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December 1, 2025
New Year’s Eve is a festive time to travel — and LGBTQ+ globetrotters can find lots of enticing options for ringing in the new year, whether they prefer large-scale parties or quieter getaways; here are some of the most interesting LGBTQ+ New Year’s destinations and celebrations.
LGBTQ+ New Year’s Destinations: Large-Scale LGBTQ+ Events
LGBTQ+ circuit parties and celebrations with multi-day programming are among the highest-profile end-of-year happenings for this market segment.
In Los Angeles, for example, Masterbeat hosts an annual New Year’s celebration called Odyssey, which takes place at The Vermont/Los Globos on December 31-January 1. With DJs including Micky Friedmann, Joshua Ruiz and Morabito, the event maintains an energetic vibe. Travelers can simplify their plans by booking a stay at the Mondrian Los Angeles, the event’s official host hotel, where discounted rooms make the weekend enticing for both locals and out-of-towners.
On the east coast, New York City will witness three different LGBTQ+-focused celebrations in Brooklyn, all headed by Ric Sena Presents. Among the offerings are a New Year’s night edition of Viva, followed by two New Year’s Day parties: Sunrise in the afternoon and another edition of Viva that same evening. All take place at the same industrial-chic address, making it easy for those looking for seamless, nonstop festivities.
Celebrating on an International Scale
A variety of large end-of-year events in multiple countries. In Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, for example, Mantamar Events is staging a multi-day lineup of entertainment at Mantamar Beach Club. Between December 29 and January 3, travelers can expect themed pool parties, a beach event and a New Year’s Eve spectacle with fireworks and live performers. The beachfront Almar Resort, located in the city’s queer-popular Romantic Zone, is the host hotel.
Also in Puerto Vallarta is the recently renovated Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort & Spa, an LGBTQ+-friendly resort that’s hosting a Gatsby-themed New Year’s Eve soirée complete with a five-course dinner, open bar and fireworks. And in Los Cabos, Corazón Cabo Resort & Spa will stage what it promises to be the “most welcoming NYE bash for LGBTQ+ travelers and allies,” with multiple party options.
Across the Atlantic, meanwhile, the WE New Year Festival returns to Madrid from December 30 through January 3, with a rotating roster of DJs. And in Bangkok, the five-day White Party Bangkok — which will likely be even more celebratory since Thailand’s recent legalization of same-sex marriage —draws more than 40,000 attendees with its mix of theme and pool parties.
Further south, LGBTQ+ revelers will gather in Australia for Sydney’s Celebration NYE, which takes place at the End of the Wharf on Walsh Bay, with panoramic views of the Harbour Bridge fireworks. The event’s Stay & Social packages include accommodations at partner hotels including the ACE Hotel, Oxford House and Old Clare, and participants can upgrade with VIP perks and a private dining experience at the new Celebration Supper Club.
LGBTQ+ New Year’s Destinations: Celebrating in Smaller Cities
LGBTQ+ travelers who prefer a welcoming, small-town vibe will find lots to love in places like Provincetown, Massachusetts, where the First Light festival, which runs December 26 through January 1, offers a blend of live performances, gallery events, festive shopping, and New Year’s Eve fireworks. On New Year’s Day, the Provincetown Polar Bear Plunge adds a dose of tradition and charity, with hundreds braving the harbor’s chilly waters to support the Center for Coastal Studies.
In Florida, Key West draws revelers with a rather unique end-of-year tradition: the Red Shoe Drop, during which a drag queen is lowered from a balcony in an eight-foot-long red high heeled shoe. It’s a creative variation on the usual ball drop, complemented by lots of live entertainment.
Elsewhere in the United States, west coast options include Sacramento, California, where Faces Nightclub is among the venues hosting parties, and Portland, Oregon, LGBTQ+-owned and queer-forward bars such as Back 2 Earth, Eagle Portland and Escape Bar & Grill stage celebrations.
Regardless of personal travel style, LGBTQ+ travelers have an exciting array of ways to welcome the new year.
This article originally appeared in TravelPulse.
Contact My Journey Begins Travel to plan and book a New Year’s Eve celebration away from home.