The wholesome warmth of holidays spent with loved ones is divine, but it wears off pretty quickly—by the time New Year’s rolls around, it’s all about getting out and getting wild.
New Year’s Eve parties can be a lot of hassle, with high ticket prices and long lineups. So the experience really needs to pay off. Here’s your guide to seven parties with an established reputation for ringing in the new year with style and, in some cases, sweat and other bodily fluids.
1. Industry nightclub, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Puerto Vallarta’s biggest gay club, Industry (Lázaro Cárdenas 258, Zona Romántica, Col. Emiliano Zapata, Puerto Vallarta), hosts four New Year’s events, starting on December 29 with Fantasia, most of them in partnership with circuit party promoter Nasty. December 31 is a one-party-after-another extravaganza kicking off with a pool party, then a beach party at gay resort Mantamar (Amapas #380, Col. Emiliano Zapata, Puerto Vallarta), the co-host venue, before Industry takes over for the 3 a.m. afterparty. The four-day Industry pass costs US$300, but the Mantamar pass costs an additional US$400—for bottle service and VIP upgrades.
2. WE Party, Madrid, Spain
With 16 DJs at four venues over five events, these gods of gay dance parties want to send us staggering into 2024. Though WE now hosts more than 70 parties annually, including touring parties to 30 cities beyond the Madrid city limits, they usually save the best for the last days of the year, with mammoth video screens, go-go dancers and other spectacles. The all-access bracelet is 190 euros, 510 euros for VIP access including two drinks per party. If you can only go to one event, the main party is Saturday, December 30, at the gargantuan Fabrik (Av. de la Industria 82, 28970 Humanes de Madrid, Madrid) and costs 30 euros. Then go to bed early on New Year’s Eve itself (lol).
3. Reveillon, Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Reveillon is one of those mainstream events so well attended by LGBTQ+ people that it feels deeply queer. It’s a Carioca tradition where as many as two million people dress all in white and gather on the beach to drink, dance, cruise and watch fireworks. While not a ticketed event, you’ll still want to come early to stake out a good spot. After the light show, people head out to house parties, clubs and ticketed parties. For the night before and the night after, check out circuit promoters Guapo Fiesta—their December 30 event is a night party with a Hollywood theme, while their January 1 event is an afternoon pool party, co-hosted by Barcelona-based Matinée Group. Both take place at NAU Cidades (Av. Prof. Pereira Reis 36, Santo Cristo, Rio de Janeiro). US$80 gets you into both parties; it’s US$150 if you want an open bar.
4. Dreamland, Miami, Florida
The open-air Wynwood Marketplace (2250 N.W. 2nd Ave., Miami) will be home to two of the five events in this sexy New Year’s party series, with the other three taking place at nearby Oasis Wynwood (2335 N. Miami Ave., Miami). That said, the Friday night event is two parties happening simultaneously—WE Party’s Sundia will have a second stage, the Play-List. The main event is, surprise, the Dreamland party New Year’s Eve itself, with two stages and a fireworks show. Ticketing options are complex, with tiered releases, but the starting price for the all-party pass is US$299, US$499 for VIP access (skip the line, private bathrooms, dedicated bars).
5. House of Yes, New York, New York
For those who like their parties to be more about making fabulous fashion statements and less about pecs and harnesses, Brooklyn’s House of Yes, founded on the DIY tradition that informs Nevada’s Burning Man festival, will welcome the new year on December 31 with a celebration of self-expression. In fact, they have a “Looks required for entry” policy, with a list of concept suggestions for outfits that fit the Gala Galactica theme: interstellar illumination, cosmic couture alien superstar, supernova chic, etc. Musically, too, you won’t be getting any circuit here, but instead house, disco, techno, industrial and bass. It’s all about the performance, baby, and if you go, you’re one of the performers. Tiered ticketing prices start at US$70 (if you arrive after 1:30 a.m.), US$155 if you want to be there for the countdown to midnight.
6. Megawoof, The Barracks, Palm Springs, California
Some say New Year’s Eve is for the young—who else has the energy and patience to wait that long to check a coat or buy a drink? Not true; the night has something for everyone. This bear-focused party at the Barracks (67625 E. Palm Canyon Dr., Cathedral City) will likely attract a wide range of ages. But one thing is for certain: the New Year’s signature party from promoters Megawoof of America will be packed with meaty men and their admirers. The Barracks, known for its Sunday beer busts and leather/kink parties, has a devoted following itself. Tiered ticket prices start at US$33. If you happen to be in Las Vegas for the holidays, Megawoof is hosting a party there on December 29.
7. White Party, Bangkok, Thailand
Perhaps one of the biggest gay parties in Asia—altogether, the party series attracts as many as 25,000 people from as many as 70 countries. They take the white theme seriously, advising: “During the White Party Main Event, your outfit should consist of 80 percent white. If you intend to remove your shirt, your bottom attire must still be white.” Four of the five parties of this promoter’s New Year’s series are at the massive Bangkok Convention Centre at Centralworld (23 Rama I Rd., Khwaeng Pathum Wan, Pathum Wan, Bangkok). All-access passes sold out early. A night-party-only pass goes for US$245; a ticket to the main event, which is December 30, costs US$115. The fifth event, a more intimate rooftop event at Seen Sky Bar (Avani+ Riverside Bangkok Hotel, 257 Charoen Nakhon Rd., Samre, Thon Buri, Bangkok), sold out early.
