Let’s face it -- we’ve been through a lot this year and we’ve passed many milestones here in San Diego. After all of the ups and downs in 2022, we all deserve to celebrate and commemorate the past year as we look forward to 2023 with gleaming eyes filled with hope for the dazzling new year.
Whether you're looking to dance until you drop out or to celebrate with your little ones, here are ways to reminisce on 2022 and count down to the upcoming year.
Family-Friendly Events
Kids’ New Year’s Eve
For kiddos and families who like to have an earlier night in, check out Legoland’s Kids’ New Year’s Eve celebration. Legoland will still have all of its typical fun activities around the park, but for this special celebration, there will be an early firework show to round out the year. This party is included for those who already have season passes, but if you’d like to buy a one-day pass just for New Year's Eve tickets start at $89.
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Noon Year Celebration
At Plunge San Diego in Belmont Park, families can enjoy a noon balloon drop. This is a great way to celebrate early and enjoy a fun event for the whole family. Kids can dive into the fun by competing on a floating obstacle course. Little ones can even meet a surprise guest character in a meet and greet from The Storybook Character Company, last year families were joined by Elsa and Anna from Frozen. There will be desserts, giveaways, crafts, bouncy houses and more. For the full list of ticket options visit their website.
Popping into 2023
At the Living Coast Discovery Center in Chula Vista, guests can enjoy a very bubbly event. This New Year’s Eve celebration will be jam-packed with an interactive bubble show, a silent disco, bubble-making stations and bubble experiments. If you get tired from all the bubble mania, there will be a food truck there so you can grab a quick bite. The Popping into 2023 event will also have guided night hikes and animal encounters.
21-and-Up Events
Big Night San Diego
Taking place at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront, the 20th annual New Year's Eve celebration will be popping off with all drinks included, eight different bands, DJs, dance floors and a special guest. San Diego native Mario Lopez will be announcing the countdown to midnight to ring in 2023. Tickets start around $100 and increase as the new year creeps up.
Downtown San Diego Bar Crawl
For this New Year's Eve, you can hit over 10 different locations participating in the bar crawl with deals such as a free welcome shot, drink discounts, food specials and more. The pre-party starts at Bloom Nightclub and then the bar crawl will commence from there. Tickets start around $20 but they increase in price the closer it gets to New Year’s Eve.
Gatsby’s House
In Downtown, continue to celebrate the roaring twenty-20s at the Hotel Republic, San Diego. This event is Great Gatsby themed so come in your best flapper wear and 20’s themed attire. Drinks and accessories will be provided at the event. There will be DJs playing everyone’s favorite top 40 songs and taking requests, maybe you can even hear a track from “The Great Gatsby” movie. Tickets start at $95.
Glitz & Glam
Head over to the Hard Rock in Downtown San Diego for a sparkling celebration of the new year. This event will take up the first three floors of the hotel creating the ultimate glitz and glam experience. DJ duo Ship Wrek will be headlining the event on the Hard Rock rooftop with all sorts of house and techno music to lead guests into 2023. There will be bars, more DJs and you can even purchase a fast pass to skip the lines. Tickets start at $59.
Masquerade Gala
Experience the New Year at The Del in Coronado in their Victorian-style Southpoint ballroom. There will be a delectable menu for the dinner as well as a live band and a midnight champagne toast to the new year. Guests are encouraged to dress in black-tie masquerade attire. Tickets start at $390.
New Year's Eve Bash
If you love some classic hip-hop and R&B tracks this is the NYE event for you! D.J. Kool-T & D.J. Gil will be serving up all the old-school jams at Four Points by Sheraton San Diego in Kearny Mesa. The end-of-the-year bash will be held in the Skies Lounge inside the hotel. Tickets are $30 ahead of time.
Past New Year's Eve Events
On the Boardwalk Cruise
What better way to celebrate the end of 2022 than sailing the seas on a yacht? For this NYE extravaganza, guests will be all aboard the Inspiration Mega Yacht, which has three different decks and is over 200 feet long. There are expected to be six different DJs, hor d’oeuvres, an open bar and more. Tickets for the three-hour cruise start at $159.
Pacific Beach NYE Bar Crawl
With over nine locations and more to be announced this is a huge all-access pass to Pacific Beach for New Year's Eve. Each location provides a discount or drinks special with the bar crawl pass. Most of these include a welcome shot with a purchase, $5 drinks or even a buy-one-get-one slice of pizza at Woodstock Pizza! Tickets start around $20 but they increase in price the closer it gets to New Year’s Eve.
Proper NYE
With over 20 artists performing over New Year's Eve and New Year's Day this festival will be an absolutely electric way to ring in the new year. The Proper event will be put on by FNGRS CRSSD. At Petco Park, guests can see headliners such as John Summit, Chris Lake and Dombresky. There will be three different stages at the event including one at the park, the terrace and one on the field.
Time Warp New Year's Eve
As we ring in the new year there will be an absolute time warp thrown by the Levinson Group with a Studio 54 theme. There will be rooms celebrating each of the decades and their different music choices. There will be eight different rooms expected to play music for everyone where you can pick and choose your favorite vibe. Whether you’re more into Latin music, 90’s covers or a silent disco this Time Warp has it all. Held in Kearny Mesa tickets start at $65 but you can also tack on a bus pass to be driven to and from the event. There will be food, merch and more. Each ticket is also expected to provide a meal by donation to the It’s All About the Kids Foundation, according to their website.
