As usual, there are many ways to celebrate the year behind and usher in the year ahead on Sunday, Dec. 31, for New Year’s Eve on the Seacoast. Here are a dozen of the glitziest highlights.
First Night Portsmouth 2024
First Night returns to downtown Portsmouth to wrap up the city’s year-long 400th anniversary celebration. Pro Portsmouth’s annual event features an ice sculpture in Market Square and fireworks over South Mill Pond. No indoor performances this year means no admission fees, but donations are appreciated. Learn more here.
‘First Night’ at The Players’ Ring
For one weekend, The Players’ Ring is presenting a romantic comedy by Jack Neary that’s set on New Year’s Eve. “First Night” is about a love-lorn man who reconnects with his eighth-grade flame — who has since become a nun. It’s on stage in Portsmouth twice on Sunday, at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25-$28. Learn more here.
Celebration & Dance at The Rockingham Ballroom
DJ Johnny B Groovy and Soul Sister will provide all the rock, pop, swing, funk, and soul you need to get out on the dance floor during The Rockingham Ballroom’s New Year’s Eve celebration in Newmarket. The Ballroom — which turns 90 in 2024 — invites guests to dress edgy or racy for the occasion. Tickets are $40. Learn more here.
Fiesta Melon at Newburyport Brewing Co.
With high-energy psych-rock band Fiesta Melon on stage and loads of delicious craft beer and hard seltzer flowing, a good time is virtually guaranteed at Newburyport Brewing Company this New Year’s Eve. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the band plays live from 8:30-11:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 and include a midnight toast. Learn more here.
‘Hedwig’ & ‘Rocky Horror’ at the Seacoast Rep
Enjoy a double-header of gender-bending rock-n-roll musicals at the Seacoast Repertory Theatre in Portsmouth on New Year’s Eve. The evening begins with “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” at 7:30 p.m. and continues with a Seacoast Rep tradition: a midnight staging of “The Rocky Horror Show” that stretches into the wee hours of the New Year.
Comedy Showcase at McCue’s Comedy Club
Head into 2024 with a grin on your face after a New Year’s Eve stand-up showcase at McCue’s Comedy Club in Portsmouth. Frank Santorelli, aka “Georgie the Bartender” from “The Sopranos,” headlines with support from Caroline Cooke, Casey McNeal, and host Liam Hales. The show begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $30. Learn more here.
Winter Wonderland Party at The Gas Light
The Portsmouth Gas Light Co.’s Third Floor Night Club is gonna be bumpin’ during the annual New Year’s Eve Winter Wonderland Party. There will be party favors, passed hors d’Oeuvres, a champagne toast, a late-night buffet, and more, beginning at 8 p.m. Tickets are $65 each, or $125 for the VIP treatment. Learn more here.
Rockspring at The Music Hall Lounge
High-energy string band Rockspring has earned a reputation as New England’s equivalent to Old Crow Medicine Show or Yonder Mountain String Band. They’ll put on a special New Year’s Eve performance of bluegrass, pop, rock, folk, and country at The Music Hall Lounge in Portsmouth at 9 p.m. Tickets are $36-$46. Learn more here.
Triple-bill at The Stone Church
Local musician Max Chase is curating a fantastic New Year’s Eve triple-bill show at The Stone Church in Newmarket, featuring three of the Seacoast’s top jam-rock bands. Esteemed local groups Superfrog, The Chops, and Amulus will take their turns on the stage beginning at 9 p.m. Tickets are $20-$25. Learn more here.
Lights Out, Glow Up! at Book & Bar
Portsmouth Book & Bar is promising a night of pulsating beats, vibrant lights, and unforgettable moments during the Lights Out, Glow Up! New Year’s Eve bash. DJ TI-DOUB will be spinning tunes beside a dance floor filled with neon lights and glow-in-the-dark decorations, starting at 9 p.m. Tickets are $10-$20. Learn more here.
Bacchus Raucous at The Press Room
Guests can dress in a tux or a tunic during the Bacchus Raucous New Year’s Eve dance party at The Press Room in Portsmouth. The prime(val) festivities include hot tracks from DJ Chad Banks, passed apps, party favors, and a champagne toast, plus special perks for VIP ticket-holders. Tickets are $50-$100. Learn more here.
Harsh Promadillo at 3S Artspace
You know Harsh Armadillo. They’re that funky band that’s been hip-hopping around the Seacoast for years. Now and then, they host an outrageously fashionable prom-themed dance party called Harsh Promadillo, which next takes place on New Year’s Eve at 3S Artspace in Portsmouth at 9 p.m. Tickets are $24-$29. Learn more here.
See the full calendar for more local events.