What to do in Rome on New Year’s Eve?

For those who are planning to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Rome, in the Lazio region, today we will give you some tips on where to go and what to see. I can already tell you that it is an incredible, unforgettable and very different experience! Now let’s find out what to do in Rome on New Year’s Eve? Stay with us and make the most of Italy! Here at Italy’s Dream Tourism you can make the trip of your dreams come true!!! Also check out our Accommodation in Italy Section – Tips for your Vacation!

Our Introduction

New Year’s Eve in Rome is always very busy: the city is very lively, full and the cold weather doesn’t scare anyone away!!!! Preparations start early and Rome soon takes on a very festive atmosphere! First thing to do: book dinner (cenone) and your hotel in advance, because with the city full, it is very difficult to find a restaurant that serves without reservations and it is very common to find restaurants closed, so plan in advance!!! Click here in this post to find some tips for booking dinner for New Year’s Eve in Rome. Read also: What to do in Rome during Christmas?

1) What to do in Rome on New Year’s Eve? GO TO THE CIRCUS MAXIMUS AND/OR THE IMPERIAL FORUMS!

The New Year’s Eve concert is one of the most eagerly awaited New Year’s Eve traditions. It’s a huge FREE SHOW that brings together the best singers on the national pop scene (in recent years, names like Elodie, Francesca Michielin and Madame have taken to the stage). This show is usually organized in the Circus Maximus area or in the center, at the Imperial Forums (accessible by Metro B and Metro B1, getting off at the Colosseum stop).

The event officially starts around 9:00 pm and hundreds of participants gather to party and have fun to the rhythm of music, toasts and a fireworks show as a grand finale. Get ready for the crowds! It gets PACKED! It’s not uncommon for people to start gathering early, around 6pm, so if you want to go there, don’t go too late, OK?! Click here on the Official Website and find out everything about New Year’s Eve in Rome!

Good to know!

If you love walking around the city and can’t decide on just one event, you should know that on New Year’s Eve the entire capital comes alive with parties and events, each one more fun than the last. There’s no corner of the city where you won’t find tourists eager to have a healthy party in the streets, leaving behind the problems of last year: among the liveliest areas we highlight Piazza dell’ Emporio, Circus Maximus, Lungotevere but also the wonderful Orange Garden, located on the Aventine Hill.

2) What to do in Rome on New Year’s Eve? CELEBRATE THE NEW YEAR AT PRIVATE PARTIES!

If you want something a little more ‘calm’, you can choose to spend New Year’s Eve at private parties. Several hotels, especially luxury hotels, offer great options for those who prefer to stay indoors. Hotels such as Mercure Roma, Cristoforo Colombo and Marriott Roma offer great events and also welcome non-guests, but reservations are required and ticket prices range from 40.00 to 730.00 euros. Check out our section on accommodation in Italy!

3) What to do in Rome on New Year’s Eve? Wait for the New Year to arrive at Cinecittà World!

Want to go to a place where you can have a complete New Year’s Eve, with more than 40 attractions? Well, Cinecittà World, a theme park focused on cinema, has a beautiful structure and on dates like Christmas and New Year’s Eve they offer a lot of events.

On December 31st, you will have at your disposal: 8 types of themed dinners (including a theme for children), 10 discos, 6 live shows and, of course, a beautiful fireworks display at midnight! The party hours are wonderful, you can have fun, believe it or not, from 6:00 pm on December 31st until 8:00 am on January 1st. Phew, you have the energy and desire to party, don’t you think?

Useful Information

• Official Website: Capodanno in Rome | Cinecittà World; 
• Address: Via Irina Alberti, 00128;
• Opening hours: 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.;
• Prices: From 50.00 to 160.00 euros.

4) What to do in Rome on New Year’s Eve? HOW ABOUT SPENDING THE NEW YEAR’S EVE IN A NIGHTCLUB?

Dancing is synonymous with joy and celebration, and on New Year’s Eve it is almost a must to dance a little to attract many good things for the year that is beginning.

There are several nightclubs in Rome. Piper, Room 26 and Jolie are some of the clubs that offer New Year’s Eve parties, where you can have a lot of fun. Ticket prices usually include dinner and entrance to the nightclub, and prices vary between 60.00 and 250.00 euros.

5) What to do in Rome on New Year’s Eve? ROMAN RESTAURANTS ARE READY TO WELCOME YOU!

When we think of Italy, the first thing that immediately comes to mind is the amount of good and delicious food that exists in this wonderful country! Why not take advantage and choose a good restaurant to welcome in the New Year? Well, you should know that in Rome many restaurants are getting ready to welcome you on this special day!

There are options for all tastes, whether you’re spending it with your family and children, with friends, or with a live show. Traditional, elegant or refined restaurants, it doesn’t matter, you’re sure to find an alternative that pleases you! Buffet prices range from 90.00 to 325.00 euros. Read also: Where to go on New Year’s Eve in Italy?

6) What to do in Rome on New Year’s Eve? TRY SPENDING NEW YEAR’S EVE IN A BEAUTIFUL MANSION!

Rome has beautiful mansions that will leave you speechless! Many of these mansions are actually event spaces and usually organize incredible New Year’s Eve parties and dinners, all designed to start the New Year with great quality and refinement. Casina Valadier and Casina Macchia Madamma are options to start your year in a beautiful and different way. Ticket prices range from 60.00 to 300.00 euros.

Golden Tips

• If you want a list of ALL the New Year’s Eve parties in Italy, you can access the Official Capodanno 31 Website by clicking here, which offers excellent options for all tastes, budgets and audiences. You can choose by location, type of party and in several cities the party that best fits your profile.
• For those who like nativity scenes, a really cool outing is to visit the 100 Nativity Scenes of the Vatican. It runs from December 8, 2024 to January 6, 2025, from 10:00 am to 7:30 pm and is FREE! On December 25 and 31, closing time is brought forward to 5:00 pm. The event takes place in Piazza San Pietro, in the Vatican. Click here on the Official Website to learn more about the 100 Nativity Scenes of the Vatican!

Important Information

I will leave here some information about schedules, traffic changes, public transportation and much more! And if you have any questions, be sure to write to me!

What to do while you wait for the countdown?

Well: Rome operates (almost) normally until 6:00 pm on December 31st, some places do not ‘shut down’ on New Year’s Eve; so shops, restaurants for lunch, museums, monuments and churches are open as usual – but always check the opening hours of the chosen destinations on the official websites.

There is, however, one important place that is closed on December 31st and January 1st: the Vatican Museum. This is because they need to prepare for the New Year’s Mass and, for that, they also close Piazza San Pietro, starting at noon! So, I do not suggest that you choose this day to go to the Vatican. On January 1st, a holiday, museums and monuments are NOT OPEN, including the Colosseum. So try to plan to visit some places on December 31st.

Attention!!!

Around 2:00 pm on December 31st, some central streets will start to be closed to traffic, as this is when they start setting up structures for shows and fireworks. So, if you can, avoid walking around the center of Rome at these times, as the police may not let you through some places!

Fireworks

Speaking of fireworks: don’t expect anything like the fireworks at Copacabana Beach! In Italy, everything is much more modest, but it’s still beautiful!

Public Transportation

Public transportation operates on alternative schedules, with the metropolitan line (Metro) operating until 2:30 am on January 1st, but only reopening at 8:00 am, so plan accordingly if you are far from your hotel! Buses, trains and trams will only run until 9:00 pm on December 31st, and will also resume service on January 1st at 8:00 am. Find out here How to use the Subway in Rome? and How to Get Around Rome by Public Transport?

Fun Facts

Let’s satisfy your curiosity about some Italian traditions! Read also: Christmas Markets in Rome.

Is red the color of the Italian New Year?

Of course, it’s hard to find someone dressed in white in a crowd, after all, it’s cold and it often rains, so white is not the most popular color for the occasion, but a red piece of clothing is a rule for Italians; they usually wear it as underwear!

What do Italians eat on New Year’s Eve?

Many people ask what a typical Italian menu is for a New Year’s party, so let’s get to it!

The Most Favorite Dish

The most favorite and traditional dish for Italians on New Year’s Eve is lentils and cotechino. Cotechino is a sausage stuffed with pork skin and, despite being quite fatty, it’s delicious and, when well made, it’s even light. It’s usually boiled and some people cook it together with lentils.

Talking about lentils, they are cooked for forty minutes in a stew of onion, celery and carrots, with a little tomato paste and served with a little salt and olive oil. Another typical dish, a “cousin” of cotechino, is Zampone, which is very similar to the sausage we mentioned earlier and, of course, also comes with lentils.

Appetizers

It’s hard to imagine a New Year’s Eve dinner without appetizers, right? On New Year’s Eve, they maintain the tradition with the table full of delicious appetizers, mainly with cheeses and caponatas, as well as olives and bruschetta. As a main dish, risotto with mushrooms or seafood is very common. Since it’s winter during New Year’s Eve, many locals opt for the delicious cappelletti soup or tortellini with meat broth.

In places near the sea, the main dishes are octopus, cod and fish. On the dessert table, it is quite common to find dried fruits, pomegranates and grapes, which, like lentils, are said to bring luck and fortune for the coming year! Also on the dessert table are the splendid tiramisù and, of course, the traditional panettone and pandoro.

Fruit and chocolate tarts are also on the menu: some simpler, others more elaborate, but all delicious! For coffee and as a digestive after dinner: cantucci, a type of almond biscuit!

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Conclusion

What to do in Rome on New Year’s Eve? Guys, it would be IMPOSSIBLE to list ALL the New Year’s Eve parties in Rome. The city is huge, it LOVES a party, so it’s not hard to find a cool place to go on New Year’s Eve. Important: wear comfortable clothes, don’t bring huge bags or backpacks, and remember to make reservations for dinner in advance, as well as for private parties, if you don’t want to go out.

You can even ask your hotel what they suggest for New Year’s Eve: maybe they have a special program and you don’t even know! And pay attention to public transport timetables! Taking a taxi back to the hotel can be a problem, it’s very hard to find, so: plan your schedule carefully, OK?!

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Did my post help you, or do you still have questions? Leave your comment below, and I’ll get back to you!

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