New Year's Eve in Newcastle 2026: Howaymanay, Parties and New Year's Day

New Year's Eve 2026 falls on a Thursday, and Newcastle has plenty organised for it. The city council's Howaymanay party returns to the Quayside, there is a free early fireworks display for families, a 5K through the city centre, and a long list of ticketed nights in bars, clubs and the brewery at Exhibition Park.

This guide covers what is confirmed so far, with times and prices taken from each organiser. Where a detail has not been published yet, we say so. For the rest of the festive season, see our guide to Christmas in Newcastle.

Howaymanay on the Quayside

The centrepiece is Howaymanay, Newcastle City Council's official New Year's Eve party on the Quayside. It runs from about 8.30pm to 12.15am on Thursday 31 December, with two stages of live entertainment, roaming performers, food stalls and bars, building to a midnight firework finale over the Tyne.

Entry is by ticket only and capacity is limited, so book in advance through the council's ticketing page rather than turning up on the night. Our news story on Howaymanay returning for 2026 has more background on the event.

Best for:

Best for: seeing in 2027 outdoors, with the midnight fireworks over the river.

The free 6pm family fireworks

Families who will not make it to midnight have their own display. There is a free firework display on the Quayside at 6pm, with no ticket or booking needed. It is the simplest way for young children to see fireworks over the Tyne and still be home at a sensible time.

Wrap up warmly: the Quayside is exposed, and an early evening on the riverside in late December is cold even when it is dry.

The HogmanHOWAY 5K

Runners can start the night with the HogmanHOWAY 5K at 7.30pm. It is the race's second year, now expanded to 3,000 places, and the route starts at the junction of St Mary's Place and College Street and finishes on Ceremonial Way outside the Civic Centre.

This year's course runs along Northumberland Street, the first race there in about 40 years. It is organised by Events of the North with the North East Mayor and Newcastle City Council, and the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation is the official charity. Entries are through Events of the North.

Parties and big nights out

If you would rather be indoors, a good number of venues have already put ticketed New Year's Eve nights on sale.

Wylam Brewery opens the Palace of Arts in Exhibition Park for its New Year's Eve party, from 7pm to 2am, an hour later than usual. DJ Tommy Caulker leads the midnight countdown in the Grand Hall, the Winter Terrace has more DJs and fire pits, and there is street food and a whole hog roast. It is strictly over-18s.

In the Ouseburn, The Cluny hosts Grafteoke, punk-rock karaoke with a live band, with doors at 7.30pm. Tickets are £10, it is 18+, and profits go to charity.

Bongo's Bingo brings its New Year's Eve special to Boiler Shop behind Central Station, but the venue's own listing shows it as sold out.

In the city centre:

• The Alchemist in Grey's Quarter has a space-themed Cosmic Disco, 7pm to 2am, with DJs and dancers. Tickets start from £22 and include a Cosmic Bellini; last entry for ticket holders is 10.30pm and it is 18+.
• Stein Bier Keller on the Bigg Market hosts Old Skool Bingo NYE, 7pm to 10pm, mixing bingo with games and dance challenges. Entry is £19.80 and it is 18+.
• Be At One on Westgate Road runs Midnight Mischief, 8pm to 3am, with DJs and a glass of fizz, for £11 to £22.
• Flares on Mosley Street counts down to 2027 with a 70s-to-pop DJ party, 7pm to 3am, from £6.60.
• Slug and Lettuce on Grainger Street has Midnight Madness, 7pm to 1am, with a DJ, cocktails and fizz, from £11. It is 18+.

Just across the river, the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead holds a black-tie NYE Midnight Ball from 7pm to 1.30am, with a five-course banquet, live music from the Anna Reay Band, a DJ and a piper. Tickets are £95 per adult and it is over-18s only.

New Year's Eve with children

Most of the parties above are 18+, so families have a shorter list, but there are still good options.

• The free 6pm fireworks on the Quayside are the obvious choice, with no ticket needed.
• The Hilton's Family New Year's Extravaganza in its Windows on the Tyne restaurant starts at 7.15pm, with a five-course banquet (a simpler three-course menu for children), entertainment from Steve Halliday and a disco. Tickets are £70 per adult and £40 per child up to 12.
• The Theatre Royal pantomime runs from 24 November to 17 January. On New Year's Eve there are two performances, at 1pm and 5pm, so a family can see the panto and still be home (or out) for midnight. There is no performance on New Year's Day; the run picks up again on Saturday 2 January.

Best for:

Best for families: the 6pm fireworks, then home before the crowds build for midnight.

New Year's Day

Friday 1 January 2027 has two confirmed events.

Newcastle Racecourse in High Gosforth Park stages a New Year's Day Raceday, an afternoon of all-weather racing. Gate and first-race times are still to be announced. Advance tickets start at £10 for a limited Grandstand Admission offer, with Grandstand Early Bird at £18, and under-18s go free with a paying adult (some exclusions apply).

Over the Tyne, Royal Northern Sinfonia closes The Glasshouse's Christmas season with the traditional Viennese New Year's Day Concert of Strauss waltzes and polkas. It starts at 3pm on Friday 1 January in Sage One, with conductor Nuno Coelho and soprano Soraya Mafi, and tickets run from £5 to £60.

Getting home

Plan your journey home before you go out. Nexus has not yet published its Metro and bus timetable for New Year's Eve 2026, and in past years late services on 31 December have differed from a normal night. Check Nexus closer to the date for last trains and any extra services, and expect queues at Central Station and Monument after midnight.

If you are booking a taxi, do it well in advance. Howaymanay finishes at 12.15am and several bars run until 2am or 3am, so demand will be high all night.

Booking tips

• Book early. Howaymanay is ticket-only with limited capacity, and Bongo's Bingo has already sold out.
• Check age limits. Most bar and club nights listed here are 18+.
• Check last entry times. The Alchemist, for example, has last entry for ticket holders at 10.30pm.

Know of a New Year's Eve event in Newcastle we have missed? Get in touch.