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

Grand Park’s NYELA: Countdown to 2023 is the largest free New Year’s Eve event on the West Coast. This year, it also continues Grand Park’s 10th anniversary celebrations with the park’s jaw-dropping 3D countdown lightshow projected onto L.A.’s landmark City Hall as 2023 rolls in.

An incredible lineup of lauded DJs will build anticipation for the event’s headliners: GRAMMY-nominated Cuban funk artist Cimafunk (on the Countdown Stage, hosted by DJ Raul Campos) and generation-spanning L.A. DJ Marques Wyatt (on the Get Down Stage, hosted by DJ Banga Brownin). Light bites and desserts will be available from some of the city’s favorite gourmet food trucks. NOTE: Alcohol is not permitted and will not be sold at Grand Park.

Grand Park’s NYELA runs from 8 p.m. on December 31 to 12:30 a.m. on January 1. The Get Down Stage will be located at the park’s Block 2, between Grand Avenue and Olive Court. The Countdown Stage will be located at Block 4, between Hill and Spring Streets.

The Millennium Biltmore is celebrating its centennial in 2023, and the legendary hotel is ringing in its 100th year with LA Noir NYE 2023, a spectacular evening of entertainment with more than 40 performers, live music, dancers, themed cocktail bars, photo ops and much more.

The Crystal Stage presents dancing, live music from LA-based Alice Underground, and guest artists. The Radio Stage features a hidden speakeasy tunnel - originally created in 1923, the tunnel will be opened to the public for the first time in 40 years.

General Admission is $99, with VIP options and hotel packages available. Period-inspired attire or black tie is encouraged, imagination is celebrated! Coat check will be available on-site.

Ring in 2023 with the global beats of Pangea Sound at The Theatre at Ace Hotel. The setting’s our glitzy Spanish Gothic-style lobby and the sounds are from the Caribbean, Africa, Latin America and everywhere in between, spun by DJs Falcons, Supernova, Sleepy Joe, Joaquin and more special guests.

For extra razzle-dazzle, grab VIP tickets for access to the exclusive Theatre Mezzanine with a top-shelf open bar from 9–11pm, canapés and bubbly. If you’re thinking of spending the night, book a room with code RINGIN for half-off two tickets to The Theatre party and they'll save you two spots Upstairs. Stay for two nights and it's all included.

GRAMMY Award-winning Philadelphia hip-hop group The Roots rings in 2023 with not one, but two special performances at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Downtown LA. On NYE, they will play at 7 p.m. and again at 10:30 p.m. at WDCH, which is part of The Music Center.

Formed in 1987 and consistently one of the most versatile groups of their genre, The Roots also serve as the house band on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Known for a jazzy and eclectic approach to hip-hop featuring live instruments, the band has received three GRAMMY Awards and a trio of NAACP Image Awards. Formed by Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter and Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, The Roots’ current 12-strong live lineup is renowned for its energized sets of classics and covers distinguished by a rare combination of impeccable musicianship and innate showmanship.

Tickets for New Year’s Eve with The Roots run $74 - $264.

For a musical New Year’s Eve in grand surroundings that can still have you home in time for midnight, consider Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations at the Ahmanson Theatre in Downtown LA. There will be two performances of Ain’t Too Proud on New Year’s Eve, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

The acclaimed Broadway musical traces the Temptations’ extraordinary journey from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Intertwined with the quintet’s chart-topping silky-smooth harmonies is a thrilling tale of brotherhood, family, loyalty, and betrayal during a decade of civil unrest in America. Written by three-time Obie Award winner Dominique Morisseau, directed by two-time Tony Award winner Des McAnuff (Jersey Boys), and choreographed by Tony-Award winner Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys, On Your Feet!), the production includes Temptations classics like "My Girl," "Just My Imagination" and "Get Ready."

Tickets are $40-$175. Ain’t Too Proud is playing at the Ahmanson through Jan. 1, 2023.

The traditional Holiday Ice Rink Pershing Square has extended its season this year, with daily skating now available through Jan. 8, 2023.

One of LA's most popular outdoor ice skating rinks, this charming and bonding Downtown LA seasonal staple welcomes teetering first-time gliders and flashy experienced skaters alike for holiday fun and guaranteed smiles at its 60-minute skating sessions. And yes, the Holiday Ice Rink Pershing Square is open on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day (10 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.).

Skate rentals are available at the spacious and beautifully decorated rink with great DTLA views, and there are professional skaters on hand to help anyone who’s struggling. Remember to wear layers for L.A.’s unpredictable winter weather!

Hours vary by date. General Admission tickets are $20. Locker rental is $5 and skate helpers $6. Underground parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis at the Pershing Square Parking Garage.

Deftly blending striptease and comedy in the style of a 1940s variety show, Dita Von Teese’s year-end burlesque extravaganzas are a local tradition. This year, her GLAMONATRIX NYE Gala is held at Downtown L.A.’s Orpheum Theatre. The 2,000-capacity venue, opened nearly a century ago, makes an aptly opulent setting to see in the New Year, offering a sophisticated sense of occasion on any occasion. Built as a vaudeville venue, it’s also an appropriate host for Von Teese, a former Playboy cover star whose worldwide live performances and TV appearances have been credited with re-popularizing the art of burlesque over recent years. Always a sparkly persona, the acclaimed dancer, model, and author is the perfect host for an evening of throwback, risqué NYE glam.

Dita Von Teese: GLAMONATRIX NYE Gala starts at 9 p.m. Tickets run $49.50 - $322, plus taxes and fees. Ages 18+ only.

Now in its 22nd year, Masterbeat features 10 DJs spinning at five events at some of LA's top venues and nightclubs. The festivities begin with two parties in one at The Belasco on Friday, December 30: the Disco Ball and Masquerade. Join 3,000 of the hottest guys from around the world at Masterbeat's main event: Carnival New Year's Eve at the historic Mayan Theatre. Superstar DJs and GRAMMY-nominated remixers Rosabel (Abel Aguilera and Ralphi Rosario) will be on the decks to take you on an all-night musical journey from 9pm to 6am. Keep the party going at XXX: Red Light District, taking place from 3am to 10am at Academy LA in Hollywood. The weekend closes out with The Neon Circus on Sunday, January 1 at Avalon in Hollywood.

Returning for the first time since before the pandemic, the much-missed Prohibition NYE will once again transform the appropriately historic Union Station into a Roaring Twenties-inspired end-of-year extravaganza. The event’s broad spectrum of entertainment will include a DJ set from relentlessly grooving L.A. alt-pop duo Neil Frances; veteran British DJ/producer Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs; live jazz ensemble Lyndsay & the All-Nighters; and acclaimed burlesque troupe Concrete Entertainment. Prohibition NYE also features a premium open bar for all and, as the clock strikes midnight, a spectacular signature 60-foot ball drop from Union Station’s famed Art Deco ceiling.

Prohibition NYE will run from 9 p.m. on Dec. 31, until 2 a.m. on Jan. 1. General Admission tickets for the premium event will be offered at $195. A limited number of 4-person VIP packages, featuring a private entrance, table service, and an exclusive stage-side elevated viewing experience will be available for $3,000.

Nocturnal eyes aren’t the only things twinkling at the L.A. Zoo at this time of year. One of the city’s brightest winter traditions, L.A. Zoo Lights: Animals Aglow is a wild wonderland of light that’s been substantially reimagined for the 2022-23 season. Running through January 22, this 60- to 90-minute self-guided stroll is an escapist, immersive landscape filled with incredible lantern sculptures of animals among blooming flowers, towering trees, and more – a wildlife-centered experience at once breathtaking and inspiring.

Special Family New Year’s Eve tickets are $100 for adults and $75 for children (up to age 18), including a buffet dinner with dessert, dancing, a live broadcast of the Times Square ball drop, and more.

L.A. Zoo Lights: Animals Aglow is open 6 p.m. – 10 p.m. Closed most Mondays and Tuesdays, plus Dec. 24 and 25.

Tickets on "Value Nights" (Dec. 14 & 15; Jan. 4-5, 11-12, 18 & 19) are $34 for adults and $27 for children. "Premium Nights" (Dec. 16-23 & 26-31; Jan. 1, 6-8, 13-15, & 20-22) are $39 for adults and $32 for children.

Descanso Gardens’ Enchanted Forest of Light illuminates the entire holiday season, including New Year’s Eve, with an incomparable interactive after-dark experience. Comprising a one-mile stroll through singular lighting experiences in some of Descanso's most popular areas, returning favorites this year include an entire town of enchanting “stained glass” creations by sculptor Tom Fruin; sparkling geometric installations from HYBYCOZO (the collaborative studio of Serge Beaulieu and Yelena Filipchuk); Flower Power on the Promenade; and exquisite lighting effects in the Ancient Forests. For those who prefer to be at home for the NYE countdown itself, Enchanted fits perfectly - the latest entry time on December 31 is 8:30 p.m.

Enchanted Forest of Light runs through Jan. 8, 2023 (closed December 24 and 25). Entry times: 5:30 p.m., 6 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 7 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

Tickets are $22 - $28 for Descanso Gardens members; $34 - $40 for non-members.

The landmark Hollywood Roosevelt is hosting a stylish New Year's Eve celebration in the Blossom Ballroom, site of the very first Academy Awards.

Featuring live entertainment by The Satin Dollz, the festivities include an elegant four-course dinner by Chef Rigo Salas, premium open bar from 8pm-9pm, festive countdown and champagne toast at midnight. Dress code is formal gala attire.

Tickets are priced at $300 per person and on sale at Eventbrite.

Stagecoach artist Nikki Lane headlines the NYE Honky Tonk at Desert 5 Spot, the Pioneertown-inspired rooftop venue at tommie Hollywood. The music lineup also includes Johnny Travis Jr & the Desert 5 Band, Wade Crescent and special guests.

Tickets include a premium open bar from 9pm to 2am; passed hors d'oeuvres, midnight tequila toast and a mechanical bull. General Admission is $150 with VIP tables available.

Come for the Honky Tonk, stay for the night with a special NYE promo code.

Hollywood’s biggest NYE celebration, EVE at Universal Studios Hollywood rings in 2023 with musical entertainment, a spectacular fireworks display, and access to select rides and attractions. Included in the price of theme park admission, EVE offers the ultimate all-day farewell to 2022, beginning with award-winning rides and attractions before transitioning at 9 p.m. to a park-wide celebration and special midnight countdown, with extended hours until 2 a.m. With multiple entertainment hubs featuring DJs spinning an eclectic selection of EDM, hip-hop, pop, rock, and Latin music, plus super-shareable photo ops throughout the park, EVE is the place to make memories on December 31.

For a frenetic night of ultra-danceable hip-hop, head to the famed Hollywood Palladium for a year-ending performance from rapidly rising Southern rapper Ken Carson.

Initially discovered by Playboi Carti, who signed Carson to his Opium label, the Atlanta-based wunderkind has amassed 100 million streams, with his sophomore album X crashing the Billboard 200 earlier this year. At the end of October, Carson and fellow Atlanta rapper SoFaygo released the single and video "Hell Yeah," which has already racked up more than 1.5 million YouTube views.

Known for his focused flows; energized electronic production from the likes of Lil 88, Outtatown and Starboy; and an uncanny ability to get bodies moving, Carson is well-chosen as the Palladium’s NYE party starter, especially with so many music fans curious to see what the big buzz is all about.

General Admission standing tickets are $35 plus fees. Doors open at 8:30 p.m.

Laugh your way into 2023 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 9 p.m. for hors d’oeuvres, beer, and wine. At 10 p.m., the super-talented Groundlings performers – alumni include Will Ferrell, Lisa Kudrow, Maya Rudolph, Paul Reubens (aka Pee-wee Herman), Kristen Wiig and the late 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. It's a unique NYE experience that both entertains and bonds as only up-close live comedy can.

Tickets for The Groundlings’ New Year’s Eve Spectacular are $100. Doors at 9 p.m.

Veteran Sunset Strip glam metal band L.A. Guns headlining the Rock ‘n’ Roll New Year’s Eve Bash at the legendary Whisky A Go Go has become something of a local tradition. Formed in 1983 and still including 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 Texas/Hollywood rockers Brittneys Rage, Indiana Bradley, Member, the Taz Taylor Band, Burning the Fields, and Vantablak.

If you’ve never experienced the Whisky A Go Go - a storied venue reaching back to the 1960s and synonymous with the "hair metal" scene of the '80s - this seven-band New Year’s Eve party is the perfect chance to check it off your bucket list.

The Whisky A Go Go Rock ‘n’ Roll New Year’s Eve Bash starts at 6 p.m.

Tickets run $60 - $1,200. All-ages.

Established in 1937, The Mint presents a headlining New Year's Eve set by Calling Cadence on an intimate stage that's hosted legends like Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles and Willie Dixon. Fronted by Oscar Bugarin and Rae Cole, Calling Cadence is a band rooted in harmony — harmony between voices, between songwriters, and between genres like rock, country, swampy blues and Southern soul. Support from LA-based bands Eastcliff and The Hollow Legs. Doors at 7:30 p.m.

General Admission tickets are $15. The Celebration Package for 2 ($100) includes two glasses of champagne and an appetizer.

Herb Alpert's acclaimed jazz supperclub, Vibrato presents two shows on New Year's Eve. The early show features Louie Cruz Beltran, who blends Afro-Cuban rhythms with Latin jazz, pop and R&B influences.

The NYE Countdown Party features the Angel Town Combo, led by drummer Mark San Filippo and sultry vocalist Liela Avila. The NYE Countdown Party includes a three-course prix fixe dinner, Taittinger champagne, swag and more.

Tickets to the NYE shows are on sale at the Vibrato website.

Capital Cities’ smash 2011 single “Safe and Sound” remains ubiquitous on American radio and will make a suitably nostalgic soundtrack for looking back on 2022 during their intimate NYE performance at The Venice West. Just one of the three videos made for the song alone has amassed a giddying 673 million YouTube views, so expect a crowd-wide singalong on the big night. The LA-based electro-pop duo, comprising Ryan Merchant and Sebu Simonian, earned a Platinum certification for their 2013 debut album In a Tidal Wave of Mystery and joined Katy Perry on her epic Prismatic World Tour the following year. Capital Cities’ fresh and funky live sets consistently captivate audiences, so the 200-capacity Venice West should be a throbbing, shoulder-to-shoulder celebration on New Year’s Eve. Special guests are Spencer Ludwig and Moon Cougar.

General Admission tickets for Capital Cities at The Venice West on Dec. 31 are $58 plus fees. Doors are at 6 p.m. with an 8 p.m. showtime.

The Santa Monica Playhouse welcomes 2023 with The Annual One-Time-Only New Year’s Eve Revue, featuring a family-friendly Rudie-DeCarlo musical revue, prizes, sing-alongs, dancing in the aisles, humor and other delights culled from six decades of beloved SMP productions. Admission includes champagne, sparkling non-alcoholic cider, sweets & savories, tiaras, noisemakers and general merrymaking. The 10 p.m. show includes a meet-and-greet with the cast. The Early Bird celebration at 7 p.m. offers everything that the later show does, plus it's a great way to celebrate New Year’s Eve with the entire family and get home at a reasonable hour, or to kick off an evening of after-theatre dining and festivities.

Tickets for the 7 p.m. show are $39.50 for adults and $24.50 for kids 12 and under. The 10 p.m. show is $49.50 for adults, $34.50 for kids, and $44.50 for students, teachers, seniors and military.

For family-oriented NYE fun, head to the New Year’s Eve Glow Party in Marina del Rey. Taking place from 7 p.m.to– 11:59 p.m. at the seaside community’s Burton Chace Park, the event features face painting, DJ sets, dancing, and some of the best food trucks in town. Watch live broadcasts of East and West Coast countdowns to 2023, with accompanying fireworks at 8:59 p.m. (for the East Coast countdown) and 11:59 p.m. (for the West Coast). The 10-acre waterside park is dog-friendly and NYE admission is free! The famed firework displays can also be viewed at Fisherman’s Village and from Marina del Rey’s many waterfront restaurants (reservations highly recommended).

Burton Chace Park is located at 13650 Mindanao Way, Marina del Rey 90292. Free admission.

Following a sold-out run in London, Lightscape made its West Coast debut at the L.A. County Arboretum last winter. It has now returned with stunning new installations, through January 8. This season’s expanded Lightscape trail includes dazzling displays of color, light, and sound that include the astounding Winter Cathedral. The self-guided walk is a little over a mile long but typically takes about 90 minutes to complete, as visitors stop and stare at enveloping installations that have enthralled viewers worldwide. Lightscape entry times (including NYE) are available from 5:30 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. in 15-minute intervals (last entry at 9 p.m.).

Tickets are $39 on peak days and $37 on non-peak days for adults, and $20/$18 for children aged 3-12 (plus service fees). Arboretum members receive a $3 discount on all tickets. Off-site remote parking included with all tickets. On-site preferred parking is $20; valet parking is $40.