New Year's Eve in Las Vegas is one of the biggest parties on the planet. The Strip closes to cars, hundreds of thousands of people fill the boulevard, and at midnight fireworks launch from resort rooftops up and down the Strip. It's thrilling, crowded and expensive, and a little planning makes the difference between a great night and a long, cold wait for a ride.
This guide covers New Year's Eve 2026, from December 31, 2026 into January 1, 2027: where to watch the fireworks, the road closures and bag rules, the Fremont Street party, getting around, and how to save on hotels. Many 2026 details are announced in November and December, so we note last year's pattern where the new one isn't out yet. To see how the resorts line up, keep our Las Vegas Strip map with every hotel in order handy.
The midnight fireworks
The Strip's fireworks show, branded "America's Party" by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and produced by Fireworks by Grucci, lasts about eight minutes from the stroke of midnight.
For New Year's Eve 2025, fireworks launched from 10 rooftops: ARIA, Caesars Palace, Fontainebleau, MGM Grand, Palms, Planet Hollywood, Resorts World, The STRAT, Treasure Island and The Venetian. A 600-drone show joined them for the first time, and the Sphere's outside screen ran the official countdown. The 2026 line-up is usually announced in mid-December, so check the LVCVA newsroom before you pick your spot.
Where to watch the fireworks
Because the fireworks go up from resorts along the whole Strip, you don't need a perfect spot. You need a view up and down the boulevard and somewhere you can stand for a while.
Free: on the Strip itself
The center Strip, around Caesars Palace, Bellagio and Planet Hollywood, puts you between several launch sites. Arrive by 9 or 10 p.m. for space near the Fountains of Bellagio. The south Strip near MGM Grand and the north Strip near Resorts World and Fontainebleau are a little less packed.
Paid: from above
The STRAT's observation deck sells New Year's packages and is billed as the only place where you look down on the fireworks, since the tower is also a launch site.
Legacy Club, Circa's 60th-floor rooftop bar Downtown, sells tickets with views of the Strip in the distance.
VooDoo Rooftop at the Rio, just west of the Strip, has views across the whole skyline.
Packages for all of these sell out, often by early December. Prices are high and change each year, so book through the venue.
Road closures and the rules on the Strip
On New Year's Eve the Strip becomes a giant pedestrian zone. Using last year's schedule as a guide:
From 5:30 p.m.: I-15 off-ramps at Tropicana Ave, Flamingo Rd and Harmon Ave (northbound) close, according to the Nevada Department of Transportation.
From 6:30 p.m.: Las Vegas Boulevard starts closing to cars, and it is fully closed by 8 p.m.
Around 4 a.m.: the Strip and the ramps reopen.
Clark County also bans some items on the Strip and Downtown from 6 p.m. on December 31 to 6 a.m. on January 1: glass bottles, metal cans, coolers, strollers, carts, and any bag larger than about 12 by 12 by 6 inches (backpacks and large purses included). Expect bag checks and a heavy police presence.
Fremont Street's New Year's Eve party
Downtown's Fremont Street Experience throws a ticketed street party under its LED canopy, with live bands on several stages and fireworks at midnight.
Ages: 21 and over only.
Price: for New Year's Eve 2025 it was $60 in advance, rising to $65, with gates at 7 p.m.
Line-up: a mix of pop, hip-hop and country acts. The 2025 bill included Robin Thicke and CeeLo Green. Each year's acts are usually announced in late October or November.
It's a good choice if you want a contained party with a set entry price and no fight for space on the Strip. Read our Downtown Las Vegas and Fremont Street guide to plan the rest of your evening there.
Shows, concerts and clubs
New Year's Eve is the most expensive night of the year for entertainment, and the best tickets go early.
Concerts: the Backstreet Boys play the Sphere on December 31, 2026, with more dates on January 1 and 2, 2027. Other residencies usually add New Year's shows; in 2025 Bruno Mars played Dolby Live and Kings of Leon played The Venetian.
Nightclubs: clubs such as OMNIA, LIV, Zouk and Marquee book big-name DJs, usually announced from October to December. Entry is far above a normal night, and tables can run into thousands of dollars.
Something calmer: a resort steakhouse with a late seating and a window seat facing the Strip can be a great way to see the fireworks without the crowds. Book these as early as you can.
Our Las Vegas shows and nightlife guide covers the venues in more detail.
Getting around on New Year's Eve
With the Strip closed to cars, plan how you'll get there and back before you go out.
Walk: if your hotel is on the Strip, walking is the easiest option all night.
Las Vegas Monorail: it has run nonstop for more than 40 hours over recent New Year's Eves (43 hours in 2025) and was the only motorized transport moving along the Strip that night. Our Las Vegas Monorail guide shows where the stations are.
RTC buses: the RTC has offered free rides on its routes from 6 p.m. on New Year's Eve into the morning of January 1. The Deuce keeps running, on a detour away from the closed Strip.
Rideshare and taxis: they can't use the closed Strip, so pickups move to side streets and resort garages. Expect surge prices and long waits right after midnight. Walk a few blocks off the Strip before ordering a car.
Hotels: what to expect and how to save
New Year's Eve is the most expensive night of the year to stay in Las Vegas. Hotels are close to full, and many require a minimum stay of two or three nights over December 30 to January 1.
Book early: the best-located rooms on the center Strip sell first.
Look Downtown or just off the Strip: rates are usually far lower than the Strip itself, and you can still see the fireworks or join the Fremont Street party.
Check the resort fee: advertised rates often leave it out, and it adds up over a multi-night minimum stay.
Pick a launch hotel: staying at one of the fireworks hotels (ARIA, Caesars Palace, MGM Grand, The Venetian and others in 2025) can mean a view from your own window, but those rooms go first.
Our best time to visit Las Vegas guide explains how much cheaper the weeks around New Year's are, and our Las Vegas at Christmas guide covers the quieter holiday weeks just before.
Family-friendly New Year's Eve
The Strip on New Year's Eve is an adults' party, and strollers are banned on the Strip from 6 p.m. Families have a few easier options:
Noon countdowns: Town Square and some Las Vegas-Clark County libraries have held "Noon Year's Eve" events with a midday countdown in past years.
An early, quieter view: a hotel room facing the Strip, or a dinner reservation, lets kids see the midnight fireworks without the crowds.
Check event listings in December, because family events change each year.
What time do the Las Vegas Strip fireworks start on New Year's Eve?
At midnight. The show lasts about eight minutes and launches from several resort rooftops at once. For New Year's Eve 2025, ten resorts took part and a drone show was added.
Does the Las Vegas Strip close on New Year's Eve?
Yes, to cars. Based on last year's schedule, Las Vegas Boulevard starts closing at 6:30 p.m., is fully closed by 8 p.m. and reopens around 4 a.m. Nearby I-15 off-ramps close from 5:30 p.m. Check the official 2026 closure times in December.
Can you bring a backpack to the Strip on New Year's Eve?
No. Clark County bans backpacks and bags larger than about 12 by 12 by 6 inches on the Strip and Downtown from 6 p.m. on December 31 to 6 a.m. on January 1. Glass, cans, coolers and strollers are banned too.
How much is the Fremont Street New Year's Eve party?
For New Year's Eve 2025 tickets were $60 in advance and $65 later, for ages 21 and over. The 2026 price and line-up are usually announced in late October or November.
What is the best way to get around Las Vegas on New Year's Eve?
Walk if you're staying on the Strip. The Monorail has run nonstop over recent New Year's Eves, and RTC buses have been free from 6 p.m. Rideshare and taxis can't use the closed Strip, so expect side-street pickups, long waits and surge prices after midnight.
See these places on the map
Sources & checks
- Las Vegas rings in 2026 with Exosphere countdown, fireworks and first-ever drone show
Ten launch rooftops for New Year's Eve 2025, the 600-drone show, about eight minutes of fireworks, Fremont Street party details.
Checked: 2026-10-07 00:00 - Las Vegas expects 345,000 on New Year's Eve
LVCVA forecast of 345,000 visitors for NYE 2025, against 349,000 and 347,000 the previous two years; occupancy near 95%.
Checked: 2026-10-07 00:00 - New Year's Eve closures
I-15 off-ramp closures at Tropicana, Flamingo and Harmon from 5:30 p.m. to 4 a.m.
Checked: 2026-10-07 00:00 - Security, road closures outlined for New Year's Eve
Strip closure from 6:30 p.m., fully closed by 8 p.m., reopening around 4 a.m.
Checked: 2026-10-07 00:00 - New Year's Eve safety information
Banned items and bag size limit from 6 p.m. December 31 to 6 a.m. January 1.
Checked: 2026-10-07 00:00 - Monorail to run 43 straight hours for New Year's Eve
Monorail nonstop service over New Year's Eve 2025.
Checked: 2026-10-07 00:00 - Backstreet Boys celebrating 2027 at Sphere
Backstreet Boys at Sphere on December 31, 2026 and January 1 and 2, 2027.
Checked: 2026-10-07 00:00 - Climate normals
Normal December 31 high about 56 to 58°F and low about 38°F.
Checked: 2026-10-07 00:00
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