Best New Years Eve Parties in San Diego 2025

If a lively party filled with music, dancing, and huge crowds of revelers is your dream New Year’s Eve celebration, you can’t go wrong with Big Night San Diego. Held at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront, this massive party has an ecstatic energy. Best of all, it’s simple to book a room right at the hotel so you won’t have any transportation worries.

As the biggest midnight countdown event in San Diego, Big Night easily earns a feature on our article A Complete Guide to All the Holidays in San Diego, which is filled with ways to celebrate the holiday season all around the city.

Ticket options include Main Event tickets for the 11:00 pm countdown, all-inclusive tickets with entry at 9:00 pm, VIP tickets, and Velvet Rope tickets which come with numerous premium upgrades. All tickets offer access to an open bar, including a champagne toast at midnight, while VIP and up tickets also include top-shelf drinks and an hors d’oeuvres buffet.

Welcome to a dazzling New Year's Eve celebration at Captain's Quarters in Pacific Beach, San Diego! Brought to life by the same creative minds behind The Grass Skirt, this themed bar / restaurant offers an unforgettable night. This themed bar / restaurant depicts a literal captain’s quarters of 17th-century ships. Featuring Gin as the main alcohol of choice that was used to to stave off sea-born illnesses. The star-studded menu features inventive gin concoctions, alongside creative takes on rum, mezcal, bourbon, tequila, and vodka cocktails crafted by expert bartenders.

As the clock ticks towards a new year, immerse yourself in the lavish and lively atmosphere of the roaring twenties theme.

Captain's Quarters kicks off with soul-stirring live music from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM, setting the stage for a night filled with elegance and excitement. As the music transitions to a DJ from 9:30 PM until 1:30 AM, the energy soars, perfectly complementing the night's glitz and glamour.

Live music fans flock to FNGRS CRSSD’s Proper concert each year to ring in the new year with incredible tunes and an even better atmosphere. Featuring four stages and dozens of music acts, this 21+ event spans two days, beginning from the afternoon of New Year’s Eve all the way to midnight and starting up again on New Year’s Day.

For New Years Eve & New Years Day 2025, CRSSD Proper NYE event will be held at Petco Park in the Gaslamp Quarter. Famous for being the home of the Padres, it’s as exciting to watch bands play in the stadium as it is to attend a game or take a tour with discounted ticket costs through the Go City San Diego pass.

Bands play from 3:00 pm-12:30 am on New Year’s Eve, and from 1:00 pm-10:00 pm on New Year’s Day. Performances by 59 different musical guests are planned for this year.

If you’re seeking something a little more low-key compared to the huge parties, but you still want to get out and try something new, book your ticket on a New Year’s Eve Dinner Cruise.

Featuring a themed four-course holiday meal, live music, and views of the bay, this cruise is an elegant option for celebrating the end of the year.

Options include a gourmet brunch that sets sail in the early afternoon or a dinner cruise later in the evening. This is one of the better family-friendly options for New Year’s Eve, with a more laid-back atmosphere and free passage for kids under 3 years old, netting it top marks on our Complete Guide to All the Holidays in San Diego page.

Bar crawls are a time-honored tradition for adults during the holiday season. With dozens of breweries, pubs, clubs, bars, and other spots to get a drink, the nightlife scene of the city is an unbeatable location for the Crawl 'Til The Ball Falls: San Diego NYE Bar Crawl 2025.

Explore some of San Diego’s hottest venues as you travel between different bars, sampling specialty and themed drinks at each one. Tickets cover the cost of a wristband for entry into these select venues, so no cover charges are required. Simply enjoy the party and mingle with your fellow attendees to get the night started off on the right foot.

The Crawl ‘Til The Ball Falls 2025 event will take place on December 31st from 6:00 pm to 2:00 am. All participants must be 21 or older.

Most holiday celebrations for the new year take place late on December 31st, but there are plenty of ways to celebrate on New Year’s Day itself, too! One suggestion we like to share is heading to Balboa Park on January 1st to visit a museum or two. This is a great way to include the whole family in your New Year’s celebrations.

Balboa Park has museums that appeal to just about everyone. Our favorite picks for families are the San Diego Natural History Museum, also known as theNAT, and the Fleet Science Center for kids with an interest in STEM. If you’re a fan of superheroes, plan a trip to the Comic Con Museum. Exhibits at the San Diego Museum of Us are an excellent way to learn about history and anthropology, while The San Diego Museum of Art is filled with breathtaking works from various art movements.

If you’re planning on visiting multiple museums, you’ll want to get a Go City San Diego pass using our discount code (GVSD5OFF) for additional savings on admission to San Diego’s best attractions!

After a night of partying, what could possibly be better than spending the next day by the seaside? This New Year’s Day, why not plan a trip to the beach? There are few places where it’s warm enough on January 1st for a beach trip, which makes this such a uniquely San Diegan way to commemorate the changing of the year.

You have your choice of beaches to visit, too. We suggest walking along the pier at Pacific Beach, sunbathing on the shores of Coronado Central Beach on Coronado Island, or even going surfing at Stone Steps Beach in Encinitas.

Few people can say they spent the first day of the year next to the ocean, so hitting any of San Diego’s beaches is a surefire way to make lasting memories this holiday season.