Where to Ring in the New Year
In recent years, Singapore has really upped its game in terms of its public New Years Eve celebration. Fireworks are centred around Marina Bay, and it is reported that over a quarter of a million people from the city state and further abroad gather around the waters of the glittering bay and its new crop of high-end entertainment centres to take in the dazzling display. The best vantage points for taking in the pyrotechnics can be found around the Marina Bay floating Stadium, the Esplanade promenade, the Esplanade Bridge, Benjamin Sheares Bridge, Merlion Park and the Padang at City Hall facing Marina Bay. Check the official Marina Bay Singapore Countdown website (marinabaycountdown.sg) for more details on this year’s festivities and a complete rundown of the schedule.
Where to Party
If you’re looking for the wildest and wettest New Years Eve party in Singapore, look no further than the Siloso Beach Party (silosobeachparty.com), which runs from 6 pm on December 31st all the way to 6 am on New Year’s Day. This party is known for always featuring an excellent line-up of local and international DJ’s to groove to while getting messy on a dance floor filled with water jets and foam pools.
One of the coolest places to see the fireworks displays is from the top of Marina Bay Sands, specifically in the lavish and exclusive Ku De Ta (kudeta.com.sg) club lounge. Last year the club’s fabulous fete featured a Venetian-inspired masquerade party theme, and this year promises a similarly fantastical good time, with some of the city’s top DJs spinning everything from R&B to deep house. While tickets are pricey, it’s almost worth it for the views alone.
Where to Stay
There are several excellent hotels in and around Marina Bay that provide panoramic views of the New Years Eve celebrations. One of the most luxe is The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore (7 Raffles Avenue; 65 6337-8888; ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Singapore), located in the heart of Marina Centre. It features 608 newly renovated guest rooms, each well-appointed with lavish touches such as walk-in closets, soothing rain showers and a dual mood lighting system. It also houses one of the city’s most exquisite Cantonese restaurants, Summer Pavilion, which serves up classic dishes with innovative, modern presentations amidst a picturesque garden setting.
Another hotel that offers breathtaking views of the NYE festivities is the five-star Marina Mandarin Singapore. (6 Raffles Blvd; +65 6845 1000; meritushotels.com)
Located directly opposite The Esplanade, the hotel is also within walking distance to attractions such as Gardens by the Bay and the Singapore Flyer. The hotel’s most impressive feature is a majestic atrium that soars through all 21 levels of the hotel. Each of the hotel’s 575 luxurious rooms has its own private balcony, so be sure to request one facing Marina Bay on the big night. The hotel also houses Southeast Asia’s first Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse restaurants, known for serving up impeccably cooked cuts of prime beef on sizzling 260 degree Celsius hot plates, which would make for an appropriately impressive venue for any New Years Eve Dinner.
