Start 2025 with a Blast: 20 Things to do on New Year's Eve!

It's that time of the year again when it's ending (See what we did there?), and you’re looking for different ways to celebrate the culmination of 2023 and welcome 2024. We know that the number one task on your to-do list would be to find some amazing things to do on New Year's Eve, whether alone or with someone.

With so much already on your plate, we know that fulfilling all the tasks on your to-do list can take a back seat. From doing a night out and hosting a costume party to playing video games and night camping, there are numerous stuff to do on New Year's Eve that you can try to ring in 2024.

So, without waiting for the next year, let's take a look at some fun things to do on New Year's Eve to ensure that you bid the current year a fitting farewell.

Things to do on New Year's Eve

A long year of happy moments, challenges, and major breakthroughs, and now we’re at the end of 2023, ready to celebrate all that we learned and experienced and say hello to the New Year. And this makes new year’s celebrations even more special. We have curated a list of all the fun things to do on New Year’s Eve to make it a blast for you and your loved ones. Take a look!

1. Read a Good Book

Don’t want to go out and party on New Year's Eve? Then, getting lost in a good book is something that you can add to your list of things to do on New Year's Eve. Suspense thriller lovers can read The Silent Patient, Before I Go To Sleep, and Tell Me Your Dreams. If you want to read something spiritual, you can go for Autobiography of a Yogi, Siddharta, and Be Here Now. Looking for something in non-fiction, read A Brief History of Time, Educated, and Your Next Five Moves. For more options, take your pick from these best books to read for students.

2. Do a Night Out

One of the activities in New Year you can do is to go for a night out with friends. You can try street food hopping, trying out all kinds of mouth-watering cuisines. After having good food, you can maybe chill beside a lake or simply go for a nice long drive. A night out is definitely one of the best things to do on New Year’s Eve.

3. Cook a Delicious Meal Together

What's a New Year's celebration without good food? Cooking a nice meal together with family or even friends is actually a wholesome way to celebrate the end of the year. Hence, it must make it to your list of ideas for New Year's Eve celebrations. You can plan a grand menu which could include a variety of cuisines, ranging from Asian, Korean, and Indian to Mexican and Italian.

4. Have a Karaoke Night

Love karaoke? Wonderful! Having a karaoke night is another thing that you can add to your list of fun things to do on New Year's Eve. Prepare a playlist of your favourite songs before the karaoke night, and be ready to sing your heart out and have a blast!

5. Journal About all the Good Moments of 2023

New Year's Eve is a fantastic time to take stock of all that has transpired over the previous 365 days, especially the fun-filled, good moments. Journaling is a great way to look back on all those lovely memories. Everyone can enjoy your heartwarming tale if you choose the most memorable occasion you had this year. And so, journaling must make it to your list of activities in the new year.

6. Binge Watch a TV Show or Movie

Cuddled up in a cosy blanket with hot chocolate and pasta, watching The Holiday, When Harry Met Sally, or Holidate - sounds like a perfect New year! Binge-watching your favourite shows and movies with loved ones is a wonderful activity you can add to your list of New Year's Eve activities! All you need is popcorn, a few drinks, ideally a big TV with good sound, and some low lighting. 

7. Attend New Year's Eve Celebrations

There will be a host of amazing New Year's Eve events happening in your city. So the next thing you can add to your list of best things to do for NYE is attending a New Year's Eve celebrations party. Find out about the New Year's celebrations in your city and plan to attend with your friends. 

8. Host a New Year Costume Party at Home

One of the most popular yet enjoyable things to do on New Year's Eve is to host a costume party at your place. A house party is ideal as you are surrounded by your loved ones and ring in the new year with love and familiarity instead of going out and struggling to find a good place to welcome the new year. A few costume theme ideas you can consider are superheroes, the 1980’s, Wizard of Oz, and Disney characters.

9. Go to a Concert

Who doesn’t love concerts? For your New Year's Eve celebrations, you can add attending a concert on your list of best things to do for NYE. You can explore the concerts happening in your town and go to the one that appeals to you the most. 

10. Set a Scavenger Hunt

How does following clues to get to something sound like fun, right? If you’re throwing a house party or attending a friend’s New Year's celebrations, then a scavenger hunt is something that you must add to your list of stuff to do on New Year's Eve. A scavenger hunt will definitely add lots of fun to your New Year's Eve celebrations, with everyone coming together to solve clues and find hidden items.

11. Play Video Games

Want to ring in the New Year with Lara Croft, Ezio Auditore or Ryu Hayabusa rather than Mr. Santa Claus? All the gamers out there who don’t wish to go out for New Year's celebrations can stay in and play lots and lots of video games. You can call your friends over or crash at their place and indulge in a good gaming session, playing Assassin’s Creed, Ninja Gaiden, or Dungeons and Dragons. It is sure to boost you up and make your New Year's Eve celebrations truly amazing! 

12. Go on a Trip

One of the unique things to do on New Year's is visiting a different city or country. You can travel to a different city for your New Year's Eve celebrations. If you have a good budget and have always wanted to take an international trip, especially to witness New Year's celebrations in other countries such as France, Hungary, Scotland, Italy, and Spain, then this is the best time! If you’re travelling alone, then these 30 tips for travelling solo will help you. 

13. Indulge in a Spa Therapy

After a year of hard work and hustle, the new year is finally the time to sit back and relax. And what better way to do it than getting good spa therapy? Spa therapy will help you destress, help your body relax, and refresh you in so many ways. A few spas you can go for include Aromatherapy, Hot Stone Massage, and Acupressure. So, for this New Year's Eve celebration, do add spa therapy to your list of ideas for New Year's Eve.

14. Get Your Cleaning Hats On

Cleaning your home is actually one of the unique things to do on New Year's Eve. Don’t keep delaying that cleaning you have wanted to do for a long time. Get your decluttering mode on and get started with cleaning, maybe start with something that will take less time, and then go on with bigger cleaning tasks. And to make it easier, you can always follow some clever organisation hacks. This activity will enable you to walk in the new year with a fresh mind and no stress about cleaning. So don’t wait, and put cleaning as one of your New Year's Eve activities. 

15. Embark on an Adventure

Though not exactly one of the conventional things to do on New Year's Eve, welcoming the new year with an adventure is gaining popularity amongst youngsters. There are so many adventurous and fun outdoor activities to try out. You can ski, snowshoe, or go hiking or scuba diving to enjoy some pleasant sights as part of your New Year's celebrations. Indulging in an adventurous activity can help your brain produce serotonin, which supports emotional stability. And a positive attitude to start the year off sounds like the ideal sign for what lies ahead, right?

Away From Home? Unique Things to Do on New Year's Eve

We know that most of you must be away from home, in a different city or country, and you must be missing home so much at this time of the year. But worry not! Besides the ones we’ve listed above, we have a few more ideas for New Year's Eve that you can do while you are away from home.

16. Indulge in a Self Care Routine

It's the new year, and everyone wants to drink and dance the night away. But, for some, this time of the year may be an isolating one, especially for international students. Living with just yourself during this time can be made easier with the help of a healthy self-care routine and student wellness services. To spend good quality time with yourself and refresh your mind and body, you can do meditation and yoga, go for a walk in nature, read a book, and get good sleep. We have a few more self-care strategies for every area of your life that you can do. Indulging in self-care is one of the unique things to do on New Year's Eve. 

17. Go for Night Camping

Night camping is one of the unique things to do on New Year's Eve. You can plan with your friends to go for night camping. You can look for good jungle, riverside, or beach night camping, whatever suits your preferences. If you’re booking camping offered by agencies or travel companies, then you can check their itinerary for campers. The itinerary usually consists of free meals, adventure or hiking activities, bonfires, dance, and live music. 

18. Do DIY Activities with your Friends

Thinking of unique things to do on New Year's Eve? You can indulge in DIY activities with your friends for your New Year's Eve celebrations. You can make hand-made candles, paper flowers or baskets and create wall decorations. You can also make scrapbooks to remember your year and show them the appreciation they deserve. Or you can make vision boards for the new year, wherein you can include all that you want to do in 2024.

19. Celebrate New Year with Strangers

Yes, you read that right! Drinking, dancing, and being amongst strangers is one of the fun and unique things to do on New Year's Eve. Meeting strangers will open you to new perspectives, help you learn new things, share crazy stories, and definitely make great friends! You can simply go to a club, camping, or hiking alone, where you can meet and connect with strangers and celebrate your new year. 

20. Volunteer at an NGO

One of the unique things to do on New Year's Eve is to volunteer for an NGO that supports a cause you believe in. You can spend the day at the NGO helping people with volunteering activities such as serving people, helping with cleaning, or cooking meals for everyone. Volunteering gives you a sense of purpose and happiness. So, don’t forget to mention it in your list of stuff to do on New Year's Eve.  

Ring in the New Year with Style

That was our list of fun and unique things to do on New Year's Eve, a time for celebration and reflection. And it’s definitely a time to try something new. Whether you prefer a wild night out or a peaceful evening at home, there are so many things to do on New Year’s Eve. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can try skydiving or bungee jumping. If you’re more of a homebody, you can host a movie night or throw a costume party. Or, if you’re looking for something a little more low-key, try creating a vision board or writing a list of goals for the upcoming year.

Whatever you decide to do, make sure to take some time to reflect and appreciate the moments you shared in the past year and look forward to the possibilities of the new one. To all our readers, we wish you a very happy and prosperous New Year!