New Year's Eve is Thursday, Dec. 31. The 2025 city party had free midnight fireworks over the Intracoastal; 2026 plans are not out. Noon Year's Eve is set.
Last checked Oct. 10, 2026. Facts come from the City of West Palm Beach, the West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority and the Cox Science Center and Aquarium. This page is updated each year. The city and downtown venues have not announced their 2026 New Year’s Eve plans; until they do, this page shows what happened on Dec. 31, 2025.
New Year’s Eve is Thursday, Dec. 31, 2026. Last year West Palm Beach ended its holiday season with a free party on the waterfront’s Great Lawn and a 15-minute fireworks show over the Intracoastal at midnight. Whether the show returns for 2026 has not been announced. One 2026 event is set: the science center’s Noon Years Eve for families.
Who to call
- City events: Community Events, 561-822-1515; after hours, 561-822-2222
- Downtown events: Downtown Development Authority, 561-833-8873
- Noon Years Eve: Cox Science Center and Aquarium, 561-832-1988
Confirmed for 2026: Noon Years Eve
The Cox Science Center and Aquarium, 4801 Dreher Trail North, holds Noon Years Eve on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2026. It starts at 9 a.m. with live science demonstrations, music and dancing, face painting and DIY confetti launchers, and families toast the new year with dry ice apple cider at noon.
How the city did it in 2025
The city’s Holiday in Paradise season ended with Sandi’s New Year’s Eve with Ferris and Fireworks on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, according to the city’s event page and the Downtown Development Authority’s New Year’s guide:
- Where: the Great Lawn on the waterfront, Flagler Drive between North and South Clematis streets.
- When: 8 p.m. to midnight, free to attend.
- Music: On The Roxx, then DJ Reflex until the countdown. Food and drinks were for sale.
- Fireworks: 15 minutes over the Intracoastal Waterway at midnight, presented by the Downtown Development Authority with the Flagler Museum.
- Ferris wheel and Sandi: Sandi’s music and light show was free; Ferris wheel rides were $5 a person a ride.
Parking in 2025: all downtown garages were $10 from 5 to 8:59 p.m.; after 9 p.m. the Banyan and City Center garages were $40, Evernia and Clematis $20 and Sapodilla $10, paid on entry. Street parking west of Rosemary Avenue was free. See our getting around guide for garage locations.
Downtown parties and dinners in 2025
Last year these downtown venues announced New Year’s Eve events, according to the Downtown Development Authority. We will list 2026 plans only when each venue announces them.
| Venue | 2025 event |
|---|---|
| The Ben, 251 N. Narcissus Ave. | A rooftop ballroom gala, a party at Spruzzo and a rinkside “Winter Wonderland” |
| Clematis Social, 219 Clematis St. | Black and White Affair from 8 p.m. |
| KYMA, 151 N. Olive Ave. | Rooftop party on the Terrazza |
| Pistache French Bistro, 101 N. Clematis St. | Early and late dinner seatings |
| The Blind Monk, 655 S. Olive Ave. | A four-course paired dinner |
| Treehouse Rooftop Bar, 380 Trinity Place | Gatsby Rooftop Gala, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. |
| Visit Palm Beach, 138 S. Flagler Drive | Fireworks catamaran cruise from the South Dock |
Holding a public New Year’s Eve event in West Palm Beach? Send the details through our contact page.
What this means for you
- The fireworks return is not confirmed for 2026; we will update this page when the city or the Downtown Development Authority announces it.
- With kids, the science center’s noon countdown is the sure thing.
- Garages charged event rates last year; street parking west of Rosemary Avenue was free.
Related: holiday lights and Christmas events, Christmas tree lighting and Fourth of July fireworks.
Frequently asked questions
Are there New Year’s Eve fireworks in West Palm Beach?
In 2025, yes: a 15-minute show over the Intracoastal Waterway at midnight, presented by the Downtown Development Authority with the Flagler Museum. The 2026 plans have not been announced.
Is the West Palm Beach New Year’s Eve party free?
The city’s 2025 party on the Great Lawn, 100 N. Clematis St., ran 8 p.m. to midnight with free entry; food, drinks and Ferris wheel rides cost extra.
What is there for kids on New Year’s Eve in West Palm Beach?
The Cox Science Center and Aquarium holds Noon Years Eve on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2026, from 9 a.m., with science demos, music, face painting and a toast with dry ice apple cider at noon.
Where can I watch the New Year’s fireworks in West Palm Beach?
The 2025 show was over the Intracoastal off the downtown waterfront, so Flagler Drive and the Great Lawn had the best views. A catamaran cruise also left the South Dock for the show.
Have your say