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Is it the end of 2013 already? With all the Christmas festivities taking over Honkers, the New Year always creeps up on us without us even noticing! But before you start counting all the resolutions you’ve broken this year and start thinking of some new ones (this time, hopefully to keep!), let us give you in a hand in rounding up the best New Year’s Eve 2013 Events in Hong Kong to watch the ball drop!
Whether you like gathering everyone to ring in the New Year together with a sophisticated sit-down meal, or prefer to throw some shapes in your highest heels at some of the wildest bashes around town, we’ve got the lowdown on the countdown right here!
NEW YEAR’S EVENTS
Photo via leungchopan/Shutterstock.com
New Year, New World – Hong Kong countdown fireworks display
Fireworks and Hong Kong go hand in hand – and one of the biggest and best displays of the year has to be the NYE spectacular, with literally hundreds of thousands of folks lining both sides of Victoria Harbour to take it all in!
When: 31 December, from 11pm
Where: Victoria Harbour
How much: Free to watch (of course!)
If you’re looking to hit the streets for bird’s eye view of the action, then find a spot along the shores of Tsim Sha Tsui, Central, Admiralty or Wan Chai. Here are a few of our top firework viewing spots on both sides of the Fragrant Harbour!
KOWLOON:
- Cosy up with the crowds at the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade.
- Hang out with Jackie Chan along the Avenue of the Stars while rockets whizz over your head.
- The West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade offers a great vantage point and an easy retreat to the bars and restaurants of Elements when you’re done with the show.
- At 393 metres above sea level, Sky100 Hong Kong Observation Deck offers the true birds-eye view across the HK panorama.
- BLT Steak and Al Molo in Harbour City have a fantastic ocean-side open view and are great places to make a night of it!
HONG KONG ISLAND:
- The whole Central Ferry Pier area is the ideal vantage point, and piers seven and three also have bars upstairs if you’re in need of refreshment. Prefer the view from the ground? The Beer Bay at Pier 3 will keep you topped up.
- Golden Bauhina Square in Wan Chai gets crowded but is situated slap bang in the midst of the action… if you can find a space!
- The top of the IFC mall outside RED (which is actually a free-seating public space!)… or try RED IFC’s NYE party itself!
- You won’t find a view more awe-inspiring than the fireworks viewed from The Peak
- Certain parts of Bowen Drive (just past the intersection of Bowen Road and Bowen Drive) also offer great views.
- Try booking a table at Giando on Fenwick Pier – they have massive windows with great views, plus scrummy Italian food too. Pssst… The Fenwick Pier area itself also offers a decent view and is much less crowded than the usual vantage points around HK.
SASSY MAMA’S TOP TIPS
• Wherever you’re going, get there early. We know you know this, but once spots reach a max capacity, the police will close them off. So leave way earlier than you think you need to!
• Expect mega crowds. Literally hundreds of thousands of people will be jostling for a spot.
• Plan your route. There will be road closures, alternative bus routes and other traffic arrangements – plus some MTR exits are often closed. So be prepared to take a detour to your destination (think of it as the scenic route… !)
• Keep an eye on your stuff! With such crowds you’ll want to keep a tight grip on your valuables.
• If you’re not up for the crowds (we hear you!), the best viewing spot may just be the most convenient… your living room!
A Viennese New Year with the Hong Kong Philharmonic
Switch a night in with the telly for one with waltzes, polkas and champagne from the Hong Kong Philharmonic, Viennese style! Don’t forget to catch the fireworks straight after… NYE plans, sorted!
When: 30 & 31 December, 8pm
Where: Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall, 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Tsa Tsui, Hong Kong
How much: $160-420, available from www.urbtix.hk, 2111 5999
New Year’s Eve Countdown Carnival
With fire breathers, singers, dancers, acrobats and the whole shebang, there’s bound to be something for everyone here! Best of all? Free admission!
When: 31 December into 1 January, 8.30pm-12.15am
Where: Sha Tin Park and Sha Tin Town Hall Plaza, Hong Kong
How much: Free!
The Annual Apple Countdown
Hong Kong’s answer to the famous New York countdown, this event has been going since 1994! With waves of crowds enough to make you think the whole of Hong Kong gathered on one street watching the big screen in Times Square, just be prepared that it might take you a loooong while to get back home with NYE traffic!
When: 31 December, from 9pm
Where: Times Square, 1 Matheson Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
How much: Free!
Dragon and Lion Dance Extravaganza
Hong Kong keeps the crown when it comes to planet’s largest Lion and Dragon dance parade, and this year is no different! With over 800 auspicious animals featured and lion-making craft workshops to catch, this colourful, noisy extravaganza should prove a great antidote to any post-festivity slump!
When: 1 January, 1.30-5pm
Where: Parade starts from Canton Road along Hong Kong Cultural Centre and Avenue of Stars and finishes at UC Centenary Garden, East Tsim Sha Tsui
How much: Free
New Year’s Day Racing
How about a fun flutter on the gee-gees? Who knows… winning big might be the best possible start to 2014!
When: 1 Januray, 12-6pm
Where: Sha Tin Racecourse, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
How much: $10 public enclosure
TOP 5 NYE DINING
208 Duecento Otto Studio 54
With rustic Italian cuisine and a cosy New York feel (complete with rad 80s tracks and a Studio 54 vibe), 208 Duecento Otto will be winning your heart this New Year’s eve with their four-course dinner, including Wagyu carpaccio, pizza and crème brulee! Feeling casual? Then go for their Capodanno Bar Buffet, with a range of antipasti, salami, pizzas and dolci to choose from. Both come with a complimentary glass of bubbly (and a grooviest couple costume contest!) to ring in 2014.
When: 31 December
Where: 208 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong, 2549 0208
How much: Dinner $888, bar buffet $88
SEVVA NYE Dinner
If you want to celebrate the New Year high society-style, then SEVVA is the place to go! You can indulge in champagne, caviar, blue lobster, Wagyu short rib and the like (plus a whole alternative menu for you veggies out there), which rounds up to an uber-luxurious 8-course dinner… and a totally decadent evening out! (P.S. Look out for performances from the multi-talented Courtney Act, magicians and HOT MISS INFINITY BEAUTY PAGEANT that night too!)
When: 31 December
Where: 25/F, Prince’s Building, 10 Chater Road, Central, Hong Kong, 2537 1388
How much: $3880 per person
Catalunya All Star Dining
Want to taste the best? Then definitely give Catalunya’s New Year’s Eve menu a go! With dishes from not just one but several different Michelin star chefs faring all the way from Spain (including Ferran Adria, Carme Ruscalleda and Joan Roca), you know you’re in for a treat. Have a taste of the Spanish tradition and eat twelve grapes, one at each chime of the clock before the countdown! Don’t forget their New Year’s Day Recovery brunch, which will soothe that hangover with plenty of oysters and special winter dishes!
When: 31 December and 1 January
Where: Guardian House, Morrison Hill, 32 Oi Kwan Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, 2866 7900
How much: NYE Dinner $2500 (additional wine pairing $1100), NY Brunch $890
Wooloomooloo NYE Dinner
For some of the best views in town, head to Wooloomooloo Prime in THE ONE mall in TST; they’ve cooked up a divine six-course NYE Fireworks menu to go alongside the fabulous vista you get to soak up all the way on the 21st floor! Enjoy a champagne reception with free-flow canapés, followed by dishes like fresh lobster, venison and foie gras and Australian rib eye steak! If you’re able to move after all that, head to The Lounge for even more fun at the Countdown Party until the wee hours, including a live band.
When: 31 December, 7pm onwards
Where: Level 21, The ONE, 100 Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, 2870 0087
How much: Six-course dinner $1850 (plus free entry to countdown party), NYE Countdown Party $700 (including two standard drinks and canapés at 1am)
Blue Butcher’s Black Tie Affair
Raise your glasses black-tie style with Blue Butcher’s six-course New Year’s Eve menu of oysters, sirloin and roasted barramundi… to name just the highlights. If you’ve got more parties to hit up later, opt for the earlier hour-long session, or stay up late into the new year from 8.30pm onwards.
When: 31 December, 6.30-7.30pm or 8.30pm onwards
Where: 108 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong, 2613 9286
How much: Early session $980, later session $1200
P.S. Don’t forget to check out our Festive Dining Guide here for some more New Year feasting inspiration – all the hotels mentioned should be offering some fab options to see in 2014 as well (psst… our top pick is The Intercon)!
TOP 5 NYE PARTIES
Omisoka: a Japanese New Year’s Eve
Head to Aqua Spirit for a Japanese New Year’s eve bash with DJ Eye flying in straight from Japan and a free flow of bubbly, canapés and of course, sake! From such a height, you will also have an amazing view of the fireworks and shooting star show!
When: 31 December, 11pm onwards
Where: Aqua Spirit, 30/F, 1 Peking Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, 3427 2288
How much: $1850, buy tickets here
Champagne Resolutions 2014
With a double-themed space, you can chill out in the terrace or party in the lounge at The Edge’s New Year’s Eve party at Duddell’s! With a champagne reception and an open bar from 10pm-2am, you’re guaranteed a good time… Not to mention the DJs, dancers, live music, photo booth and snacks to keep you up all night long!
When: 31 December, 10pm-2am
Where: Duddell’s, 3 & 4/F, Shanghai Tang Mansion, 1 Duddell Street, Central, Hong Kong, 2525 9191
How much: $1200 in advance or $1500 on the door, table booking $5000; email [email protected] to book tickets
80s Night Fever
You can truly have it all at Al Molo and BLT Steak this New Year’s Eve! Take in the amazing harbour view (plus fireworks and laser light show!) while sipping on drinks and grooving to 80s pop and disco tunes, before hitting the dance floor when the ball drops. Top up from an indoor or outdoor marquee gala buffet (featuring chilled seafood, antipasti, a carvery, pasta station and of course, dessert!), and you’re all set from dinner till dawn!
When: 31 December
Where: Al Molo & BLT Steak, Shop G62&63, G/F, Ocean Terminal, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, 2730 7900 or 2730 3508
How much: $488 countdown fireworks and open bar, $888 buffet, $1288 gala buffet and open bar; email [email protected] to book
Brickhouse NYEasy
All about being spontaneous and winging it? Well Mexican resto Brickhouse is definitely the place to go! With no phone number and no reservations, there’s a chance you’ll run into quite a crowd… but it’s also probably the only place that’ll serve you without a booking! Throw back some ‘mazing tacos alleyway-style (they’re buy one, get one free for the night – get in!) whilst bopping to some great house tunes along the way. Consuming the free tequila shots is optional… but highly recommended!
When: 31 December
Where: G/F, 20A D’Aguilar Street, Lan Kwai Fong, Central, Hong Kong
How much: Free entry!
Afterparty at Ham & Sherry
Be amongst the first to check out Jason Atherton’s new venue Ham & Sherry with their NYE After-Party! For a friendly price of $280 at the door, you can enjoy some awesome hip-hop and funk tunes from Berlin DJ Kid Fresh, while sipping on drinks at similarly reasonable prices (we spy sangria!) all the way to 2014! P.S. Diners from their sister resto 22 Ships will get complimentary entry to the Countdown After-Party AND they’re dropping their no-reservations policy for one night only for their four-course NYE dinner too!
When: 31 December, 9pm onwards
Where: Ham & Sherry, 1-7 Ship Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, 2555 0628
How much: $280 on the door (four-course dinner at 22 Ships $788 or $688 for vegetarian menu)
P.S. And don’t forget RED IFC’s NYE Party that we already told you about… or mix it up with a trip to Macau for China Rouge’s Countdown Masquerade Ball!
Phew! That’s all from us – and it’s time for us to write down some new resolutions to break before heading out in those party heels!
