will be arriving or leaving the Strip by car, it is important to know in advance that transportation on New Year’s Eve is difficult. Choose a place to party, then stay there or get around by taxi.

Photo credit: Justin Bugsy Sailor