This year, more than any other, we should all have a huge party to ring in the New Year. Those of you who have made it through this year with a sense of awe and wonder at what we've been through are not alone.
It's likely that we're all experiencing a peculiar case of cognitive dissonance, juggling conflicting emotions like sadness and fear with joy and the need to try out our newfound freedom.
We have never been so aware of how near we are to both safety and disaster as we are right now. We might as well have fun because we have no idea what the new year will bring.
And if you follow our guide to Melbourne's finest New Year's Eve celebrations, you'll be sure to have a blast.
Melbourne's New Year's Eve
You've had quite the year, and we don't mean that as a compliment. Some of our favourite locations in Melbourne are eager to greet you with open arms, so we're betting you're more than ready to say goodbye to the bad luck. There are a variety of events going all throughout town to help you celebrate the arrival of the new year, from club nights to rooftop pubs with spectacular views of the fireworks.
The Abbotsford Lot
Jazz-rave outcasts Moor Music and Velodrome Events have joined forces to host a spectacular New Year's Eve party, complete with performances by a number of local DJs and musicians. Abbotsford Lot, an oasis made of shipping containers located in the middle of Victoria Street, will host the event.
Soul, jazz, disco, funk, and more will all be represented on the eclectic playlist. In addition, you may avoid missing out on any of the action by placing your meal order with adjacent vendors using a QR code.
New Year's Eve Celebration Zones
A city's New Year's Eve is packed with exciting possibilities for welcoming 2022 in style. Celebration Zones, accessible with a ticket, will be set up at Alexandra Gardens, Flagstaff Gardens, Docklands, and Treasury Gardens, all of which will feature kid- and family-friendly activities, live music, and facilities. There will be fireworks shows at 6:00 and 12:00 a.m. in each sector. The event's needed tickets are no longer available.
According to Victoria's Plan, everyone entering the New Year's Eve Celebration Zone must be up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations or provide proof of a medical exemption. Wearing a mask is also highly suggested. Melbourne and the Victorian State Government are responsible for organising and facilitating New Year's Eve celebration zones.
Bar Clara
At Bar Clara's alcoholic New Year's celebration, 'One Night in Torino,' you may pretend you're in the midst of a luxurious European vacation. Experience a tasting of four cocktails paired with foods that highlight the northern Italian regional cuisine.
Pairing a melon Bellini with an appetiser of prosciutto and grissini, or a Bicerin del Fredo, a drink created from bitter chocolate, espresso, vodka, and cream, with a chocolate-hazelnut fondue. There will be live music playing the whole time, and guests can choose between a dinner seating at 6 o'clock or a countdown seating at 9 o'clock.
The trend among Melbourne's newest watering holes is away from specialty cocktails and towards wine, spirits, beer, or a mixed drinks menu. When it comes to contemporary mixed drinks, Bar Clara is relatively single-minded. There isn't much selection beyond a few bar nibbles, and the beer list is similarly limited. The fact remains, though, that you are in a bar serving cocktails.
The bartenders, all in black and sporting pins on their lapels, shake and stir behind a big copper bar in this cosy little Manhattan lounge. Instead, the backlit vegetation casts jungle shadow from behind white Perspex in a light box against charcoal painted walls in aLittle Bourke Street's basement Even though the youthful, well-to-do CBD audience, who are mostly dressed in black to match the setting, it is neither too cool nor too loose, it just feels right.
The drinks are meant to reflect the changing of the seasons, so naturally, they feature seasonal fruits and vegetables as their primary components. Many of the cocktails at bar Clara are made using clarified juices, which improve the appearance and texture without altering the authentic fruit flavour. An example of such a drink is the Strawberry Tuxedo, which is made by mixing clarified strawberry juice, gin, and fino sherry.
As a fun and creative edible garnish, the leftover strawberry pulp has been squeezed into a tart little strip of fruit leather and hooked to the edge of the substantial, art-deco glass. Highball is called "Leche de Madre," made with tequila and fermented grapefruit juice. It's not as bizarre as it sounds; in reality, it makes for a slightly creamy (but still wonderful) Paloma.
Despite the modernist components, the best thing about this business is that the staff isn't attempting to scare customers. Both cocktails are a little too sweet, and the stench of fermenting could be turned up a notch. The bartenders are truly excited to be here and will gladly Pour some lager, dispense vodka soda, or swirl a crisp Manhattan rather than trying to impress punters with esoterica. Nothing here is attempting to show how much wiser it is than you, which is refreshing in a world full of arrogant bartenders.
Holmes Hall
Attend the New Year's Eve celebration at Holmes Hall in Moonee Ponds without spending any cash. Drink deals will be available on the hour, food will be served continuously, and resident DJ Ashley Smyth will spin tunes from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m.
New Year Street Feasts
This fascinating drinking and dining initiative takes its cues from the European piazzas and squares, transforming seven city areas into outdoor dining centres. Some of the city's best restaurants may be found on these streets, which include Little Bourke Street and Flinders Lane.
The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival is a joint production of the City of Melbourne, the State Government of Victoria, and the festival.
New Year's Eve with Cookin' On Three Burners
The Night Cat is the one place where you can always count on getting your groove on, and to help you ring in the New Year in style, they're bringing a combination of sweet soul and gritty funk. Aside from DJ Logan Gibson's tracks, the Australian duo Cookin' on 3 Burners will be performing live.
New Years At The Retreat
The Retreat, the one place you can always count on, is throwing its own New Year's Eve party to prove it. Beginning at 2:00 pm, the beer garden will feature musical performances by Underground Love, MzRizk Boogie Beat Suite, and a DJ.
Beyond The City
The summer event known as Beyond the City takes place over the course of 2 nights and days at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl as well as the parklands that surround it in Kings Domain, and it does so over three different performing venues.
Pnau, Hayden James, Mallrat, Lime Cordiale, Spacey Jane, Ball Park Music, Sysco, and many more are just a few names on the vast programme.
You can look forward to two days and nights of spectacular music and celebration to ring in the New Year, complete with world-class production and stage designs and the extra vista of Melbourne's stunning cityscape.
Moon Dog Brewery Bar
Celebrate the arrival of the new year with friends and family by hosting a karaoke party and drinking $15 jugs of Old Mate and Fizzer Seltzer all night long. There's no cover charge, so all you have to do to join the party is pick a killer song to play for your new friends.
The Moon Dog gang has the most positive, can-do mentality of any group we ever encountered. During the year 2010, sibling
Plans and his friend Karl van Buuren started their microbrewery in Abbotsford with a handful of dollars. Since money was tight, they improvised a mash tun and kettles from used dairy vats they saw on YouTube and even moved into a warehouse to avoid paying rent. Melburnian culinary pioneers, however, now face a new era. They have a brewery bar and serve sexually provocative beers in some of Melbourne's greatest bars.
Velvet couches, leather banquettes, and recycled barrels, all lighted by flowery lamps, have replaced their indoor cricket pitch. You can usually find Van Buuren milling about in the area, post-brew talk in hand and gumboots on. Everyone is lounging about, leaning against walls, and dropping their coats wherever there is room. Occasionally, someone will try their hand at singing the chorus to a Prince song before being escorted out the roller door and sent home.
Moon Dog dominates the chalked-up list behind the bar, with the occasional "fancy" guest pour. And so, be ready for some serious excitement. Their beer selection ranges from the refreshing watermelon Bjorn to Boogie to the Cold Drip War coffee stout, which tastes like a combination of espresso and cigarette juice.
Perverse Sexual Amalgam is a black ale with a toasted flavour that is fermented with wild yeasts then barrel-aged with cherry plums to add a subtle sting of vinegar. We support this with a sweet yet lethal barley wine that brings us to our knees. Keeping with the theme of knee-knockers, the eighth tap is devoted to the drinks served at suburban RSLs.
Currently, we have the Fruit Tingle, a Curacao and lemonade concoction that is spiked with an umbrella and has a distinctly blue flavour. Up next is the Midori Illusion, a staple of nineties nightclubs. If beer and sugar aren't your thing, there's a small selection of local wines, and the folks who supply the barrels for ageing the beers have news that some whiskies and rims are on the way.
Keep in mind that the average alcohol content of Moon Dog products is 7%.
Lucky for us, there's a food truck right outside. The young, helpful staff at Pizza Wagon is keeping everyone on their feet with their stone baked Margheritas during our visit. A lot of hard work and experience have gone into making Moon Dog into a top-tier brewery. It's great to see Melbourne supporting local brewers with open arms despite the city's long-standing penchant for dick jokes and outlandish experimentation; the city's beer scene has never been stronger. We actually did say that.
Pride Of Footscray Community Bar
Pride of Footscray, in Melbourne's inner west, is a great place to ring in the new year with other LGBT people. The venue will be decorated with shimmering gold decorations for the stunning New Year's Gold Party, and each attendee will be given a drink upon entry. Grab your most glittering threads, for there will be awards presented to the best dressed in the gold theme.
Superbia, an exclusive cocktail lounge, will have its soft opening that night as well. And, of course, there will be a plethora of drag shows happening all night long. Pride of Footscray is a casual, accepting, and inclusive space in Melbourne's inner-west that celebrates the beauty and diversity of the surrounding community.
This LGBTQIA hangout doubles as a gallery and performance venue, giving up-and-coming local performers and artists a platform to share their wares and gain a following.
All members of the community are encouraged to participate in Pride events, as the venue is maintained by the community itself.
Locals can invest $500 and become part-owners, gaining access to benefits like discounts at the bar and the satisfaction of knowing they're contributing to the growth of a genuine community hub. In addition, the menu is a representation of Footscray, with several sections honouring the many cultures that have joined together to form the neighbourhood's unique flavour profile.
Besides pizza, you can have meals from Ethiopia, Vietnam, China, or even the United States. On Tuesdays, dinners at Pride are half price with the purchase of a pint, so you might want to make it your new night out. Any respectable bar will have a pool table so you can shoot a few frames before you eat. Is that not your cup of tea? Then you should go to a drag performance or try out your singing skills at karaoke.
A nice beer in hand, you can sit back and relax while you watch the Western Bulldogs play football. Inhabitants of this city have a lot to be pleased about, thanks to the presence of establishments like this one.
New Year’s Eve At The Mill House
Join the CBD revelry and party like it's 2019 on The Mill House's open dancefloor as the clock strikes midnight on December 31. You can get your fill of free alcohol and Melbourne's top DJs till 4 in the morning at this ticketed event. There will be a glass of sparkling wine waiting for you when you arrive, so you can get amped up for the countdown in style.
Bang Bang At The Rifle Club
If you're a fan of the refined version of the vodka Red Bull known as a Espresso Martini, you'll be happy to know that Bang Bang will be reviving its popular Espresso Martini power hour on New Year's Eve from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. The bar will provide free refills of spritzes, as well as spirits, beers, prosecco, and wines.
Also, the Bang Bang crew will be dishing out a variety of meals to help line your stomach, because drinking without first eating is a rookie mistake. All night long, there will be DJs and roaming live acts to keep the party going so that you can ring in the new year in style.
By playing a word association game, they could only ever settle on one cuisine for their new Elsternwick business. The $2 million renovation turned the facility, which used to be a rundown rifle club and firing range, into a spot where gourmet food is prepared with the utmost care. We now have a good example of the type of Thai eatery and bar that is open all day and night.
They have housed a creative fit-out in the old red brick structure, as they have done with their other projects including Riverland and the Boatbuilders Yard and the Wye River General Store, and their Six Degrees, a long-time architectural collaborator has made excellent use of the building's amenities. Canteen-style furniture complements the Indochine wall panels and tropical wallpaper to create an atmosphere that is at once indoors and outside. Trendy plants drape from every available ceiling space, and there's plenty of room for the youngsters to run around.
It's Thai, but more Thai-ish, with breakfast items like congee and eggs on toast, lunch items like mussel omelettes and soft-shell crab buns, and dinner items like a tonne of crowd-pleasing shareables. The brief occasionally ventures into culinary Esperanto, referencing cuisines as diverse as Vietnam and China and proving that pork scratchings pair well with Asian-influenced cocktails like the curry leaf-shaken Bloody Mary, chilli-dusted.
New Year H2oh
For one night only, the Promenade Docklands will be turned into the world's most epic New Year's Eve extravaganza. Take in breathtaking sights of the lake and the city skyline from the 50-meter open terrace while listening to live music and enjoying an all-inclusive meal and drink package.
D Jay George, Nick van Wilder, Joey P, Jame Werner, Claudia Allegro, and special guest MC and Love Island hunk Jaxon Human will be providing the musical entertainment.
The Boatbuilders Yard
This South Wharf watering hole has won awards for its food and drink and will be throwing a New Year's Eve celebration with a Miami beach theme and tiki drinks. Beer, wine, bubbly, and cocktails will be served freely, and there will be a wide selection of food available to purchase as well, all within the price of your ticket. There will be DJs spinning records all night long in the huge indoor and outdoor beer garden where the party will be held.
New Year Street Feasts
The outdoor dining programme sponsored by the City of Melbourne, Victorian government, and Melbourne Wine & Food Festival is a great way to spend New Year's Eve without breaking the bank or cooking a meal.
There are now 11 outdoor eating areas where you can choose from a wide variety of restaurants serving both traditional and innovative cuisine. Furthermore, DJs Client Liaison, Kaiit, and Cut Copy from Melbourne will be doing exclusive sets.
Riverland Bar
Enjoy a tranquil garden setting in the heart of Federation Wharf, right on the banks of the Yarra, to bid farewell to the year 2021. Doors open at 7:30 pm, and the packages are available starting at 8:30 pm, so if you're the sort who likes to get the party started early on New Year's Eve, this is the event for you. Food and drinks are included in the price of admission at this all-inclusive party.
Riverland, dubbed an "urban beer garden hideaway," is conveniently located on the Yarra in the old Federation Wharf vaults. It is a great place to begin an evening out on the town.
The outdoor space is pleasant in any season, whether you're enjoying a beer and some snacks in the summer sun or warming up with a cocktail in the winter. During the AFL season, Riverland comes alive with activity as supporters stop by for a bite to eat and a few drinks before making the short journey to the MCG.
Conclusion
New Year's Eve in any city offers several interesting ways to celebrate 2022. First, we'll show you our favourite Melbourne places. Celebration Zones at Alexandra Gardens, Docklands, and Treasury Gardens are accessible with a ticket. Bar Clara is Melbourne's newest bar. Seasonal produce dominates cocktail ingredients.
"One Night in Torino" contains northern Italian cocktails. The Night Cat, The Retreat, and Beyond the City host independent NYE parties. Melbourne's best restaurants are on Little Bourke Street and Flinders Lane. Food, drinks, and a DJ will be available 24/7. Play a great song for your new friends—no need to collect money.
Bjorn, Boogie, and more beers are available. The eighth tap serves Suburban RSLs' drinks. Pride of Footscray welcomes all in Melbourne's inner west. This stunning New Year's Gold Party will be decorated in gold. Pride offers half-off meals on Tuesdays with a pint.
Bang Bang's Espresso Martini power hour returns on December 31st. The bar will serve limitless free refills of spritzers, spirits, beers, prosecco, and wines. DJs and roaming performers will maintain the party. Riverland, an "urban beer garden hideaway," is located in Federation Wharf's ancient vaults on the Yarra. This South Wharf bar's Miami beach-themed New Year's Eve party has won awards for its cuisine and beverages.
Content Summary
- This year, more than any other, we should all have a huge party to ring in the New Year.
- We might as well have fun because we have no idea what the new year will bring.
- And if you follow our guide to Melbourne's finest New Year's Eve celebrations, you'll surely have a blast.
- Some of our favourite locations in Melbourne are eager to greet you with open arms, so we're betting you're more than ready to say goodbye to the bad luck.
- Various events are going on throughout town to help you celebrate the arrival of the new year, from club nights to rooftop pubs with spectacular views of the fireworks.
- Jazz-rave outcasts Moor Music and Velodrome Events have joined forces to host a spectacular New Year's Eve party, with performances by some local DJs and musicians.
- A city's New Year's Eve is packed with exciting possibilities for welcoming 2022 in style.
- There will be fireworks shows at 6:00 and 12:00 am in each sector.
- Melbourne and the Victorian State Government are responsible for organising and facilitating New Year's Eve celebration zones.
- At Bar Clara's alcoholic New Year's celebration, 'One Night in Torino,' you may pretend you're in the midst of a luxurious European vacation.
- Experience tasting four cocktails paired with foods that highlight the northern Italian regional cuisine.
- There will be live music playing the whole time, and guests can choose between a dinner seating at 6 o'clock or a countdown seating at 9 o'clock.
- The trend among Melbourne's newest watering holes is away from specialty cocktails and towards wine, spirits, beer, or a mixed drinks menu.
- When it comes to contemporary mixed drinks, Bar Clara is relatively single-minded.
- The drinks are meant to reflect the changing seasons, so naturally, they feature seasonal fruits and vegetables as their primary components.
- Many cocktails at bar Clara are made using clarified juices, which improve the appearance and texture without altering the authentic fruit flavour.
- Attend the New Year's Eve celebration at Holmes Hall in Moonee Ponds without spending any cash.
- The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival is a joint production of the City of Melbourne, the State Government of Victoria, and the festival.
- The Retreat, the one place you can always count on, is throwing its own New Year's Eve party to prove it.
- The summer event known as Beyond the City takes place over the course of 2 nights and days at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl and the parklands surrounding it in Kings Domain, and it does so over three different performing venues.
- You can look forward to two days and nights of spectacular music and celebration to ring in the New Year, complete with world-class production and stage designs and the extra vista of Melbourne's stunning cityscape.
- Celebrate the new year's arrival with friends and family by hosting a karaoke party and drinking $15 jugs of Old Mate and Fizzer Seltzer all night long.
- There's no cover charge, so all you have to do to join the party is pick a killer song to play for your new friends.
- The Moon Dog gang has the most positive, can-do mentality of any group we have ever encountered.
- Moon Dog dominates the chalked-up list behind the bar, with the occasional "fancy" guest pour.
- Keeping with the theme of knee-knockers, the eighth tap is devoted to the drinks served at suburban RSLs.
- If beer and sugar aren't your things, there's a small selection of local wines, and the folks who supply the barrels for ageing the beers have news that some whiskies and rims are on the way.
- In Melbourne's inner west, Pride of Footscray is a great place to ring in the new year with other LGBT people.
- The venue will be decorated with shimmering gold decorations for the stunning New Year's Gold Party, and each attendee will be given a drink upon entry.
- Pride of Footscray is a casual, accepting, and inclusive space in Melbourne's inner-west that celebrates the beauty and diversity of the surrounding community.
- This LGBTQIA hangout doubles as a gallery and performance venue, giving up-and-coming local performers and artists a platform to share their wares and gain a following.
- Then it would be best if you went to a drag performance or tried out your singing skills at karaoke.
- You can get your fill of free alcohol and Melbourne's top DJs till 4 in the morning at this ticketed event.
- If you're a fan of the refined version of the vodka Red Bull known as an Espresso Martini, you'll be happy to know that Bang Bang will be reviving its popular Espresso Martini power hour on New Year's Eve from 10 pm to 11 pm. The bar will provide free refills of spritzes, as well as spirits, beers, prosecco, and wines.
- All night long, there will be DJs and roaming live acts to keep the party going so that you can ring in the new year in style.
- The $2 million renovation turned the facility, which used to be a rundown rifle club and firing range, into a spot where gourmet food is prepared with the utmost care.
- We now have a good example of a Thai eatery and bar open all day and night.
- Take in breathtaking sights of the lake and the city skyline from the 50-meter open terrace while listening to live music and enjoying an all-inclusive meal and drink package.
- This South Wharf watering hole has won awards for its food and drink and will be throwing a New Year's Eve celebration with a Miami beach theme and tiki drinks.
- There will be DJs spinning records all night long in the huge indoor and outdoor beer garden where the party will be held.
- Enjoy a tranquil garden setting in the heart of Federation Wharf, right on the banks of the Yarra, to bid farewell to the year 2021.
- Food and drinks are included in the price of admission at this all-inclusive party.
- Riverland, dubbed an "urban beer garden hideaway," is conveniently located on the Yarra in the old Federation Wharf vaults.
FAQs About New Year's Eve
There are free New Year’s Eve Melbourne events provided by Melbourne, including live music and fireworks. The NYE fireworks are a major attraction, and crowds of 600,000 to 750,000 regularly attend. In Australia, Melbourne NYE is the second-largest New Year’s Eve celebration.
Many live shows are scheduled throughout the city, but the fireworks display along the Yarra River, and the Docklands are the biggest draw card of the New year's event. The main locations to enjoy New Year’s Eve in Melbourne included Yarra Park – Next to the MCG. Free music & entertainment from 6 pm-10 pm.
Including a kiddie-friendly 5 pm sitting, Scugnizzo is the family-friendly NYE party of the year in Melbourne. Enjoy prosecco on arrival, along with a delicious authentic Italian menu that the whole family will love. The hottest spot for NYE in Melbourne, Eureka 89’s epic NYE party, will hit the heights this 31 December.
CDC Victoria will provide free public transportation on Christmas Day, beginning at 6:00 pm on New Year's Eve.
Fireworks go off at midnight on New Year's Eve in cities and towns across Australia. The lights of fireworks sparkle off the water when they are thrown from bridges like the Sydney Harbour Bridge and jetties along beaches and riverbanks.