The Best New Year's Eve Concerts & Special Events in Los Angeles

Gloria Molina Grand Park’s NYELA Countdown to 2025 is the largest FREE New Year’s Eve event on the West Coast! Taking place from 8pm to 12:30am, the festivities include family-friendly activities, two stages of music and the signature 3D countdown light show projected onto LA’s iconic City Hall.

Hosted by Midi Riperton, The Get Down Stage features an all-female DJ lineup including Girls Make Beats, Linafornia, DJ Que Madre and the Ladies of Sound. KCRW's Novena Carmel hosts and DJs The Countdown Stage, featuring live performances from Weapons of Mass Creation, Pachyman and Antibalas.

Opened in October 1923, The Biltmore continues more than a century of celebrations with LA Noir 2025, a spectacular evening of Golden Age-inspired live music, dancing, cocktails, costumes, characters, photo ops and more than 40 performing artists. The Crystal Stage will host a night of performances, dancing, the Biltmore Big Band, and a multimedia midnight countdown. The Radio Lounge features open seating, a private VIP bar and retro-style radio plays and musical guests until midnight. Stylized cocktails and champagne aplenty will flow from specialty bars. Period-inspired or formal attire is encouraged, while imagination – think fringe, pearls, and feathers – is celebrated! General Admission tickets and hotel packages are available.

Presented by EDM trailblazers Insomniac, Forever Midnight is taking over the Los Angeles Convention Center with three stages of music. The spectacular NYE festival boasts a stacked lineup of superstar DJs from across the dance music spectrum, including Tiësto, Odd Mob, Jamie Jones, Diplo and Duke Dumont on the Main Stage; Adam Beyer and Loco Dice on Stage 2, hosted by Factory 93 and Club Space; and DJ Minx B2B Cinthie and more on the Take It Outside Stage.

Forever Midnight is taking place from 4pm on December 31 to 4am on New Year’s Day. Ticket options include General Admission, VIP and Backstage Pass.

Houston Hospitality presents Midnight Masquerade at Level 8, the spectacular dining and entertainment complex at AC/Moxy in Downtown LA. General Admission tickets include a four-hour open bar and tray-passed hors d'oeuvres from 8pm to midnight; champagne toast and party favors. Throughout Level 8, enjoy live music, DJs and performances by aerialists, burlesque, dancers and magicians.

Tickets are on sale at Eventbrite. VIP Tickets include access to the Sinners y Santos Nightclub.

Club Quarantine founder D-Nice will hit the decks at Walt Disney Concert Hall along with numerous special guests, including host Tisha Campbell, Estelle, Big Daddy Kane, Nice & Smooth, Tweet, Johnny Gill and many more. NOTE: The 7pm performance has been canceled; the 10:30 show will proceed as scheduled.

Also at the Music Center, the Ahmanson Theatre presents Once Upon a Mattress, featuring musical theatre legend Sutton Foster (The Drowsy Chaperone, The Music Man). Full of gloriously catchy melodies like “Shy” and “In a Little While,” this uproarious update of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Princess and the Pea promises both classic charms and new delights. Directed by Tony-nominated Encores! Artistic Director Lear deBessonet (Into the Woods) with a new adaptation by Amy Sherman-Palladino (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel). Performance at 6:30pm on Tuesday, December 31.

The Holiday Ice Rink Pershing Square once again presents an extended season, with daily skating available through Jan. 12, 2025. One of LA's most popular outdoor ice skating rinks, this Downtown LA seasonal staple welcomes teetering first-timers and flashy experienced skaters alike for holiday fun and guaranteed smiles to its 60-minute skating sessions. And yes, the Holiday Ice Rink Pershing Square is open on New Year’s Eve from 11:30am to 9:30pm. The spacious and beautifully decorated rink offers great Downtown LA views, and there are professional skaters on hand to help guests. Remember to wear layers!

"Ask" Morrissey fans where they'll be on New Year's Eve, and they'll tell you the Hollywood Palladium! LA's own Mariachi El Bronx will be opening the NYE concert, which includes a midnight countdown and balloon drop. Prior to the Palladium, Morrissey will play two shows at The United Theater on Broadway on Saturday and Sunday, December 28 and 29. Tickets to all three shows at AXS.

Originally opened in 1936, the famed Cinegrill Theatre became a hotspot for Golden Age Hollywood. In September 2022, the Hollywood Roosevelt resurrected the Cinegrill with a stunning design that evokes its celebrated history. Hidden behind a bookcase in the lower lobby, the intimate venue features velvet lounge-style sofas and a gilded stage with red curtains and gold accents.

On NYE, the Cinegrill presents a special edition of its "Hollywood Rock Nights" residency, featuring drummer and vocalist Billy McNicol and guest performers TBA. Doors at 8pm, tickets are $50 and include a champagne toast at midnight!

Dive into 2024 in delightfully retro style at the Desert 5 Spot. This inspired rooftop venue at tommie Hollywood brings the laid-back vibe of 1970s Palm Springs and the eccentric charm of Pioneertown to Tinseltown. Named after the colorful Mojave Desert flower and influenced by storied Joshua Tree hideouts, throwback motels and cosmic Americana, Desert 5 Spot is the ultimate Hollywood watering hole for those who like to let the good times roll. The roof deck and pool deliver jaw-dropping 360-degree views, while a cozy living room lounge bar dishes out frozen margaritas and chilled beers, making Desert 5 Spot the perfect place to ring in the New Year with like-minded revelers.

The NYE 2025 Party runs 9pm – 2am, with a five-hour premium open bar and tequila toast at midnight. General Admission and VIP tables available.

Hollywood’s biggest NYE celebration, EVE at Universal Studios Hollywood rings in 2025 with musical entertainment, a spectacular fireworks display, and access to select rides and attractions. Included in the price of theme park tickets, EVE offers the ultimate all-day farewell to 2024, beginning with world-famous rides and attractions before transitioning at 9pm to a park-wide celebration and special midnight countdown, with extended hours until 2am. With multiple party areas featuring music, dancing, drinks available for purchase, plus super-shareable photo ops throughout the park culminating with a midnight countdown celebration with fireworks, EVE is the place to make memories on December 31.

The Aster presents a NYE celebration for members and their guests that includes a hosted bar from 8-10 pm, passed hors d'oeuvres, champagne toast, and a music lineup of DJs and live performance by Claude Fontaine curated by indie label Innovative Leisure. Tickets at Dice, email programming@theasterla.com to unlock the booking code.

Boogie into 2025 at Murder at the Disco, an interactive murder mystery taking place at Three Clubs in Hollywood. Mingle with suspicious characters and fabulous drag performers to unravel clues and solve the case, then dance to disco hits and party classics leading up to the NYE countdown.

Tickets at Eventbrite - VIP option includes front row seating, drink and bonus clue. Disco attire is highly encouraged!

Laugh your way into 2025 with The Groundlings New Year’s Eve Spectacular. The revered improvisational and sketch comedy troupe will open the lobby of its cozy Melrose Avenue home at 9pm for hors d’oeuvres, beer and wine. At 10pm, the super-talented Groundlings performers – alumni include Will Ferrell, Lisa Kudrow, Maya Rudolph, Paul Reubens (aka Pee-wee Herman), Kristen Wiig and Phil Hartman – will take the stage for an unpredictable but consistently hilarious improv show featuring The Groundlings House Band. At midnight, the line between the cast and the roughly 100-strong crowd will blur as all present come together to welcome fresh beginnings with a likely raucous champagne toast. The Groundlings New Year’s Eve Spectacular is a unique NYE experience that both entertains and bonds as only up-close live comedy can.

Tickets for the 16+ show are $100.

L.A. Zoo Lights: Animals Aglow features an immersive landscape filled with dazzling new lantern sculptures of animals among blooming flowers, towering trees, glowing rivers and more for a nature-focused holiday celebration that’s as inspiring as it is breathtaking. Running through Jan. 5, 2025, this year’s experience features all-new wonders, including a magical Holiday Forest with majestic pine trees and snow-loving animals; spectacular holiday photo ops, and the return of Santa himself! Timed entry on December 31 at 6pm and 7:30pm.

Enchanted Forest of Light is an interactive nighttime experience that features a one-mile walk through stunning lighting displays in some of the most beloved areas of Descanso Gardens. Expect to see popular returning installations, including an entire town of magical “stained glass” houses by contemporary sculptor Tom Fruin; sparkling geometric installations from HYBYCOZO; Flower Power on the Promenade; and exquisite lighting effects in the Ancient Forest. Timed tickets for NYE are on sale at the Descanso Gardens website and must be purchased in advance.

Seminal Sunset Strip glam metal act L.A. Guns headlining the New Year’s Eve Party at the legendary Whisky A Go Go has become something of a tradition. Formed in 1983 and still featuring core members Tracii Guns and Phil Lewis from its classic lineup, the band released a pair of Gold-certified albums and scored a hit single with 1989’s "The Ballad of Jayne." A solid supporting lineup for this veritable headbanger’s ball comprises American Jetset, Slant, Whiskey Dogz, All Sinners, and Villa Nova. If you’ve never experienced the Whisky A Go Go – a storied venue dating back to the 1960s and synonymous with the "hair metal" scene of the '80s – this six-band NYE bash is the perfect chance to check it off your bucket list.

Tickets to the all-ages NYE party run $75 - $1,000. Doors at 6pm.

Established in 1937, The Mint presents a funky New Year's Eve headlined by The Nth Power on an intimate stage that's hosted legends like Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles and Willie Dixon. Formed during a Jazzfest jam nearly a decade ago, the New Orleans-based trio is known for their powerful mix of soul, funk, rock and R&B. The band—featuring drummer Nikki Glaspie (Beyoncé, Maceo Parker), guitarist and vocalist Nick Cassarino (Jennifer Hartswick, Big Daddy Kane), and bassist Nate Edgar (John Brown’s Body)—delivers electrifying performances marked by soulful harmonies and deep, spiritual energy. Tickets at Dice.

Champagne, sparkling apple juice and delightful sweets and savories accompany the 55th edition of The Annual One-Time-Only New Year’s Eve Revue at the Santa Monica Playhouse.

A distinctive multimedia NYE event, the revue features Rudie-DeCarlo in-person with live SMP artists and special guests streaming from around the globe joining in the singing, dancing, comedy and other delights and surprises culled from six decades of beloved Playhouse productions. From finger-snapping 40s jazz to foot-stompin’ country rock, Jewish patter songs to romantic ballads, this rousing, family-friendly celebration has it all. Add hats, tiaras, noisemakers, streamers and surprises, and you have a not-to-be-missed New Year’s Eve! Beverages and sweet nibbles will be served at 6:30pm with the early bird show starting at 7pm. The 10:30pm show includes a meet & greet with the cast.

City Cruises is hosting a New Year's Eve Premier Dinner Cruise in Marina del Rey! The 3.5 hour cruise includes a buffet-style gourmet dinner, alcoholic beverages and live DJ entertainment. Pricing starts at $290, with upgrade packages that add top shelf bar, deluxe champagne (1 bottle / two guests), souvenir champagne flutes and a window table. Dress code is cocktail attire for the NYE cruise.