The Best Places To Celebrate New Year’s Eve In Britain
Where would you like to be when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve? Listening to bagpipes or watching fireworks light up the sea? Dancing on Brighton Beach or toasting 2024 in a cosy Cotswolds pub?
There are fantastic New Year’s Eve events all across the country and we’ve gathered together our favourite British New Year destinations. Where will you say “Happy New Year” in 2024?
Edinburgh
Any list of the best New Year destinations starts with Edinburgh! The Scottish capital hosts the best Hogmanay party in the country, with live music, fireworks and a lot of bagpipes. The main events include the New Year’s Eve Street Party and the Concert In The Gardens (to be headlined by Pulp for New Year’s Eve 2023), but the partying goes on for three whole days.
Anywhere in Scotland!
You don’t have to go to the Scottish capital for Hogmanay, as the whole country celebrates New Year in style. From the sophisticated clubs and bars of Glasgow through to tiny village pubs, there’ll be parties right across Scotland. We have to single out seaside village Stonehaven, home of the famous Hogmanay fireball swinging. It’s quite an event.
St Ives, Cornwall
Right at the other end of the UK, Cornwall is beginning to rival Scotland as the best New Year destination. Revellers head to St Ives from all over the country, where the seaside town hosts a family-friendly fancy dress party in the streets. Don your favourite costume and join in with the fantastic atmosphere, making sure you’re at the harbour in time for the midnight fireworks. Looe, Newquay and Truro also put on the most fabulous New Years Eve celebrations.
Bideford, Devon
Like St Ives, Bideford in Devon holds the most fantastic New Year party throughout the town. The family-friendly event involves dressing up and parading through the streets, enjoying the live music and dancing. As St Mary’s church strikes twelve, the skies above the sea light up with fireworks.
Allendale, Northumberland
Northumberland, with its windswept coast and dramatic scenery, sounds like the perfect place for a quiet and romantic New Year. It certainly can be, yes – or you can decide to spend New Year’s Eve in Allendale. In a tradition dating back to the Middle Ages, 35 local men (“guisers”) carry flaming barrels of tar through the town, which they throw onto a bonfire at midnight. This would definitely make for a memorable New Year.
Pembrokeshire
This really is the place for a quiet New Year’s escape. The dark skies and stunning landscape of Pembrokeshire make for a wonderful romantic break. If you want a New Year for two, book a cosy Welsh cottage. You could also take a look at our larger Welsh properties and bring the whole family to Wales for a New Year’s Eve gathering.
The Cotswolds
If there’s any chance of snow over New Year, this is where you want to be. The gently rolling countryside of the Cotswolds is dotted with postcard-perfect villages, complete with old inns that offer low-key but welcoming New Year’s Eve celebrations. Love dog walking, hearty food and pubs with open fires? The Cotswolds is the perfect winter destination.
Brighton
If you want a proper party, Brighton always delivers. The seaside town is one of the best places in Britain for a celebration at any time of year and there’s such a great choice of events for New Year. Brighton is packed with clubs, pubs and restaurants and of course, there’s that fabulous beach to enjoy.
Cardiff
It’s back to Wales for our final recommendation. The Welsh capital hosts a lot of parties at New Year; however, if we had to pick one thing, it would be the late night ice skating at Winter Wonderland with its gorgeous backdrop of Cardiff Castle. Warm up afterwards with a Yorkshire pudding wrap.
Luxury Holiday Cottages For New Year
Here at Handpicked Cottages, we have luxury holiday cottages across the UK. Whatever type of New Year celebrations take your fancy, you’re bound to find one of our comfortable cottages nearby. If you prefer a quiet night at New Year, look out for cottages with cosy woodburners, hot tubs and gorgeous coast or country views – the best start to 2024.
