New Year’s Eve parties will be happening across the globe as clocks chime midnight on December 31, albeit at different times. We take a look at the five best locations for seeing out the year.
Like everything in Vegas, New Yearâs Eve is designed to be the biggest. The strip will be closed to traffic and at midnight eight hotels will set off fireworks.
Where to party:Choose from a selection of shows including Stevie Wonder, Guns Nâ Roses and, er, Rico Diamante, a resident Vegas singer.
Where to sleep:Thereâs not much room left on the strip so you may be forced to head out a bit. Red Rock Casino (www.redrocklas vegas.com) is ten miles away and is offering a special rate of Â£195 for two people per night.
Where to recover:The Bellagio Spa (www.bellagio.com) is one of the best in town. The cheapest, package with a facial and 50-minute massage, costs £208.
After Carnival, new year is Rioâs biggest party. Most people wear white, which is seen as a lucky.
Where to party:Itâs a clichÃ©, but head to Copacabana beach for a huge fireworks display and street parties. âThe tradition is to jump over seven waves, each a wish for the next year,â says Paulo Palha, founder of hotel website http://www.themostperfectview.com. But beware â Brazil has very dangerous currents and riptides.
Where to sleep:Getting close to the beach can be tricky. Try the Elegance Hotel (www.elegancehotel.com.br), three miles from the beach, with prices starting at around £170 for two per night.
Where to recover:The chilled, cleaner Barra da Tijuca beach and relax with a caipirinha.
Fire and ice may sound like something Derek Zoolander wears, but this is what to expect in Iceland. Bonfires are lit all over the city and fireworks fill the sky.
Where to party:When you are done burning things, go to the clubs and bars downtown. If you can get in, try VegamÃ³t (www.vegamot.is), popular with locals. It starts as a restaurant but turns into one of the cityâs coolest nightspots.
Where to sleep:Grand Hotel Reykjavik (www.grand.is) is offering a three-night package with breakfast and New Yearâs Day dinner for Â£334 per person.
Where to recover:The steamy waters of Blue Lagoon (www.bluelagoon.com), 47km (29miles) from Reykjavik, is the ideal place to replenish those lost minerals.
Renowned for high-altitude parties, around 25,000 clubbers throw shapes at 2,100metres.
Where to party:Wear hat, anorak and moon boots (this yearâs theme) for Europeâs highest snow-covered dance floor, where Antoine Clamaran will be dishing out the bleeps. After, at La Grotte du Yeti, night-long electro will ensure you have a late start on January 1.
Where to sleep:Week-long package deals for around £500 half board are still available. Check out http://www.crystalski.co.uk.
Where to recover:Check out Val Claretâs cinema.
An intriguing celebration, where costumed men carry flaming barrels of tar on their heads while whipping the locals into a frenzy, takes place in Britain.
Where to sleep:Four-star Carraw bed and breakfast (www.carraw.co.uk) in nearby Hexham with rooms for £100 per night.
Where to recover:There are dozens of good walks, see http://www.walkingin northumberland.co.uk.