Best New Year's Eve events and parties in Sydney

For uninterrupted views of Sydney's world famous fireworks, you can’t go past the open-air, waterfront Opera Bar. Their NYE celebration sells out each year and 2025 will be no different. This year's event is a Cosmic Universe themed festival on the water. Think: a space reimagined like the Milky Way, light displays reminscent of the galaxy, roaming performers, excellent DJs and front-row seats to our city’s most spectacular show. Snap up a ticket for $795 – inclusive of all entertainment and canapés (drinks come at an additional cost, so you'll want to save up for some midnight bubbles).

Sydney's coolest new Grecian kid, Olympus, is throwing a major NYE party on Wednesday, December 31 to mark their first year on the block and to call in 2026. This huge party is happening in collaboration with Four Pillars and Louis Roederer, and it's shaping up to be quite the occassion. Hosted by art and theatre force, Daimon Downey, with dance beats by DJ Rich Penny, this party will be a guided event from start to finish. There will be flowing canapes under the bougainvilleas, a Four Pillars cocktail on arrival, oodles of Champagne and dancing till' dawn. This party will set you back $299 per person, and runs from 9pm to late. 

The sky-high cocktail bar Dean & Nancy on 22 is bringing its signature sense of 1960s glamour to New Year's Eve, with a sultry evening of cocktails, live music and a tastefully opulent five-course menu. Tickets start at $180 for individual bar seating and climb to $220 per person for a premimum booth, and include a welcome cocktail of your choice, a night of masterfully presented food, and a glass of sparkling wine to toast at midnight. New York-style views across Sydney’s skyline are complimentary.

The magic of the opera is a bucket-list experience in itself, but on NYE, Opera Australia is taking things to a whole new level. Take your pick from two spectacular New Year's Eve productions at the Sydney Opera House: The Joan Sutherland Theatre will play host to the colourful Madama Butterfly, while The Opera Gala Concert is a mash-up of incredible arias in the Concert Hall. Performance tickets start from $239, but NYE only rolls around once a year so, for $499 per person, why not opt to supercharge your celebrations with a three-course pre-performance dinner overlooking the Harbour or the midnight party with canapés and live entertainment so you can catch the midnight fireworks?

The views from Circular Quay’s Whalebridge are pretty unparalleled – across the harbour directly to the Harbour Bridge. To celebrate their prime location, the al fresco French bistro is offering a multi-course New Year's Eve menu complete with free-flowing Champagne and a midnight toast. Tickets start at $1,100 per person.

Forget battling the crowds by the harbour. This house party at cool new Redfern cocktail den is all about cold schooners, '80s and '90s bangers and free-flowing canapes – all for a nice $79 per person. Stay late for retro TV fireworks, jelly shots and confetti canons. It's bringing in 2026, nostalgia-style. 

Want to nab a front-row seat to Manly's dazzling 9pm fireworks display? Head to Felons Manly, the new craft brewery that’s taken over the former home of Wharf Bar. Walk-ins are welcome, but we reckon it’ll be packed, so your best bet is to make a booking at this cracking waterfront spot. Guests can opt for a three-course meal for $149 per person, including a drink on arrival – which is pretty good value considering it’s NYE. Here’s to you, 2026.

Shell House is ringing in 2026 with multi-level celebrations showcasing world-class dining, drinks and music set against sweeping skyline views. Savour a refined New Year’s Eve menu of premium seafood and seasonal produce at their Dining Room and Terrace. Prefer a lively bistro-style night of flowing cocktails and signature dishes? Go to Menzies Bar (with walk-ins welcome). The Clocktower Bar has a private venue on offer, if you’re that way inclined. Or head to Sky Bar for premium cocktails, Champagne, oysters and snacks, complete with a stellar DJ lineup and  fireworks views from the open-air terrace.

Bougie vibes, harbour views and fine dining are to be had at Aria's amazing New Year'e Eve party, featuring carefully crafted culinary delights by executive chef Thomas Gorringe. To welcome in 2026, you can choose from three options; an Early Sitting that includes Champagne on arrival and a three-course meal ($320 per person); a Main Event – a six-course tasting menu with wine pairing that runs from 7pm to late, just in time for the fireworks ($1950 per person) and a first-ever Cocktail Party – it's a standing party in the Wharf Room with canapes, fun entertainment and a three-hour beverage package curated by Aria's head sommelier, Salvatore Persico (for $650 per person).

With a restaurant that's practically floating on Rose Bay, with panoramic views of Sydney Harbour, there's few places cooler to watch the fireworks than at Catalina. This coastal paradise has been around for 30 years, and now come 2026, it's heralding in another. Expect an elegant four-course menu, chef canapes on arrival, live entertainment from Alice Terry and a guest DJ. The early sitting is from 6pm to 8pm and costs $395 per person, while the late sitting is from 9pm and costs $795 a head. 

Step back in time at this beloved Woolloomoolo watering hole. The Old Fitz's farewell to 2025 will start with a glass of bubbles on arrival followed by a three-course French-style banquet, all soundtracked by jazz group The Brave Wallflowers. Tickets are just $110 per person – for dinner and a show on the last night of the year, that's pretty unbeatable.

This gorgeous harbourside diner is throwing open its doors for a glittering NYE party this year. While costly at $1,295 per person, you get a six-course menu, premimum drinks and, above all, literal waterside seats to witness the world's most famous fireworks display in all its glory. 

Sydney’s home of drag will make sure you see out 2025 in the most fabulous style with three levels of glittery, unpretentious debauchery. This year's party will see Superficial turn the basement into a euphoric pop club, with the main bar playing host to what the Impy does best: drag and DJs. VIP ticket holders can head to the rooftop for complimentary drinks and bottomless pizza.

Seeing in 2026 from Luna Park is a ludicrously fun option, with each guest at their coveted Harbour Party promised a night of unlimited rides, and an exceptional view of the fireworks. DJs will be playing all night across three stages. General Admission is $329. 

Ring in the new year in style at Brasserie 1930, the luxe diner located within Capella Sydney, voted one of the world’s best hotels. Start your evening with a glass of Champagne on arrival, followed by a five-course menu. Dinner is $195 per person, while a children’s menu is also available for $90 per person.

The sprawling W Sydney is celebrating NYE way up high at 29/30 with a massive party. The rooftop bar is hosting a slew of on-the-pulse DJs to dance the night (and year) away. Basic tickets on level 29 start at $99 per person, while there are also options to book out whole cabanas for $1500 per guest. With only 25 tickets available for an ultra-exclusive party on level 30, VIP tickets cost $950 each. 

Seeing in 2026 with a party doesn’t have to cost you close to four figures. Tropical-themed Bungalow 8 in Darling Harbour brings its iconic Keys Gone Wild singalong to NYE for the biggest set yet. Belt out your favourite tunes with live piano from 10:30pm until 1:30am, followed by DJs ‘til late, with tickets starting at just $29 per person for general admission.

Odd Culture's Bistro Grenier is welcoming in another year of all things odd with a candlelit, Champagne-fuelled affair. For $169 you'll get a glass of Champagne on arrival, and a suitably high-end feast that'll have you feeling like you're in Paris. 

If you’re keen to catch the fireworks from a different vantage point, this gin-fuelled affair on the eastern shores of Sydney Harbour is the one. Tickets start at $220 per person for a general admission and two drink vouchers, or go all in for Platinum VIP status – a $495 ticket will score you a three-course meal, three-hour drinks package and unrestricted access to the entire venue (including a private bar area for VIPs only).

Dinner at Chin Chin (the Sydney mainstay known for its buzzy vibe and excellent contemporary Thai menu) is always a good idea. This year, you can kick off your NYE with a burlesque show, sumptuous menu and a complimentary glass of Chandon. Prices start at $80. Eat well, get merry, then head out into the rest of your night.

Have a NYE date who you really realllllly want to impress? Let Peter Gilmore host you at Quay, an upmarket restaurant like no other. From its perch at the end of the Overseas Passenger Terminal (one of the most unbeatable spots for watching the fireworks), Quay will be serving up lush multi-course meals. Of course, Quay-level luxury doesn't come cheap. The seven-course menu with canapés and fine-wine pairings in the Main Dining Room will set you back an eye-watering $2,250 per person. While the five-course menu with canapés and a premium selection of beverages comes at $1,600. Paired with complimentary Champagne on arrival and at midnight, along with that view – it's hard to put a price on.

Located in Mosman, Ripples Chowder Bay is on the Taronga Zoo to Balmoral Harbour foreshore walk. Its stunning views of Clifton Garden’s Beach make it a prime place to enjoy the last sun rays of 2025. For the relatively affordable $335 per adult, $179 for under 18's, and $75 for under 12s, you'll ring in the new year over a five-course degustation and drinks for the duration of the evening. 

CIRQ – the terrace-style cocktail bar on the 26th floor of Crown Sydney – is celebrating the start of 2026 with a masquerade ball: complete with flowing Champagne and appropriately high-end canapés. As Sydney's tallest rooftop bar, views are guaranteed to be spectacular, so make sure your mask doesn't obstruct your eyesight. Tickets to this sky-high, black tie event start at $988 per person – it's a once-in-a-lifetime sort of party, and a very sparkly one at that.

Another north-of-the-bridge option comes from our friends at the Botanist, who are throwing an elegant dinner to send off 2025. For $199, you'll score a glass of sparkling on arrival, a set menu and a two-hour drinks package in the Botanist's Art Deco drinking den. Plus, all the fireworks are visible if you just go for a short walk away from the venue.

Sydney’s fireworks are watched around the world, seen on screen from Tasmania to Timbuktu. And at 83 storeys above street level in Sydney Tower, Bar 83 offers one of the most uninterrupted vantage points for Sydney Harbour’s famous whizzbangs. Plus: retro disco vibes. Illuminated dancefloors, '70’s nightclub glamour, seafood and charcutierie stations, cocktails, free flowing Champagne and canapés. Tickets start from $795 per person.

Serving up some of the best views of Sydney Harbour, the Fenwick in Balmain East is a prime spot to spend your New Year’s Eve. For $895 per person, not only will you be guaranteed first-class seats to the fireworks, but you’ll also get a degustation menu with free-flowing premium drinks. Plus, front-row seats to the fireworks. What more do you want?

With three venues offering skyline views and awesome vibes, The International has heaps in store for New Year’s Eve. The Wine Bar sets the scene with an easy-going party featuring cocktails, slushies, wood-fired pizza by the slice and DJs playing all afternoon, plus terrace bookings for pre-fireworks drinks. On the rooftop of The International, The Panorama Bar with views of the city skyline, serves elevated cocktails at sunset with a curated DJ lineup and front-row views of the fireworks. For those craving something special, The Grill offers open-air dining with premium starters, fresh seafood and their signature wood-fired steaks. 

The wheel of time keeps turning, not unlike this plush revolving bar 47 storeys above the streets of the CBD. O Bar & Dining is serving up a sophisticated eight-course degustation with matching wines, plus stellar views of Circular Quay, from $780. The menu is as fancy as the surrounds, with delights like dry-aged duck breast, an asparagus and black truffle tart and charcoal grilled Waygu.

If you are into luxe living, and want to see our city's famous fireworks without getting swallowed alive by a mammoth crowd, there is a place for you. Bennelong arguably has Sydney's bougiest harbour view. This New Year's Eve, the fancy folks over yonder will be putting on a special dining experience for all those who enjoy the high life, with a night of haute cuisine, live entertainment and a prime view of the firework’s beneath the sails of our city’s most famous house. An evening at Bennelong on December 31 starts at a cool $1,900 per person – inclusive of Champagne on arrival and at midnight, a four-course menu and premium wine pairings throughout.

Watch the sunset for the last time this year from the popular Potts Point venue's leafy terrace – one of Sydney's best vantage points for taking in the city skyline. As well as a share-style feast from Head Chef Amber Doig, your $250 ticket will score you a glass of Champagne to toast at midnight, and live music. Expect a summer seafood platter, WA lobster gnocchi, dry aged coal-grilled sirloin, and a selection of petit fours and cheese to close it out. 

Waterside Italian food and wine sounds like a good way to say "saluti" to 2025, right? There are two options on offer at Ventuno Walsh Bay this year. An early sitting (from 5.30pm to 7.30pm) for $129 per adult and $65 per child under 12, which gives you a three course menu and shared snacks. Or go all out with the Main Sitting– a five-course banquet-style Italian menu with premium drinks, served all evening, for $510 per adult, $299 per under 18's and $75 for under 12's.

Located in Darling Harbour's Cockle Bay, this large three-story nightclub is playing host to six rooms worth of fun this NYE. If you're looking for an affordable ticket to Darling Harbour views, $30 will get you throuhg the door but you can pay right up to $3000 for a waterfront booth with 10x express entries and bottle service. 

Ring in 2026 at Monica, Sydney’s newest rooftop bar atop the iconic Olympia Hotel in Paddington. Enjoy views of Oxford Street and the city with this exclusive ticketed experience for $199 per head. There'll be canapés all night, a cocktail on arrival, DJs and live entertainment, all within Monica’s 1960s Hollywood-inspired setting of lush lounges, an open-air terrace, fun cocktails and standout dishes. 

Tickets to SoCal's Palm Springs-inspired NYE party start at $99 – a ridiculously good deal for a night of tacos, free-flowing drinks and dancing. You get 2 hours of free flowing drinks (read: spicy margs) and an your pick of an epic Mexican and Californian-inspired feast. They're open from noon till' 10pm, so this is a great place to get your night off to a cracking start.

Otto Ristorante in Woolloomooloo is known for fine Italian dining on Woolloomooloo’s sparkling wharf, and there are few options that would qualify as a more Sydney final meal of 2025. Early diners between 5pm and 6.15pm can choose from Otto's a la carte menu, whereas 'main sitting' diners from 7.30pm are opting for a glass of Charles Heidsieck Champagne on arrival and a four-course choice dinner. A place at the table for the later seating costs $350 per adult and $120 per child.

One of Sydney’s hottest bars– the sexy-as-hell rooftop bar in Sydney’s CBD – is celebrating NYE with a sparkly sky-high celebration in the heart of the city. Crafted canapes, flowing champers and live DJ's overlooking Sydney's glittering skyline will set you back $220.