Edinburgh
Want to celebrate the New Year four days straight? Then hit “Hogmanay”, Scotland's biggest and wildest event. Celebrated with full gusto in Edinburgh, Hogmanay begins on December 29th and ends with a string of fun-filled activities on January 1st. Highlights include a massive street party with three stages of musical performers, a carnival extravaganza, torchlight parades with the burning of huge effigies, discotheques and, of course, fireworks. Only these are not ordinary fireworks – high voltage displays light up the sky from Edinburgh Castle and six other hills around the city.

The Vikings introduced Hogmanay traditions to the Scots in the 8th century and one of the most spectacular customs is the swinging of giant fireballs on long metal poles. After the non-stop parties, New Year’s Day on January 1st offers more exciting events to welcome the New Year.

The Scots are hardy folk, possibly the only people who could wake up after 72 hours of partying to join a Triathlon around Holyrood Park! For the young athletes between eight and 15 years, Iron Kids Duathlon is a run-bike-run event in Holyrood Park. The One O’Clock Run offers a gentle jog down the Royal Mile. The Dogmanay is an energetic race of sled-pulling Siberian Huskies around Holyrood Park. Hogmanay is a New Year celebration you’ll never forget!

London
Parties, pubs and parades characterize the New Year holiday in England’s capital. Trafalgar Square is the hub of celebrations. World-class pubs and clubs and a Big Ben countdown make London one of the best cities to be on New Year's Eve. The famous London Eye is the centre of a huge ten-minute fireworks display.
The city’s New Year's Day Parade features more than 10,000 musicians, dancers, acrobats and performers. The parade starts at Parliament Square at the noon chime of Big Ben, then proceeds along Whitehall to Trafalgar Square, Cockspur Street, Pall Mall, Lower Regent Street to Piccadilly Circus, where it ends.

Rio de Janeiro
Rio is renowned as a year-round party city, so imagine the revelry that ignites at this time of the year! Copacabana Beach is the sizzling setting for much of the celebrations, which are branded by samba music and sexy Brazilian bodies. Traditionally a religious festivity, locals dress in white and offer gifts to the Goddess of the Water by floating millions of candles and flowers on the sea. Today, the tradition is still alive, only with the added spice of samba and two million revellers. So dawn your white duds, dance into the sunrise, dip into the sea and soak up the exotic atmosphere!

Sydney
Australia’s scenic city comes alive for New Year's Eve as Sydney Harbour offers an impressive array of activities that keep the energy high and the champagne flowing. Crowds gather around Sydney Harbour and on the Harbour Bridge to watch a spectacular fireworks show. Go early to stake out a viewing spot at Sydney Opera House or trendy Dawes Point, where a throng of pubs are just a crawl away from the Rocks.

Want to avoid the masses? Then book a New Year’s Cruise or private charter boat for the night and enjoy the view from the water. You get to choose your own floating party and the meal can be as lavish as you want. Sydney’s Bondi Beach throws a legendary and well-attended New Year’s Beach Party with music, dancing and all-night bonfires.

Tokyo
Japan’s thumping-jumping capital presents two very different but equally fun ways to celebrate the New Year. Traditionalists enjoy the special festivities at Tokyo’s Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, complete with music and dancers dressed in ornate costumes. After some wholesome fun at the temples, give the notorious nightclubs a go for a wilder time. These places attract Japan's bold and beautiful locals, the hippest house beats and top DJs from around the world.

However, due to their popularity you’ll need to reserve tickets weeks, if not months in advance. Check out Studio Coast, Womb and Yellow and let the good times roll. After a full day of recovery, tour the grounds of the Imperial Palace on January 2nd and catch a glimpse of the Emperor waving from the balcony.

Las Vegas
Celebrate in style in Sin City! New Year's Eve is a major event in Las Vegas. Want to gamble, lap up luxury and see the stars? America’s 24-hour playground provides the ultimate bash. The classic Vegas activities are revamped for New Year's Eve, as The Strip is closed to traffic and transformed into a massive street party. Several hundred thousand partiers convene to dance, drink and eat before diving into the casinos and glitzy shows.

As an added bonus, you're likely to spot as many celebrities as you will Elvis impersonators. Catch one of the many big name concerts or enjoy the spectacular midnight fireworks in front of Caesar’s Palace or from the observation deck of the Stratosphere hotel, 109 storeys above The Strip!

New Orleans
Home of Cajun spice and legendary blues, New Orleans is another 24-hour party zone, so when the New Year comes around, things really kick into gear. The party starts on Bourbon Street as hundreds of thousands spread out into French Quarter. Any of the bars and clubs in the Quarter will be jumping. Rock-n-rollers will love Big Bad Wolfe for great live bands or groove out to DJ tunes at Cat's Meow and Razzoo. Around midnight, many of the revellers amble over to Jackson Square for the Midnight Ball Drop and fireworks. Rain or shine, sleet or snow, celebrate New Year’s Eve in the French Quarter and really let go!

New York City
The Big Apple's Times Square is one of the most famous and televised New Year’s Eve celebrations in the world. Its dazzling lights, vivacious energy and famous ball have become a global tradition. Bundle up and join the masses as they watch the one-tonne Waterford Crystal ball descend, shouting out the ten-second countdown and cheering at the stroke of midnight. Held in Times Square since 1972, "Dick Clark's Rockin’ New Year's Eve", is a live and televised event.

The show features celebrity performers such as Mariah Carey. With nearly one million people rejoicing in the Square and billions watching around the world, New Year’s Eve in New York is one of the biggest parties on the planet. The Central Park midnight marathon is one way to warm up on the chilly night. With thousands of participants, the marathon has it all from music and fireworks to champagne.