20 best places in Europe for New Years celebration
New Year's Eve is one of the most anticipated celebrations of the year, but all too often, it fails to live up to the hype. Previous experiences of overcrowded pubs, expensive event entry and long queues for drinks may have left you wondering if you would get better value flying somewhere new to chime in the year.
Luckily, we’ve done the work for you—creating an index of the best European cities to ring in the New Year. By analysing all the countdown essentials—like the number of bars and clubs, the cost of a bottle of prosecco and a late-night McDonald’s, average hotel prices, and social media buzz from each location— we’ve created a standardised ranking of the top 20 best cities for New Year Eve 2025.
The top 20 European cities to celebrate New Year’s Eve
If you are still wondering where to go on New Year's Eve, take a look at our table of the top 20 cities below.
|
Rank |
Country |
Capital City |
Avg. £ of a hotel p/n |
No. of clubs & bars |
Avg. £ of a McDonald's |
Avg. £ of a bottle of Prosecco |
Instagram # posts |
TikTok search volumes |
|
1 |
Prague |
Czech Republic |
£1,042 |
548 |
£6.59 |
£14.79 |
19,259,194 |
996,000 |
|
2 |
Budapest |
Hungary |
£270 |
208 |
£6.06 |
£31.79 |
16,743,473 |
1,487,000 |
|
3 |
Barcelona |
Spain |
£375 |
453 |
£9.15 |
£20.70 |
73,270,167 |
24,690,000 |
|
4 |
Lisbon |
Portugal |
£121 |
194 |
£7.49 |
£24.90 |
12,208,832 |
546,000 |
|
5 |
Berlin |
Germany |
£326 |
460 |
£9.16 |
£24.02 |
55,188,089 |
2,223,000 |
|
6 |
Sofia |
Bulgaria |
£91 |
144 |
£6.38 |
£40.65 |
4,884,312 |
1,819,000 |
|
7 |
Riga |
Latvia |
£133 |
78 |
£6.47 |
£24.06 |
4,142,049 |
447,000 |
|
8 |
Bucharest |
Romania |
£132 |
103 |
£5.85 |
£36.64 |
4,346,879 |
299,000 |
|
9 |
London |
England |
£976 |
506 |
£8.00 |
£35.00 |
168,051,089 |
2,715,000 |
|
10 |
Madrid |
Spain |
£631 |
533 |
£8.32 |
£36.51 |
51,678,555 |
2,715,000 |
|
11 |
Rome |
Italy |
£1,210 |
385 |
£8.32 |
£21.57 |
30,809,073 |
996,000 |
|
12 |
Paris |
France |
£949 |
386 |
£9.90 |
£29.88 |
146,036,172 |
4,062,000 |
|
13 |
Tbilisi |
Georgia |
£113 |
90 |
£6.35 |
£33.75 |
5,110 |
365,000 |
|
14 |
Athens |
Greece |
£262 |
174 |
£7.49 |
£39.75 |
12,970,453 |
447,000 |
|
15 |
Amsterdam |
Netherlands |
£598 |
254 |
£10.82 |
£31.47 |
37,131,750 |
2,223,000 |
|
16 |
Bratislava |
Slovakia |
£528 |
15 |
£6.63 |
£22.39 |
4,525,707 |
664,000 |
|
17 |
Dublin |
Ireland |
£276 |
219 |
£8.32 |
£45.64 |
14,925,340 |
1,215,000 |
|
18 |
Ljubljana |
Slovenia |
£969 |
61 |
£6.63 |
£21.48 |
2,190,440 |
546,000 |
|
19 |
Brussels |
Belgium |
£301 |
146 |
£9.98 |
£34.78 |
8,281,440 |
447,000 |
|
20 |
Vienna |
Austria |
£1,671 |
143 |
£8.73 |
£31.52 |
17,053,850 |
810,000 |
1. Prague, Czech Republic
Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, takes the top spot as the best European city to celebrate the New Year. This vibrant city is famed for its lively nightlife, gothic architecture and affordability.
Prague is certainly the party capital of the continent, ranking as the European city with the most bars and clubs (548) and the cheapest bottle of prosecco at £14.79.
Visitors can also look forward to saving on their first meal of the year, with the average price of a McDonald’s 20% cheaper than in London at just £6.59.
The influencers among you will also be happy to hear that Prague is in the top 10 most Instagrammable locations, with over 19 million hashtagged posts, making it a superb spot to take tonnes of pics to give your followers FOMO.
2. Budapest, Hungary
Budapest, the capital city of Hungary, came in as the second-best European city to chime in the New Year. Unwind in the Széchenyi Thermal Baths (the largest mineral baths on the continent) before exploring the historic streets and soaking up the local culture.
You can dance the night away as this city is ranked in the top 10 locations with the most clubs and bars (208). The post-party feast is also ticked off as Budapest had the second cheapest McDonald’s menu in Europe, with the average meal costing £6.06.
Look forward to plenty of traction on your social media posts, as Budapest is the 10th most Instagram hashtagged on our list with the 8th highest TikTok search volumes.
3. Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona, Spain, is not just a summer destination but also ranks third in the top best cities for New Year's Eve.
This popular beach holiday location also offers a flourishing nightlife, with the 5th highest amount of bars and clubs (453) and the 2nd cheapest rate of prosecco by the bottle at £20.70, meaning you can live it up in luxury.
Get snap happy in front of the Basílica de la Sagrada Família, as Barcelona ranks as the 3rd highest hashtagged city on Instagram from our list with the top number of TikTok searches.
4. Lisbon, Portugal
Lisbon, the coastal Portuguese capital city, is another summer hotspot that can be just as magical in the winter.
Home to beautiful viewpoints and eye-catching pastel buildings, visitors can look forward to a picturesque stay. Hotel prices are over seven times cheaper than London per night, allowing you to enjoy the festive season with an extended stay in Lisbon. If you want to have the freedom to travel at your own pace, hire a car and explore the city.
Welcome the New Year in style, partying under the fireworks at the Praça do Comércio. With the 9th most affordable bottle of prosecco in Europe, a glass of fizz here is over half the price of bubbly in the Swedish capital, Stockholm.
5. Berlin, Germany
Berlin, Germany, is a cultural hotspot with some of Europe’s most infamous clubs and an expansive music scene.
Spend your New Year's Eve exploring its vibrant nightlife, made up of 460 bars and clubs (the 4th highest number in Europe), ranging from underground raves to sleek city bars.
With the 7th cheapest bottle of prosecco in Europe, you can look forward to raising glasses to 2025! But, while you are in for a fun evening, don't forget to capture it on film, as Berlin ranks as the 4th most hashtagged city from our list on Instagram with the 5th highest TikTok searches.
András Rado, Wizz Air’s Head of Communications, states, “While many of us cherish the idea of ringing in the New Year close to home, celebrating in a different country can add a unique and unforgettable touch to the occasion.
“Cities like Barcelona, Budapest, and Krakow are renowned for their lively celebrations, but Wizz Air aims to inspire travellers to explore Europe’s hidden New Year’s gems. From dazzling fireworks over the charming streets of Ljubljana to vibrant celebrations in a tucked-away corner of Serbia, there are countless destinations where you can welcome the New Year in a truly extraordinary way.”
Apart from the above-highlighted 5 best cities, there are also underrated New Year's Eve destinations like Sofia (Bulgaria), Riga (Latvia), Tbilisi (Georgia) and Ljubljana (Slovenia). These places will be the most suitable options for those who prefer to move away from the buzzing cities yet still have festive and exciting vibes.
To have the best New Year city breaks, make sure you plan as soon as possible, make the checklist and research carefully about the places to visit and eat. Plus, to maximise the budget, use Wizz Air’s Fare Finder to search for the cheapest flight to your desired destination. Wizz Air also offers the best flight deals throughout the month.
Methodology
Number of bars and clubs – Tripadvisor
Cost of prosecco – cost is taken from the most popular restaurant on Tripadvisor in city, with available information
Cost of hotel room – Booking.com used to find the cost of a room in a 3-4 star hotel from 31st December 2024 - 1st January 2025
Cost of McDonald’s – Numbeo
Instagram #'s and TikTok volume searches found using Key Word Tool: https://keywordtool.io/
All data is correct as of December 2024