
Happy New Year, San Francisco! Whether you plan to skip the late-night parties and celebrate with a morning hike, or you’re searching for epic night out plans, there are plenty of ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve in San Francisco. Keep reading for some of our favorite ways to celebrate the end of 2024 and start 2025 on the right note.
Visit our San Francisco event calendar for all the best events we’re looking forward to and our 2025 public holiday calendar with some tips for when to request your days off.
1. Watch the fireworks show over the SF Bay
People come out in droves each year to check out an epic fireworks show over the San Francisco Bay! The display usually kicks off right at midnight and lasts about 15-20 minutes. Be sure to get there early for the best seating, which tends to be along the waterfront between the Ferry Building and the Bay Bridge.
Here are a few boat cruises where you can see the fireworks on the water:
🗓️ Date: The fireworks show usually begins at midnight on the night of Dec. 31.
đź“Ť Location: San Francisco waterfront between the Ferry Building and the Bay Bridge
2. Get tix for the NYE concert at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
Bill Graham Civic Auditorium is known to host an epic show on NYE every year. Past performers have included LCD Soundsystem for NYE 2024, Kaskade for NYE 2023 and 2022, and Deadmau5 for NYE 2020. Kaskade has been confirmed as the performer for NYE 2025, featuring Le Youth and Lipless!
🗓️ Date: Dec. 31, 2024 at 8 pm
đź“Ť Location: Civic Center – Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, 99 Grove St, San Francisco, CA 94102
3. Join the It’s a New Day + Breakfast of Champions Block Party at The Great Northern
This epic 17-hour event is the perfect way to start 2025 if you love dancing the night (and day) away. The party is in its 25th year, with over 100 DJs across 10 stages. The massive party starts on January 1st at 4 am and invites San Franciscans to dance and enjoy the music until 9 pm.
🗓️ Date: Jan. 1, 2025, from 4 am-9 pm
đź“Ť Location: SoMa – The Great Northern, 119 Utah St, San Francisco, CA 94103
4. Attend Fort Mason’s Eye Heart New Year’s Eve featuring Gryffin
This massive NYE celebration has drawn some incredible artists in the past, including Diplo, T-Pain, Dillon Francis, and Too Short. This year, we’re looking forward to seeing Gryffin bring the house down at the 16th annual Eye Heart New Year’s Eve.Â
🗓️ Date: Dec. 31, 2024, from 9 pm-2 am
đź“Ť Location: Fort Mason Center – Festival Pavilion, 2 Marina Boulevard Suite, #260, San Francisco, CA 94123
5. Join a NYE bar crawl
Enjoy an unforgettable New Year’s Eve party with the ultimate SF bar crawl on December 31st. Don your most festive 2025 outfit and enjoy admission-free entry to participating bars, plus drink specials and endless champagne toasts.
6. Polar Bear Skate at Union Square Ice Rink
Union Square Ice Rink is the place to be all the way into January. They always celebrate the New Year with “Polar Bear Skate,” a popular Canadian tradition in which skaters don their favorite bathing suit or beach attire to “take the plunge” on the ice! Prizes will be given for the best costumes.
🗓️ Date: Jan. 1, 2025, from 2:30-3:30 pm
đź“Ť Location: Union Square Ice Rink – 333 Post St, San Francisco, CA 94102
7. Watch special showing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show
If you prefer a more low-key but still fun New Year’s Eve, we recommend checking out Balboa Theater’s screening of of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The screening starts at 11:30, so you can ring in the new year while watching the iconic film. Plus, you can catch a screening of New Year’s favorite, When Harry Met Sally, earlier in the evening.
8. Attend the Clift Hotel’s party, complete with DJs and a ball drop
The Clift Hotel is once again hosting a festive New Year’s Eve party with four DJs, a champagne toast, and even a red carpet. The party will feature plenty of music, dancing, and even some party favors.
9. Kwanzaa and Noon Year’s Eve at Thrive City
Ring in 2025 and celebrate the culture of Kwanzaa with a midday ball drop and countdown, arts and crafts, treats, and music. The free celebration goes down at Thrive City beneath their 80-foot holiday tree, but make sure you RSVP.Â
🗓️ Date: Dec. 31, 2024, from 9:30 am-12:30 pm
đź“Ť Location: Mission Bay – Thrive City, 1725 3rd St, San Francisco, CA 94158
10. New Year’s One Day Race in San Jose
In this New Year’s Day race, participants can run as many 1-mile laps as they like to celebrate the start of the new year. The biggest go-getters are known to spend the entire day running upwards of 100 laps, which is a fair motivation for those of us trying to step up our exercise in the new year. Learn more about the New Year’s One Day Race here.
🗓️ Date: Dec. 31, 2024 – Jan. 1, 2025 (24 hours straight from 9 am-9 am)
đź“Ť Location: Hellyer County Park (Buena Vista Pavilion) – 985 Hellyer Ave, San Jose, CA 95111
11. NYE 2025 with Mira & Yamagucci at Public Works
This multi-level SF nightclub always promises to “give the people what they want,” and this year, they’re giving us an unforgettable night with German DJ Mira and Japanese/Israeli DJ Yamaguchi. Tickets are available for presale online, and there should also be a limited amount available at the door.
🗓️ Date: Dec. 31, 2024, from 9 pm-4 am
đź“Ť Location: SoMa – Public Works, 161 Erie St, San Francisco, CA 94103
12. MOANY 2025 at the Regency Ballroom
The Regency Ballroom has hosted MOANY (Mother Of All New Years) for over two decades, making for one of the most popular NYE events in San Francisco. Dance your way across three different floors, playing a variety of genres, including EDM, Reggaeton, and hip hop, with the added excitement of a balloon drop and confetti. Make sure you dress to impress and get ready for a fun night.
🗓️ Date: Dec. 31, 2024 at 9 pm
đź“Ť Location: 1300 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94109
13. Buy fresh Dungeness crab off the boat at Fisherman’s Wharf
California’s commercial crab season has experienced delays for the last few years, but the season often begins as soon as New Year’s Day. If all goes as expected, local Dungeness crab will be available to kick off your 2025 meals and last through the spring. Get ready to purchase fresh live crab right off the boat in a beloved SF tradition.
🗓️ Date: Dungeness crab season’s opening has been delayed until at least mid-DecemberÂ
đź“Ť Location: You can usually buy fresh crab off the boat at Pier 45 and Pier 47 in Fisherman’s Wharf
14. Join the New Year’s Day Plunge at Ocean Beach
Would you take a New Year’s Day swim at Ocean Beach? If the answer is yes, then you’re in good company. The Riptide Bar in SF’s Outer Sunset neighborhood always hosts a warm-up and after-party for the annual New Year’s Day Plunge at 12 pm on January 1st at Ocean Beach and Taraval Street.
🗓️ Date: Jan. 1, 2024 at 12 pm
đź“Ť Location: Outer Sunset – Ocean Beach and Taraval Street, San Francisco, CA
15. Attend the Asian Art Museum’s 39th annual Japanese New Year Bell-Ringing Ceremony
The Asian Art Museum will ring in the New Year with a community tradition dating back decades. Reverend Gengo Akiba will lead a ceremonial bell-ringing in which you can step up to ring a 2,000-pound, 16th-century Japanese temple bell. It will be rung 108 times to assuage the 108 bonno (earthly mortal desires or defilements) that Buddhist belief defines as torments to humankind.
🗓️ Date: Dec. 20, 2024. The member bell-ringing will be from 10:30 am-12 pm, and the public bell-ringing will be from 1-2:30pm.
đź“Ť Location: Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA 94102
16. Go to a special NYE Circus in Downtown SF
Circus Bella’s big top circus tent will pop up at the Crossing at East Cut this year, and the classic troupe will have two dazzling performances on New Year’s Eve. Both shows will feature a classic countdown to 2025, plus classic acts such as jugglers, contortionists, acrobats, a six-piece band, and more.
🗓️ Date: Dec. 31, 2024, at 12 pm and 7:30 pm
đź“Ť Location: Financial District – The Crossing at East Cut – 250 Main St, San Francisco, CA 94105
17. Host the ultimate at-home celebration
For those of us planning on a low-key celebration, this one’s for you: Pick up some nice booze from a local wine bar or brewery; round out your charcuterie board with some nice meats and cheeses from Molinari or The Epicurean Trader; and get a new board game at SF’s Gamescape or Game Post. See our old roundup of Covid-safe NYE activities for more inspiration.
18. Make a reservation for a boozy bottomless brunch
Some would argue that brunch is the most important meal of the day, and what better way to kick off the New Year in San Francisco? Be sure to get your recommended daily allowance of crispy bacon, fluffy pancakes, egg scrambles, and bottomless mimosas at these local brunch restaurants.
19. Go for a memorable day trip around the Bay Area
We love San Francisco for its countless activities to enjoy everywhere you go. But anytime there’s a long weekend or a free day, we’re quite well-located to check out some neighboring California gems. Be sure to put these day trips on your to-do list for the next time you want to get out of the City and into nature.
20. Get a new perspective at a Bay Area observatory
When was the last time you turned your attention skyward? The Bay Area has several public observatories where you can take a break from your earthly qualms and get lost in a galaxy far, far away. Whether you seek to gain some distance from this giant blue marble or you want to get into a conversation about aliens, these four local observatories have you covered with public telescope viewings and more.
21. Top up your 2025 bucket list with these hidden gems around NorCal
California is home to some of the most incredible nature spots in the world, from towering mountain ranges to pristine beaches to ancient redwood trees. Northern California, in particular, is beloved for its dramatic rocky beaches and mountainous terrain, making for some magnificent natural spectacles. From Burney Falls to Mount Shasta, here are some of our favorites.
22. Catch the last sunset of the year at these gorgeous viewing spots
There’s truly no shortage of excellent places to see a sunset in the Bay, but we wanted to get to the bottom of where locals love to watch the sky light up. Here are a few tried-and-true spots recommended by locals.
By Jamie Ferrell and Dana Flynn