There are so many things to do in Toronto on New Year's Eve. Every street, square, and building twinkles as the city undergoes a stunning metamorphosis. Strings of fairy lights, illuminated arches, and cascading displays dance and glisten under the night sky.
Toronto takes on a dream-like quality as community spirit fills the air and fun decorations line the streets. Weaving through the holiday markets with a steaming mug of cocoa, you can’t help but smile. Which stall or event should you try next?
Toronto’s New Year’s Eve parties are as diverse as the city itself. Fancy an elegant dinner gala? You won’t be disappointed. Looking for exciting family fun? It’s everywhere. Come midnight, everyone huddles together to watch fireworks rain down like rainbow stardust.
Restaurants With a New Year's Menu
For many, the allure of polished cutlery, crisp linen, and obliging staff is irresistible at New Year’s. After the fun of the holidays— and with the return to work looming large—who wants to deal with a New Year’s Day cleanup?
The following eateries await with open arms to take full responsibility. Toronto’s chefs can showcase menus they’ve worked on for months. Restaurants are decorated to the nines. And, of course, revelers are in high spirits, ready to make memories that last a lifetime.
1. SARA Restaurant
SARA Restaurant is a sophisticated spot in a restored Victorian home on Portland Street. Its pared-back, minimalist decor lets you focus on three of life’s most important things: good company, food, and drink. Known for its innovative approach to international cuisine, it’s a destination made for special occasions.
The New Year’s menu at SARA is always special. Last year's menu featured salmon latke with a luxurious upgrade and its signature dish: a gourmet take on a Reuben featuring Wagyu beef, rich Gruyère cheese, and decadent truffle mustard.
Cocktails are often playful takes on well-established classics. Our favorite is the Costello Negroni with Gunpowder Irish Gin, aged vermouth, an aperitivo blend, and essential orange oil.
2. Ristorante Sociale
Executive chef Kyle Rindinella channels the essence of Italy at King Street West’s Ristorante Sociale. The menu is classic Italian, made with the freshest produce. Meanwhile, bold accents, walnut, and exposed brick create a chic yet inviting ambiance.
After sunset, DJs set the atmosphere ablaze, and otherworldly tableside dancers deliver bottles. It’s that unique blend of fine dining and all-out entertainment that keeps us coming back year after year.
Dishes from Ristorante Sociale’s 2023 New Year’s Eve menu included albacore tuna with zingy citrus. Diners indulged in truffle and lemon beef crudo and savored delicately poached halibut in a buttery caper sauce. We await next year's menu with bated breath.
Lovers of old-world wine, take a deep breath. The list overflows with juicy amarone, spicy Chianti, and zingy Gavi di Gavi.
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3. REIGN at Fairmont Royal York
REIGN restaurant occupies the opulent Fairmont Royal York Hotel. This New Year’s favorite contrasts a grand, historic setting with cutting-edge contemporary Canadian cuisine. Inside, walnut wood, velvet seating, and historic artworks make for a regal ambiance.
Every year, REIGN's New Year's Eve menu focuses on classics with a modern twist. Last year, the eatery served chicken liver mousse with cranberries, hazelnuts, and elderberry caper. It also offered salmon with celeriac purée, roasted chestnuts, and a velvety salmon roe velouté.
Before the champagne toast, guests tucked into caramelia crunch. This mouthwatering dessert was served with sea salt caramel and milk chocolate ganache and balanced by zesty orange sorbet. We have no doubt REIGN will pull out all the stops for 2024.
Connoisseurs come here to get lost in the 35-page wine list, which includes over 30 vintage and non-vintage champagnes.
Nightlife
By the end of the year, our dancers, musicians, designers, clowns, and gymnasts are ready to cut loose. Ready for merrymaking, we seek out the best New Year’s parties—especially ones with live music in Toronto. Don’t worry—we’ll share everything we’ve learned with you.
Head to King Street West and Queen Street West to find the swankiest lounges and bars. If you’re seeking something more laid-back, pop over to Ossington Avenue, the West Queen West neighborhood, or Dundas Street West for down-to-earth vibes at some of the city’s best dive bars and alternative nights.
4. Harriet’s Rooftop New Year’s Party
Dream the unimaginable underneath a disco ball as you ring in the New Year at Harriet’s Rooftop New Year’s Party. If you yearn for the pizzazz, glamour, and debauchery of Studio 54 in its 1978 heyday, this is your spot.
Everyone dresses to impress, and the food and drinks are fit for a disco king, queen, or gender-neutral royal. The rooftop setting features reclaimed and sustainable materials, balancing spectacular views and comfort with environmental kindness.
The cocktails are inventive and perfectly balanced. For your midnight toast, the champagne list has everything from vintage Cristal to affordable non-vintage bottles.
Family-Friendly Events
Who needs a late-night countdown when the daytime offers limitless opportunities for fun? Toronto is a family-friendly city with vibrant Noon Year’s events and bouncy balloon drops. Kids, don’t worry about going to bed and missing out on the action. There are huge parties just for you.
Let face paint transform you into your favorite superhero, create something spectacular with glitter and paint, and squeal with delight as a balloon waterfall rains down on you.
5. LEGOLAND Discovery Centre’s Ball Drop
Who wants to go to a party that starts after bedtime anyway? At LEGOLAND Discovery Center Toronto, the fun and games begin before lunchtime and end in time for supper. Dance to live music, get your face painted, and meet your favorite LEGO characters, all in a day’s joy.
Keep little hands busy with cute crafts, take them to balloon artist shows, and watch their faces light up as magicians cast spells and conjure awe out of thin air. The biggest thrill is the countdown. At noon, a giant LEGO brick falls from the sky.
Afterward, a seemingly never-ending shower of balloons accompanies a dazzling fireworks display. They’ll be so tuckered out that there’s no chance they’ll stay awake for the drive home.
6. Ontario Science Centre’s Noon Year’s Eve
Are you a smart parent unwilling to risk the thronging crowds and wild energy of an evening event? Ontario Science Centre’s Noon Year’s Eve is your reward for thinking ahead. Here, young minds are nourished and enthralled in equal measure. They can take part in hands-on experiments, demos, and interactive exhibits with New Year's themes.
Excitement builds as the countdown gets closer. Once the clocks strike noon, a flurry of balloons rains down from the sky. Make sure you catch one to take home.
7. Ajax Family New Year’s Eve Party
The town of Ajax organizes an annual Family New Year’s Eve Party for bigger kids who can stay up until late. In fact, it’s fun for the whole family. There’s a DJ spinning party tunes, games, interactive experiences, and face painting.
Did we mention there’s an ice rink? Wobble or race your way around it as your favorite banger plays, and wait for the 9 p.m. countdown. By the end, you’ll be laughing with family, friends, and new friends you’ve made along the way as balloons tumble from the sky.
Unique Celebrations
Already had your fill of New Year’s Eve parties, champagne, and fireworks? This year, go on a different type of adventure. Explore the city’s hidden corners and discover celebrations that are out of the ordinary and unforgettable. Will it be an outdoor escapade or a cozy, intimate gathering? The choice is yours.
8. The Bentway’s Polar Bear Skate
If you’re the sort of person who’s partial to an ice plunge—or you’ll do anything for a good cause—The Bentway has a Polar Bear Skate, and it's unmissable. Strip down to your skivvies and glide across the iconic Bentway Skate Trail, surrounded by like-minded, scantily clad folks. Laughter and a sense of freedom fill the air as you embrace the winter chill.
Hilarious and heartwarming, the free event doubles as a clothing drive. Underprivileged Torontonians get cozy new clothes, and you get to cut loose. Once you’re done, warm up with a complimentary toque and hot chocolate—you get your clothes back, too.
9. New Year’s Eve at the Drake Hotel
NYE at the Drake Hotel is the Toronto New Year’s event for those who want to see and be seen. This city hot spot transforms into a whirlwind of thrills and spills. Fine dining is just part of the experience. Try dishes such as lobster thermidor and beef Wellington before choosing your destination for the countdown.
Maybe you'll opt for the Drake Lounge, where DJs provide a mainstream soundtrack. Or perhaps you’ll head down to the basement for some pulsating beats. If you’re feeling ritzy, book the VIP package and get your own dedicated space and bottle service throughout the night.
10. Cavalcade of Lights
Who doesn’t love pretty lights? If you haven’t seen Toronto’s Cavalcade of Lights before, you’re in for a real treat. Each year, Nathan Phillips Square and City Hall shimmer under a frosty canopy of twinkling lights. Being in Downtown Toronto feels like stepping into a festive snow globe, except you’re immersed in a crowd of smiling faces.
Live music fills the air with holiday classics, and cultures worldwide gather to commemorate the season. The light installations get more stunning each year, and rows of stalls with tasty treats always fill the air. We never miss the Cavalcade of Lights when we’re in Toronto during the holiday season.
Fireworks
There’s something ethereal about watching fireworks paint the night sky. A burst of glitter explodes, and a collective gasp rises from the crowd. Time slows down as vibrant colors dance across the darkness, leaving glowing trails of rainbow sparks.
Light and color boom, crescendo, and a sight and sound symphony stirs your soul. Huddle close and feel the warmth as these shared moments of appreciation become cherished memories.
11. City of Toronto’s New Year’s Eve Fireworks
Ring in the new year with a bang at the City of Toronto’s New Year’s Eve fireworks. The waterfront becomes a rambunctious party zone as the city prepares for its biggest fireworks event.
Stroll among the pop-up dance parties, joining in with a silent or not-so-silent disco along the way. Top DJs build the energy with thumping sets as the countdown draws closer and closer.
Come midnight, be sure to find a spot along the harbor. Feel the suspense build as you wait for the magnificent show, where brilliant colors dance across the sky like our acrobats and gymnasts. More than a tradition, it’s a chance to relish community spirit and celebrate new beginnings.
12. New Year’s Eve at The Distillery
Wander into a cobblestone winter wonderland at The Distillery Winter Village. This New Year’s event is typically an all-day affair, giving you plenty of time to sample goodies from the food vendors and buy trinkets from the stalls.
Kids, you might have seen him at Christmas in Toronto, but Santa makes his final appearance for the year here. Later, you’ll dance to live music as the clock ticks down to midnight and a fireworks display over Trinity Square.
Don't Miss Out on the Best New Year's Eve Events in Toronto
Toronto comes alive for New Year's Eve. Psychedelic light displays and the promise of a fresh start mingle with laughter and good cheer. Choose between lavish meals, carefree skating, or family fun — a world of possibilities awaits. Embrace the vibrant energy, and let Toronto's warm spirit carry you into a New Year filled with love and joy.
If you adore New Year’s parties in Toronto, we have a secret to share. There’s a place where every night feels like a celebration, where the impossible unfolds before your eyes and smiles shine as brightly as the spotlight. Let your sense of wonder explode in a riot of color at one of our shows in Toronto.