New Year's Eve in Italy: what to do on the last day of the year in Italy in 2025

Big open-air events, live shows, parties, lavish dinners, and dancing until dawn: Italy celebrates New Year’s Eve with a variety of options to suit every taste. We’ve gathered the most exciting events and selected the best destinations to bid farewell to 2025 and welcome the year ahead.

So, if you’re wondering how to celebrate the night of 31 December, this is the place to find inspiration and pick up a few ideas. Browse our selection of top picks for New Year’s Eve in Italy.

New Year’s Eve in Italy is all about bustling squares and cities transformed to welcome those who want to bid farewell to 2025 in style.

From seaside resorts to artistic hubs, and up to mountain destinations, every location offers its own festive experience: concerts, cultural events, cenoni (a lavish New Year’s Eve dinner enjoyed with family and friends), and activities for all ages.

We’ve chosen the Italian cities with the most memorable experiences to make the last day of 2025 truly special and start 2026 on the right note.

Here’s a recap of the best places to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Italy in 2026:

Catanzaro: “L’anno che verrà” concert on Stefano Pugliese seafront.

Trento: New Year’s concerts and events in Piazza Duomo and Piazza Fiera.

Cosenza: New Year’s concert in Piazza dei Bruzi with Brunori Sas.

Ancona: DJ set in Piazza Cavour.

Pescara (Abruzzo): New Year’s concert in Piazza della Rinascita (Piazza Salotto).

Campobasso (Molise): Concert in Piazzetta Palombo; musical performances at the Campobasso covered market.

Rimini (Riviera Romagnola, Emilia Romagna): 10 parties in various locations; Malatesta Castle fire show at midnight.

Genoa: Pinguini Tattici Nucleari concert in Piazza della Vittoria.

Trieste: New Year’s in Piazza Unità d’Italia with music and fireworks; Diving Competition at Barcola pier on January 1st.

Venice: Celebration in Piazza San Marco with fireworks.

Turin: Fireworks in Piazza Vittorio; concert at Inalpi Arena; parties in San Salvario.

Catania: New Year’s concert in Piazza Duomo.

Sassari: Max Pezzali New Year’s concert in Piazzale Segni.

Olbia: Marco Mengoni concert at the port.

Arzachena: Achille Lauro concert at Stadio Biagio Pirina.

Alghero: Gabry Ponte concert in Piazzale della Pace.

Bolzano: Celebration in Piazza Vittoria and party at the Palasport.

Matera: New Year’s celebrations in the Sassi district.

Salerno: Concert in Piazza della Libertà with fireworks.

Florence: Celebration in Piazza della Signoria; festivities at Piazzale Michelangelo.

Rome: Events at the Imperial Forums.

Courmayeur: Toast in Piazza Jardin de l'Ange.

Bari: Lighting of the Olympic Torch in Largo Giannella for the Milano-Cortina 2026 Games.

Milan: Countdown in Piazza Duomo.

Naples: Grand New Year’s show in Piazza del Plebiscito.

Our journey up and down Italy begins in Calabria, which is getting ready to celebrate New Year's Eve in grand style. Catanzaro is set to shine for L’Anno che Verrà, the famous New Year’s Eve show aired on Italy’s national public broadcaster.

The event is completely free and can be enjoyed while dancing along the city’s seafront. The line-up of national and international guests is still to be revealed, but it’s already well known that this concert is one of the major highlights for anyone planning to spend New Year’s Eve in Italy.

For the last day of the year, you might be tempted to take a trip to the mountains to breathe some clean air and get to know one of the most famous cities in Italy. For this reason, the advice is to visit Trento, the city that rises in the valley of the Adige river, on New Year's Eve.

Every year, on December 31st, various events and concerts are organized in Trento with artists of all kinds with the two main squares that dominate, Piazza Duomo and Piazza Fiera.

As far as mountain lovers are concerned, from the centre of Trento, you can easily reach the mountain ski resorts such as the Paganella plateau.

Although it’s mainly a summer destination, Calabria is well worth a visit for New Year’s Eve too. 

Cosenza is among the best places to head to at this time of year. For New Year’s Eve 2026, the city is once again planning open-air celebrations with a concert by Brunori Sas in Piazza dei Bruzi.

The Marches are one of the Italian regions with the most monuments and cultural attractions with squares, strongholds and medieval villages that reach from the Apennines to the Adriatic Sea. If you intend to spend your New Year's Eve in Italy, this region offers you some of the best cultural but also fun-filled initiatives.

In Ancona, a DJ set is planned in Piazza Cavour, complete with the unmissable countdown from the stage.

In Ancona, as in the other cities featured in this guide, there will be a concert held by Alex Britti in Piazza Pertini. Even visiting Fano and Pesaro, an enchanting city built during the ancient Roman Empire, there will be concerts and exhibitions in the square to wait for midnight in good company.

Along the Adriatic coast, you can spend New Year's Eve in Abruzzo in Pescara, one of the main destinations for many visitors in summer but also in winter. There are many attractions that the city offers for the Christmas holidays and especially the last day of the year.

Also, in this case, the New Year's concert in Piazza Della Rinascita, known to most as Piazza Salotto, is not to be missed. The whole city dresses up, especially the seafront and the historic centre with decorations and lights of all kinds that illuminate the Abruzzo night. 

Molise may be small, but it offers one of the most popular New Year celebrations in southern Italy. Thanks to its location and striking mountain peaks, it’s an unmissable destination for a winter holiday in the snow. 

There are places like Campitello Matese and Capracotta which are among the most renowned for their ski resorts. As for the last days of the year, however, Campobasso becomes romantic, welcoming, and suggestive.

On 31 December in Piazzetta Palombo a concert is held to sing Molise songs: an initiative that has been going on for 30 years and which is based on the famous maitunate, played with the bufù, a typical Molise instrument.

The other place where the end-of-year party is celebrated is the covered market of Campobasso with various musical artists performing in the square.

In Emilia-Romagna, there is a great desire to celebrate New Year's Eve, so much so that parties and attractions are being organized in all the cities.

One of the focal points of the fun is undoubtedly the Romagna Riviera with Rimini as a guide. In fact, in addition to offering free museums all day long, the Adriatic city will host as many as 10 parties in some areas of the city: from Piazza Cavour to the city's museums and theatres.

Rimini’s New Year celebrations, considered the longest in the world, with more than 150 events from 22 November to 6 January, will culminate in the spectacular “burning” of the Malatesta Castle, a display of coloured lights, smoke and cascading fire, complete with dramatic effects at the stroke of midnight.

If you’re in Rimini for New Year’s Eve 2026, take the opportunity to visit the Fellini Museum.

One of the Italian cities to spend the New Year in Italy is certainly the capital of Liguria, Genoa. 

Another evocative place is the Lanterna, a symbol of the city of Genoa, which at midnight will offer a play of lights visible from the Port and other points of the city. The main event takes place in Piazza della Vittoria, with a concert by the popular Italian band Pinguini Tattici Nucleari.

If you’re in Genoa for New Year’s Eve, it’s the perfect chance to visit Italy’s largest aquarium.

On the easternmost front of Italy, in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, you can celebrate your New Year's Eve in Trieste. Like all the other cities mentioned in this guide, Trieste celebrates its New Year's Eve in Piazza Unita d'Italia, with many Christmas trees and a gigantic space overlooked by some of the architectural masterpieces of the entire city. A beautiful square that is reflected on the Adriatic Sea.

Fireworks and a host of music events, featuring famous singers and performers, are expected. On 1 January, the city gathers to watch the first sunrise and await the Diving Competition at the Barcola Pier.

New Year’s Eve in Italy has long been a perfect opportunity for a holiday, and spending it in one of the world’s most beautiful cities, Venice, is a unique and evocative experience.

For travelers who want to explore Venice, a city full of attractions and events for the New Year, a must is a big party in Piazza San Marco, where thousands of people wait for midnight to toast and wish each other well, followed by fireworks that light up the entire lagoon.

Furthermore, beyond New Year's Eve in the square, there are many New Year's Eve parties organized in Venice, where all the historic buildings in the lagoon dress up for the party. There are many alternatives such as a gondola ride or a trip on a vaporetto through the festively lit canals, or a concert in one of the historic Venetian theatres.

Near Venice, Padua is also a great destination for New Year’s Eve in Veneto, with events and activities that animate the historic city centre.

For New Year's Eve in Piedmont, Turin, a very fascinating and aristocratic city, dresses up and offers many opportunities to have fun in the night between December 31st and January 1st. One of the first places is undoubtedly the largest square in Europe without monuments inside, Piazza Vittorio, waiting for the fireworks on the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians, at the foot of the Cappuccini hill. If, on the other hand, you want to spend a New Year's Eve in the name of nightlife and fun, you can spend the night in San Salvario, known for its clubs and bars.

This year, the traditional New Year’s Eve concert at Piazza Castello will be moved to the Inalpi Arena.

In addition to New Year's Eve on the street, Turin offers various initiatives that may interest you such as concerts, shows or a relaxing New Year's Eve at the spa. Visit the Egyptian Museum as well.

Sicily is an unusual choice for New Year’s Eve, but without the scorching summer heat, it’s the perfect place to explore its stunning monuments and wander through the historic centres of cities like Palermo, Syracuse and Taormina.

From Catania, you can also admire the breathtaking sight of the snow-capped Etna. Here, the arrival of 2026 is celebrated with joy in Piazza Duomo, with music continuing until the early hours of the morning.

Even Sardinia, usually a summer destination, is an exciting place to welcome the New Year with music. The island hosts numerous events featuring some of the biggest names in the current Italian music scene.

For New Year’s Eve 2026, Max Pezzali is expected to perform in Sassari at Piazzale Segni. Other highlights include Marco Mengoni in Olbia at Molo 1 Bis, Achille Lauro in Arzachena at Stadio Biagio Pirina, and Gabry Ponte in Alghero at Piazzale della Pace.

If on December 31st you decide to spend some time in the classic atmosphere of hospitality typical of the South Tyrol capital, Bolzano offers various activities to await the evening celebrations of Saint Silvestro.

In addition to a little shopping in the famous Via dei Portici, the most famous street full of shops and shops in the whole city, you can pay a visit to one of the many museums in this area, among which the most important is the museum provincial archaeological, a day of sport between snow-covered slopes, ski trails and cable cars.

One of the best-known events is the Boclassic, the international race that takes place on the last day of the year with a route that crosses the historic centre of Bolzano. In the evening, celebrations continue in Piazza Vittoria, followed by a free-entry after-party at the Palasport on Via Resia.

The city of stones, Matera holds plenty of surprises for those who choose to welcome the new year in the place that will be the Mediterranean Capital of Culture and Dialogue for 2026.

The setting of the famous Sassi is a place completely frozen in time, an alternative destination to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Italy that’s hard to find anywhere else. 

A visit to the living nativity scene, set up during the Christmas season, is not to be missed.

Salerno in recent years has been a very popular Christmas destination because it has become famous thanks to the installations of its beautiful lights, the Luci d'Artista, which illuminate the whole city from 14 November until 1 February. The lights light up according to different themes and concepts every year.

If you love this kind of artistic installation, Salerno is the ideal destination for you, but on New Year's days in addition to the lights, there will be the typical concert in Piazza della Libertà with an adjoining fireworks display with the sea in the background.

Florence is one of the most refined and culturally attractive destinations to spend New Year's Eve in Italy. There are many events scattered throughout the city, which make it a sought-after destination, so much so that reservations are immediately sold out for these dates.

Among the many attractions that you can visit on your Tuscan New Year's Day, one of those that you absolutely cannot avoid experiencing is the party that is created in Piazza Della Signoria, where between an aperitif and a greeting between friends you can experience and experience the beauty of Florence Renaissance.

In addition to this, one of the places to spend midnight in Florence is certainly Piazzale Michelangelo. The glimpse of the city is truly incredible and at the stroke of midnight, the lights and happiness of the new year in Italy will make it truly breathtaking.

Rome is the capital of Italy and even when it comes to holidays it becomes one of the favourite destinations for those who choose to spend the New Year in Italy.

If you want to spend New Year's Eve in Rome you can do it at one of the most usual events for all Romans and not only: the Imperial Forums, where every year artists of all kinds approach and attend the shows in an incredible atmosphere among the ruins of the ancient Roman empire.

For a perfect start to the year, head up at dawn to the Gianicolo or Pincio hill and enjoy the stunning views over the Eternal City. If you’re spending a few days in Rome, take the opportunity to explore its countless attractions, from the Colosseum to the Trevi Fountain.

The culinary traditions of the Roman New Year are also famous and highly sought after by those who will spend the last of the year in Rome from savoury pies to cannelloni, gnocchi and fresh pasta up to pangiallo and all the other typical desserts of the Italian and Roman Christmas tradition.

If you want to spend a New Year's Eve in Italy in the classic Christmas atmosphere, Courmayeur is the preferred destination for Aosta Valley feast days.

Enclosed in the heart of the Alps and surrounded by the highest mountain in Europe and Italy, Mont Blanc, Courmayeur is a popular destination for those who want to celebrate the New Year in Italy in the name of sport and fun.

On the night of 31 December, the New Year’s toast takes place in the square at Jardin de l’Ange.

Courmayeur is the most glamorous and elite ski destination in Italy with exclusive parties, starred restaurants and ultra-luxury huts.

On the Adriatic coast lies one of the cities where New Year’s Eve is most celebrated in Puglia: Bari. On 31 December, the city will welcome the Olympic Torch as it makes its journey towards the Milan-Cortina 2026 Games.

The event will take place in Largo Giannella, with spectacular events leading up to the lighting of the Olympic cauldron.

Dinners, exclusive parties, or large parties in the square, there are many ideas that the city of Milan offers to spend a magical New Year's Eve. The most European and modern city in Italy contains all these possibilities to adapt to every type of need on the part of those who choose to spend the New Year in Italy. If you are in Milan, you are spoiled for the choice to wait for midnight with friends.

In addition to the traditional New Year’s Eve dinners at the city’s main luxury hotels, there is the large concert in Piazza Duomo, which each year attracts thousands of tourists and music lovers. (Update: this year the concert is not scheduled, as the square is occupied by the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympic installations, including the maxi store and the new structure that will host the international press).

Alternatively, you can choose from a series of exclusive parties featuring Milan’s most iconic jet-set crowd.

The most iconic New Year's Eve in Italy is the one you can spend in Naples. The last day of the year is awaited with so much trepidation and spasmodic anticipation. New Year's Eve in Naples is a way to enter the new year noisily and festively in the name of auspicious rites and endless dinners with all the dishes prepared as tradition dictates.

From the famous capitone, the European eel to fried cod, to cotechino with lentils, the dishes of the Neapolitan culinary tradition are prepared both for goodness and for good wishes. For some years the New Year in Naples has been celebrated in the streets with Piazza del Plebiscito and the Lungomare as the nerve centre of this festival.

In fact, in the largest square of Naples, the famous New Year's show will be held with local and national artists of all kinds, not only musicians and singers but also many actors, comedians, and stars of the Italian stage. 

One of the most famous New Year’s Eve traditions in Campania, and especially in Naples, is undoubtedly the fireworks display that lights up the entire city. Castel dell’Ovo is one of the most beautiful spots to watch the fireworks at the stroke of midnight.

Remember to bring your Naples Pass to enjoy numerous discounts and benefits during your stay.